Achieve Planner

Personal Time Management Software

 

 

Work Your Plan and Get Things Done!

4. Taking Action

Achieve Planner supports two main styles of work: structured work using project blocks to guide your work, and unstructured work where you plan as you go and select the best task to work on next from various alternatives.

Structured Work Style

In the structured work style, project blocks serve as your main plan for the day.

When it is time to work on a project block, you simply go to the prioritized task list for the project in the Tasks tab and start working your tasks in priority order.

You can filter the Tasks tab to only show you the tasks for your current project without getting distracted by anything else.

In this example, the Tasks tab is filtered to only view tasks for the 'Project Proposal for new joint product' project.

You can easily switch to a different project using the project selector dropdown button...

Or you can use the Actions -> Switch Project menu command (Ctrl+H) which will open a Project Chooser dialog where you can select the project you want to focus on.

 

Project Blocks In Your Schedule Are Linked to Projects

You can also jump to the task list from the weekly schedule by right-clicking on a project block and selecting View Tasks from the context menu. This will take you into the Tasks tab filtered by that project.

 

Since Project Blocks act like regular appointments, the reminders window will pop up when it's time to start a new project block...

And you can click on the View Tasks button to take you to the Tasks tab already filtered by that project.

You just keep doing this throughout the day to get your most important work done.

Video Tutorial (link opens in new window):

'Next Action' Reminders or Bookmarks

If you don’t finish a task before you need to do something else, it is still there in your task list ready to start again the next time you want to work on that project.

You can even add a "next action" reminder task so you can easily remember where you left off (like a bookmark in a book.)

Here's what a next action reminder looks like...

That way, when you start your project again, you know exactly where you left off and what you need to do next.

Creating these next action reminders is very easy... You simply use the Actions -> Record Work/Expenses menu item to indicate that you didn't complete the task just yet...

And enter the next action remember as the follow up action.

Video Tutorials (links open in new window):

Unstructured Working Style

Achieve Planner is very flexible and also supports an 'unstructured' style of work, where you plan as you go and select the best task to work on next across all your projects.

The Outline tab supports filtering your outline to only show the next actions available in each project.

Powerful Filtering

Achieve Planner has powerful filtering support to help you find the best tasks to work on next. You can use the funnel icon in the column header to filter the values in that column.

Once you've setup the filter conditions you want, you can save a snapshot of the filters using the 'View/Filters' panel at the top-left edge of the main screen.

Click on the 'New Filter' button to create a new filter snapshot of the current filter conditions.

Video Tutorial (link opens in new window):

  • Filters - How to use filters in Achieve Planner to filter the grids

Contexts

Contexts are a useful way to tag related tasks across projects. For example, you could tag tasks based on location (home vs. work), type of activity (phone), or simply to tag them for easier filtering (Errand, Todo or Urgent.)

You can then use filtering to help you find your tagged tasks quickly and easily.

Task Chooser Tab

The task chooser (Go -> Task Chooser menu item) displays a sorted and filtered list of tasks across all your projects ranked using configurable criteria like priority and deadlines.


Click Image to View Larger Size

The Task Chooser even allows you to create a custom prioritized daily to-do list that is independent of the Outline structure.

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Case Study # 3 - Business Consultant

Marco Germani is the managing director of a multi-national consulting firm (www.williamgeorge.cn) that helps Italian companies doing business in China. He’s been a long-time student of time management, but hadn’t been able to find a good software solution to help him manage all his projects, tasks and schedule.

Marco says, “I've always been a fanatic of time management and I started studying the subject seriously about eight years ago, reading books, attending seminars (in Italy where I live) and listening to audio courses. Being often on business trips and using my laptop daily, I wanted a piece of software which was better developed than RPM, still keeping the same philosophy and principles. That is how I bumped into Achieve Planner, during one of my many searches on google on time management software... I also tried a few other software, but didn't like them too much.”

Marco adds, “I used to schedule my time and organize my projects and tasks even before I bought AP, but I just didn't have the right tool in hand to fully take advantage of my discipline and efforts and I was very often fighting against software problems which diverted my focus from my most important goals.”

Since he started using Achieve Planner, Marco has experienced some very positive results... “My productivity simply skyrocketed, I feel very in control of my time and of my life and I know I am focused most of the time on my most important objectives.”

He adds, “After about four months of training on the software and finding my best practices among its many functionalities I was able to fit in my weekly schedule a number of activities which was just unimaginable before.”

Marco found Achieve Planner's ability to schedule projects and tasks in the calendar to be very helpful in actually getting them done. He says, “I found particularly useful the concept of scheduling time blocks for projects and then having the freedom to shift from one action item to the other within the same project. This is a very interesting technique for people like me who have a very short attention span and have the tendency to do too many things at the same time. In this way, this capacity is directed and focused into a single project and prevents me from losing focus and taking care of completely different subjects at once.”

He adds, “Also the possibility of checking out completed tasks directly in the calendar tag and the outlook synchronization were massive improvements in my productivity.”

Overall, Marco gives Achieve Planner high marks... “Achieve Planner gave me an easy, reliable, user-friendly and complete tool to manage my life. It removed all of my worries about backups, lost data, bugs, etc., as it works smoothly and delivers what it promises,” Marco says.

“I know I am capable achieving any objective I set my mind on because I have a powerful tool in hands, which enables me to clearly define what I want to achieve in writing, define a list of actions which will move me forward toward the attainment of the objective and schedule those actions in my daily planner, which I have the will and the discipline to follow.”

 

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Works with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista,
Windows 7, Windows 8

 

 

 

Customer
Feedback

“I was reading over the testimonials on your website and I have to agree with all of them. I have spent the last 10 years working really hard on my time management skills and using the Tony Robbins RPM system.

Honestly I have to say that by using the Achieve Planner system, it has helped me focus much more on my RPM process because I was not wasting the time I was before managing the system. I have gotten a very good process down now and my efficiency and effectiveness has skyrocketed.

Mike Suco
 

“I purchased AP for my business and it has been a huge help in tracking and getting things done. It is straightforward and easy to use. It makes getting projects done much easier and tops Outlook and other tools that are either featureless or too huge and complex.”

Ray Diaz
 



“This by far the most intelligent piece of time-management software I’ve come across and I’ve tried a few.”

Joe Kissoon
 



“I’ve been using it for almost a month, and I’ve found it to be very helpful in managing my dissertation project.”

Greg
 



“I’ve looked at several personal productivity / task management software packages over my 9 year career in IT... I have to say that Achieve Planner is hands down the best personal productivity app I’ve ever used!

It is quick to learn & awesome at unifying all of my life’s commitments while not skimping on the details if you should need them. I also love the ongoing time management tips & messages of encouragement which really help keep me focused and remind me WHY it is important to stay on-track! Thanks Effexis!”

Greg Pickrell
 



Wow! I’ve been waiting 20 years for this product!”

Fernando Chapa
 



“Your Achieve Planning software is the best I’ve used. Continue the great work!”

Dan Cross
 



“Achieve Planner is the first time-management software program that I have found that really allows me to organize myself in a way that is more consistent with my wholistic lifestyle.

Believe me I have checked out a few programs and have an entire shelf of books and videos in addition to all the workshops and seminars I have attended.

It has been an up hill battle for me as a very right brained, ADDer (Definition of ADDer: Someone who finds life so exciting and full of possibilities that they can’t help but keep adding more and more to their already fabulous life!)

For me the point of managing my time is to be able to live with minimal stress and have even more fun, pleasure and prosperity... and Achieve Planner helps me do that!”

Caroline Bell, PhD
 



“I have tried just about every piece of time and project management software on the Internet, as well as most of the goal setting software that’s out there too!

I have to say that Acheive Planner is _the best_ program I have ever used.”

Dean W. Charron
 



“Also, thanks for a brilliant product. I have tried several time management type applications prior to discovering "Achieve" and they all seemed to lack something.

After loading the achieve trial I purchased the product very quickly afterwards as I could see the potential. I’ve now been working with "Achieve" for three weeks and will certainly recommend it to others.

It does exactly what I need and gives me a method of managing the multiple projects that my daily work involves.”

Paul Ralph
Scotland UK
 



“Thanks for making such an awesome product. This is far superior to any I’ve used before!”

Stephanie Chapman
 



“I work from home, and use to have my work schedule, ideas, and notes, spread between two desks, on multiple pieces of paper or just held in my head.

Achieve Planner has changed all of that. This tool is incredible, and has helped me organise everything so that I now have a solid plan to work to.

I know exactly what I have to do each day, and I can promise you one thing. Planning for the weeks and months ahead has never been this fun! Keep up the great job!”

Andy Williams
 



“Thanks so much for making a great product. It’s really helping me get organized in my personal and professional life.”

Darren
 



“It’s a great software product and we both love to use it. We both tried to use Tony Robbins OPA/RPM system for years.

My husband managed to make some progress with it, but it was a little too complicated.

The Achieve Planner does everything that OPA should have done and it is perfectly integrated with Outlook. More people need to know about it”

Liz Blackham
 



“I’d like to say that I really enjoy working with AP planner.

You made it so ergonomic. We can reach easily and rapidly any task, contact or project.
The keyboard shortcuts are very useful and intuitives.

There’s a lot of possibility in this software (I didn’t use every one of them yet) and I can’t hardly wait for the next developpements.
Really, Bravo !”

Richard Lavoie
 



“Your Acheive Planner is a work of genius. I recently purchased the
productivity suite and am stunned by all that this program offers. It’s like having a 24/7 personal assistant and personal life coach all rolled into one.

I just want to thank you for the time, effort, and creativity you’ve put into developing this truly revolutionary product.
May you live long and prosper!”

Mercedes Goldcamp
 



“I am in love with Achieve Planner. It has made a significant difference in how I organize my time and I am accomplishing more than ever without that feeling of being overwhelmed. Thank you for developing it.”

Bev Dugar
 



“This is the very best planning system I have ever used. I manage a small business and run about 5 or 6 departments by myself.

Achieve Planner has made it possible to effectively track all of my tasks and projects in one system. Thank you. Keep up the great work.”

Jesse
 



“The tutorials are excellent - short and to-the-point. They clearly explain  the steps needed to achieve a task in Achieve Planner without a lot of extraneous commentary.

I was/am very impressed. There are a lot of garbage tutorials ’out there’. Yours are excellent & I have found them most useful.”

Michael
 



“I’m finding it quite helpful. I’ve just been using the basics for about 3 weeks now and already starting to feel like I have a better grip on my week.

It allows me to take a realistic look at the amount of time I have available and then plan my task time accordingly.

I’m finding fewer tasks are "slipping between the cracks", plus I’m not as frustrated by not trying to meet unrealistic expectations.

The integration with Outlook is also very handy in that I can easily assign Tasks to staffers.”

Mark Herman
 



“Btw, I am IMMENSELY pleased with the Achieve Planner. I am a software engineer myself, and appreciate the detailed attention to the finish the careful engineering that has gone into the features of the software. Very well done!”

Arthur Vanderbilt
 



“I have been using this tool for about a month - I have tested many,
many, software tools for project & task planning before and have NEVER found anything that has immediately and positively impacted the way I work.

This is a GREAT tool and I only wish I’d found it years ago.

Thank you!”

Paul Sheard



“You have a very good program and its the best I have seen. Thanks for the help and I look forward to using it daily.”

Paul R.


“I sent you an email earlier on Procrastination and the wins I had from that course. I just thought the wins were big until I started applying the technology of your Time Management course.

Just after the first week of using Time Charts and Project Blocks my production has soared mainly due to NOT multi-tasking and doing what I'm doing while I'm doing it.

I have benefited greatly from using your technology and your software program, Achieve Planner.”

James Owens

 

 

 
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