Monthly : January 2014

Simpleology 5.5 – Projects and More …

Sometimes it takes years of thinking to arrive at something very simple.  You strip away what’s imperfect or unimportant … And keep stripping …  Finally, if you did your job well, what you’re left with is something artful.

We’ve been wanting to integrate project management into Simpleology for a very long time …

And with Simpleology 5.5, Projects are finally here.

In the same way Simpleology simplifies your complicated life, with 5.5 you can now simplify your complicated projects.

First, let’s get geeky …

If your eyes glaze over when the techno-babble begins, skip this section.  If you’re an uber-nerd-deluxe (like most of us around here), read on.

With Projects you can create cardwall/kanban style workflows to manage your projects, be they Agile-compliant …

… or a totally customized project workflow of your own design.

If you’re not familiar with this method of project management you are in for a productivity-skyrocketing treat.  With its roots in the work of W. Edwards Deming, it is one of the most important foundations of the new Agile-everything trend.

You can use it to organize almost anything in a simple and optimized way (adaptable to “pull systems,” “just in time,” and many other methodologies).

In practical terms …

With 5.5 collaboration is as it should be:  the simple seamless joy of interacting with people meaningfully.

Use it to lasso business projects  …

… to plan a family vacation …

… or, well, to simplify any project of any type and any complexity.

You can even use it to track software bugs …

… or household chores.

And best of all, tasks inside each “card” are seamlessly integrated with the rest of Simpleology …

… so when we guide you through Start My Day each morning, you can breeze through your projects in manageable chunks.

We help you make effective decisions about what to do next so that you can put your mind at ease …

… or reach new heights of zen-like focus …

… or both.

 What’s next?  Keep your eyes on your inbox for your “Invitation to Upgrade” email.  We’re rolling out 5.5 to groups of 10,000 users at a time so we can keep the system rock-solid stable and make subtle improvements along the way based on your feedback.

Already one of the lucky ones on 5.5?  If you love it, please comment below to spread the love.   Want a feature you don’t see?   Post a feature request.   Want to report a bug or need help with anything at all?  Contact our stupendously awesome Customer Care team.


Discussion37 Comments

  1. WayneBuckhanan says:

    Mark,
    You hinted at it on FB recently, but this is the best implementation I’ve seen of personal kanban yet!
    I’ve been futzing with a bunch of possible tools for agile project management and you just trumped them all in terms of ease of use, minimal overhead, and it all ties into the rest of Simpleology. Kudos my friend. This is just what I needed at the moment.

    Keep up the continuous improvement — of the platform and therefore of ourselves!

  2. MiguelAlvarez says:

    Ohh boy, 

    I haven’t used it yet and I’m drolling over the new cardwall system to manage projects. I’ve used trello to manage stuff like this, but having this feature inside simpleology just makes it all that more powerful.

    And while we’re at it, I’ve got something to admit… I keep thinking “There’s no way Mark can make this any better”. And you keep proving me wrong with each update.

    I love you man!

    - Miguel Alvarez

  3. shirazkhan says:

    This… is… greatness. The previous version was already badass, and now it’s getting better? Thank you Mark and keep it up!

  4. ChristinaRowe says:

    I am so excited about the new projects feature, Mark! I love how simple it is and how I can now have my projects in one place without having to use another app or program. Thank you!

  5. JohnStringer says:

    I can’t wait to try this out!!!!!  Project management….. AWESOME!!!!!

  6. LuciaMitro says:

    People often ask me to look in the future. I always  say I will not but I know this man by name Mark Joyner who lives in the future:)  Every time I think this could not get better you prove me wrong .

  7. AnthonyTomei says:

    I’ve used Simpleology and with the previous version it has not only helped me to get out of debt and a big giant rut I was in, but it has placed me in a new direction all together. Simpleology is greatness and the new features will only enhance the power it already has. Mark is the KING of streamlining difficulties in any given situation and making them simple.
    That is why I believe everyone should be using it. Life doesn’t have to be difficult…

    SIMPLEOLOGY exists!  Mark Joyner

  8. CraigMeagher says:

    Evolution at its finest been on hold along time for black belt I guess it would be like a great UFC fight sometimes you just have to be be very patient like catching the fly in chopsticks so now on to becoming more like water in all areas of life the #Simpleology way!! Awesome Mark Joyner

  9. Mark Joyner says:

    WayneBuckhanan Thanks, Wayne!  I knew you’d appreciate this … I hope it helps you and your students.  We wanted to design it in a flexible enough way to be used as a personal kanban, large-project kanban, JIT tracker, bug-tracker, etc.
    There are quite a few other little improvements in this release as well.

  10. GeoffMcNeely says:

    Oh my! Well done, Mark! Kanban in Simpleology? My Trello Board is getting some serious competition! End to end personal mojo here. I can’t wait to try this out in depth. 

    Looks amazing though! Well done!

  11. GeoffMcNeelyI’ve been using Trello too. I’ve wanted that functionality in Simpleology for a loooong time. I’m excited to see how it is :)

  12. onlineiq says:

    This looks awesome Mark.
    There is just one problem I am going to have – I already have my (very distributed) team entrenched in another system (after moving them around a LOT). So getting them to set up an account in another system worries me, especially as I don’t know how it works yet, and can’t really test it out on my own – to then be able to say – we’re using this now, and its much better.
    Is there any way to invite users without them having to sign up to the whole system?

  13. Love the idea of the Projects management 

    One thing that would do it even better would be to sync it with Evernote

  14. Mark Joyner says:

    onlineiq Hey, just have them set up free accounts :-)  For us, this gave us an opportunity to ditch two other platforms we were using and at the same time abandon a lot of projects that were just creating clutter.

    The productivity gains your team will get by using Simpleology every day (not just the Projects platform) will make up for any migration time several times over.

  15. Mark Jones says:

    Oh wow, Mark I am truly speechless. I know I have said it every time you do an upgrade but this time you and your team have outdone yourselves even more than before.

    You see, I have only just recently started using another app in the last few weeks that does exactly this kind of kanban style of project management and was wishing Simpleology had something like this. I mean, the one I started using is very good, but I was regretting having to use two systems even though I thought they both work very well together (a sign that it was right to bring this kind of system into Simpleology. 
    I was thinking even of writing to you and telling you that I was using this other system and that maybe it’s something worth considering bringing into Simpleology. *only this week I was thinking this*.

    And then BAM you go and do it! 
    Well… I should say, you already did it because, obviously, you had been planning to do it for sometime.Just when I needed it, you made it happen. I guess you like surprising people. ;-) Now, it’s great that I can do everything inside one app.
    I hope it doesn’t sound vain for me to say it, but I like to think I have a sense of a good thing when I see it. I’m obviously not the only one especially, when it comes to recognising the power of concepts such as agile and kanban – many people do and you’ve been advocating the power of these concepts for some time. I love the fact that you do see this, and what you’ve done in Simpleology 5.5 just adds to the confidence I have in what you guys are doing as a company, and in you as a person – inspiring people to reach for the best. You consistently drive Simpleology in the right direction for the benefit of your members.

    I was expecting this new release to be good, but you really did outdo my expectations! I am sorry – I should have had known better! :D

  16. Mike_MMA says:

    Mark, I honestly have to say… you are running the company I admire the most. You get customers because what you deliver is truly valuable. And you keep on pushing the limit again and again and again.
    I honestly don’t know how my life would be without simpleology. Without the genius way it already became and without all the incredibly valuable information you put out in such a way, as I’ve never seen it.
    This is already clear to me since I got simpleology into my daily schedule, but with me you have a lifetime customer. Thank you so much for adding this project management…. I love it <3

  17. Arcole says:

    Oh, wow!. This is just in time for me too! I cannot wait for this feature! Wow!! You guys are awesome and I am doing my best to spread the word.

  18. ClarenceFisher says:

    YES! YES! YES!!!!! Been waiting on this for a long time. We’ve been using Trello to do the same thing. did I say YES!!!!!!

  19. mtgal5 says:

    This Projects feature will be a tremendous ‘decluttering’ tool and I’ll use it to provide the needed focus to do my best work in each area of my life and continually build on accomplishing or delegating the pieces of each project for today.   – Built in simplicity for complicated projects and people like me.  Many thanks to you and your team, Mark.

  20. tonylotven says:

    “Timing is everything” expresses, on many levels, this release which I just upgraded and spent some time exploring,  I was ready for this move deeper into the integration of project management with my life management. Now I can pare down disparate systems which impacted productivity.  

    I also look forward to the details of using the tools together and the flexibility of the whole system to adapt to strategy development and execution. 

    Two examples:  
    First is the backward planner which I find to be incredibly more powerful than I ever realized at first.  The new project module will now allow me to supercharge this thought process. I’m curious to see how I go about using the previous Stuff I Want List (backward planner) with the Project module. 

    Second is the Recurring List which I have been using to focus on daily habits.  Habits are the key element to overall productivity.  We all have them, by default or design. Simpleology has been a boon to my designed habits.  Now my mind has been blown by the opportunity to find ways of integrating habit design into project management, which links individual habit design to group change management.  WOW! just WOW!

  21. MerlMiller says:

    Mark,
    I haven’t even tried projects yet but I know I am going to love it. I write books and I do something like this with a spreadsheet. However, comparing what I use now to Simpleology is like comparing a tricycle to Ferrari. Yes they both get me there but there is a huge difference in speed.

  22. LauraChilds says:

    Kudos! The new feature is going to help me stay on track with partner projects! (It should also give me a lot more desk space.) Truly tired of being a juggler of projects. This will help. Thanks Mark!

  23. jamesmcroy says:

    The missing link!
    While Simpleology helped me organise my day and kept me on track, I had to use Basecamp for my project management purposes.
    Can’t wait to try out the projects feature…
    Well done Mark and team!

  24. I want it. I can’t wait to get on the list that can use this!!!!

  25. 26vatrice says:

    Will the project management feature only appear in the Elite version?

  26. Mark Joyner says:

    26vatrice  It’s free to everyone :-)

  27. SeanIM says:

    Mark, love this new version!  Training is direct, simple and easy to understand.  Keep on rocking brother.  Also, noticed your post on FB about the Siri ability to send in texts to the dreamcatcher…that’s awesome!  Going to test that out shortly.

  28. mready says:

    Looks fantastic!  Does it accept file attachments? We currently send software and video QA back and forth in basecamp

  29. PaulCowen says:

    Hi Mark – I know you have experience in the army – your Simpleology is like all out war on procrastination and inefficiency and resistance and you keep working at the enemy to break it down with new weapons and techniques.  I’m not quite a black belt in the training yet but make use of simpleology daily to get things out of my mind and into the system.  I like the idea of the projects section and look forward to putting it through its paces in more depth over the next month
    A quote from the great book The War of Art
    ““The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don’t just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed.
    Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second we can turn the tables on Resistance.
    This second, we can sit down and do our work.” 
    ― https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/867.Steven_Pressfield, https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/722104
    Keep on Rocking it MJ!

  30. Mark Joyner says:

    mready  And inline images …

  31. Mark Joyner says:

    PaulCowen  I love that book.

  32. TambraHarck says:

    Not embarrassed to say: I did a little happy gasp when my Upgrade email arrived today… and then when I saw black belt is ready. Just a little geeky joy.

  33. mready says:

    Mark Joyner mreadynice :-)

  34. Mark Joyner says:

    NamalDeSilva  Hey Namal, yep Black Belt covers Projects :-)  That’s why we held off on releasing it until now.

  35. Robert Watkins says:

    I am Finally getting to start the big deal ! ! !

  36. geoffnow says:

    This is a great process, start your day, clean up, purpose – beliefs – goal actions, Project, dream catcher, awesome Mark! Love your work!

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