2015-11-05 – OmniFocus Workflows with Joe Buhlig

Learn Joe Buhlig’s approach to designing and maintaining an OmniFocus system that is simple, relevant and convenient.

OmniFocus 3

This session was recorded using OmniFocus 2. If you’re using OmniFocus 3, check out the updated session: OmniFocus 3 Workflows with Joe Buhlig.

Joe BuhligProductivity blogger, podcaster and author, Joe Buhlig took centre stage on Learn OmniFocus LIVE to talk about his OmniFocus setup and workflows, highlighting some of the key points he shared in his recently published book, Working with OmniFocus. Drawing from his farming roots, he has a very grounded approach to productivity and technology. He’s also an experienced software developer and his OmniFocus workflows are enhanced by some AppleScripts he has written to encourage flow and convenience.

Session Overview

In this session, Joe takes us on a tour of his OmniFocus setup and workflows, showcasing the contexts and perspectives he uses on a regular basis. Joe emphasizes the importance of regular reviews and shares some specific rituals he performs daily, weekly, monthly and annually to help ensure that his system is an accurate reflection of his life and priorities. He also demonstrates how ideas and checklists can be stored in OmniFocus without compromising the day-to-day usage of the system.

Joe also goes beyond the basics and demonstrates some innovate workflows on both Mac and iOS. He shows how he can quickly and conveniently access his checklists through Launch Center Pro on on his iPhone 6S and how he uses Drafts in tandem with his OmniFocus Auto-Parser script to quickly and conveniently add items to OmniFocus projects. He even shows an example of a script that automatically activates a fall maintenance project when the temperature falls below a specified temperature.

About Joe Buhlig

Joe grew up on a farm in Missouri and has built his career around agriculture. He’s worked in soybean seed research and on data analysis and web application development in a corporate setting. He now works from home dreaming up and creating new technologies.

Joe has an active blog with a strong focus on OmniFocus and launched the Whaddya Know Joe? Podcast earlier this year. He also recently launched Working with OmniFocus, a book on setting up and using OmniFocus that showcases his entire system and day-to-day workflows.

Joe currently calls Minnesota home and is a husband and father.

Additional Resources

  • Joe Buhlig’s Blog – Joe regularly writes articles for his blog. Posts have productivity and technology themes, and many of them reference OmniFocus. Tip: Press the “/” key to conveniently search Joe’s blog.
  • Whaddya Know Joe Podcast – In this engaging podcast (iTunes link), Joe shares “productivity stories from the trenches”, highlighting what works (and what doesn’t) and productivity tools and techniques that helped along the way.
  • Working with OmniFocus eBook – This eBook guides readers through the process of effectively configuring and using OmniFocus. Joe uses his own system as a backdrop and encourages readers to design a system that is a reflection of their life and work, drawing inspiration from setups and workflows that he and others have showcased. In addition to sharing his preferred contexts, perspectives and folder structure, Joe takes readers beyond the basics and introduces advanced Mac and iOS techniques that emphasize efficiency and convenience. When you purchase Working with OmniFocus, you’ll get the book in ePub (iBooks), MOBI (Kindle) and PDF format.

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