More Productivity with a Personal Kanban Board

Kanban boards are a popular method for organizing and managing tasks, and with the advent of digital tools like KanbanFlow.com, it’s easier than ever to implement this method for personal use. Whether you’re looking to streamline your personal to-do list, manage projects, or just get a better grip on your workload, a personal Kanban board can help. In this post, we’ll go over what a personal Kanban board is, why you might want to use one, and how to set one up on KanbanFlow.com (it’s free)

What is a Personal Kanban Board?

A Kanban board is a visual method for organizing and managing tasks, often used in Agile software development. A personal Kanban board is simply a Kanban board that you use for your own personal tasks and projects, rather than for a team or an organization.

A typical personal Kanban board has three columns: “To Do”, “Doing”, and “Done”. You add tasks to the “To Do” column, and then move them to the “Doing” column once you start working on them. When a task is completed, you move it to the “Done” column. By keeping track of your tasks in this way, you can get a clear visual representation of what you need to do, what you’re currently working on, and what you’ve already completed.

Why Use a Personal Kanban Board?

There are a number of reasons why you might want to use a personal Kanban board. Some of the most common include:

• Better task management: By keeping track of your tasks in a visual way, you can get a better understanding of what you need to do and how much you’ve accomplished.
• Increased productivity: By breaking down your tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks and focusing on one thing at a time, you can be more productive and get more done.
• Reduced stress: By having a clear visual representation of what you need to do and what you’ve already completed, you can reduce stress and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Improved focus: By focusing on one task at a time, you can be more focused and get more done in less time.

How to Set Up a Personal Kanban Board on KanbanFlow.com

KanbanFlow.com is a popular online tool for creating and using Kanban boards. To set up a personal Kanban board on KanbanFlow.com, follow these steps:

1. Create an account on KanbanFlow.com.
2. Create a new board by clicking the “Create Board” button.
3. Give your board a name and description.
4. Add tasks to your board by clicking the “Add Task” button. You can add tasks to any column you like, but it’s typically best to start with the “To Do” column.
5. Move tasks from one column to another by clicking and dragging them.
6. Customize your board by adding labels, due dates, and more.
7. Start using your board!

By following these steps, you’ll be able to set up a personal Kanban board on KanbanFlow.com and start using this powerful tool for managing your tasks and projects. Whether you’re looking to increase your productivity, reduce stress, or just get a better grip on your workload, a personal Kanban board is a great tool to have in your arsenal. So why not give it a try today?

A long Masonic Saturday

I’m an active Freemason, and hold a certificate in the work in my jurisdiction. This means that I know all the parts of our ritual and degrees. I frequently get asked to travel and participate in ritual in lodges in my area since I am certified and can drop in wherever they need me. I also don’t say much about what I do in lodge. If you’re a Mason, skip the next paragraph, just a primer for non-Masons in my audience.

If you’re not a Mason, we communicate our lessons through ceremonies of initiation. These ceremonies are very specific, and (in my jurisdiction), each man passes through the ceremony on his own. There are 3 degrees that we communicate this way — think of them as morality plays. They are Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Each has a unique ritual the candidate goes through, and you must receive and learn about one before proceeding to the next. Each has a ceremony and a lecture associated with it. The lectures are 15+ minutes long, and completely committed to memory, and are given following the ceremony / drama of the degree to explain what’s going on.

OK – now that we’re all on the same page. I am a member of the Masonic Knights Templar as well. This past Saturday, my Commandery was practicing for upcoming ceremonies at a lodge in the next town over. Their Secretary had called me a couple days before and explained that after our practice, they were doing a Fellowcraft degree and asked if I would be able to stay after practice and deliver the lecture for them. I agreed. He said they would have 3 Entered Apprentice degrees to do later that afternoon, but that they should have that lecture covered (you can lecture all candidates at the same time after they complete the ritual individually). I head down there Saturday morning, and the Knights Practice from 9 until 12. We break for lunch and I’m asked if I can stay and do the EA lecture as well due to a vacancy. These two lectures are VERY different from one another, and even more different from what I’d been practicing all morning in Knights Templar. I agreed as long as I could be done by 4.

So, at 1 PM, we started the Fellowcraft degree. I lectured that degree (I do the extended version with monitorial sections) and it took almost half an hour. We took a short break, and started the first Entered Apprentice degree shortly after 2. By 3:15, I was settling in to begin the lecture for 3 new Entered Apprentices. I’ve never done more than 2 at the same time, and never done two different lectures within the same day. Exhausted, but I’m also excited to see our fraternity grow.

I’ve been traveling our county the past several weeks and visiting each lodge as their meetings come up. Masonry has declined sharply in numbers for the past 5 decades. In the past 6 weeks, I have seen 15 men either petition for membership, be elected to membership, or receive a Masonic degree in 4 lodges I’ve visited. We don’t issue invitations to membership – men have to ask us. It’s a great fraternity, and I’ve never seen it grow like this, but I’m excited to be a part of it and able to be there with so many guys as they take their first steps within the lodge.

Public Speaking

This weekend, my lodge hosted 2 other area lodges and the public for our annual Officer “Installation”. This event is held in public or private by all 811 lodges in Texas between June 24th and July 31st each year. They range from intimate affairs for Master Masons only to public galas with community guests and speakers. For the 3rd consecutive year, the two lodges in Temple and the lodge located in Holland worked together to put on the event.

I served as the Master of Ceremonies for the day – which broadly put me in charge of the schedule, orchestrating hand offs between all the visiting officers, and making sure things happened in the right order.

You see in the attached picture me standing at the front of the room addressing a crowd of 60-70 people. What you don’t see is how uncomfortable I would have been with this a few years ago. You don’t see that because I am comfortable. Masonry has given me that – I now have no problem getting in front of a group and delivering a prepared speech or improptu remarks. Some might say the problem now is getting me to sit down!

Looking back, 5 years ago I was appointed to serve as a Deacon in the lodge. My first office, in my first full year as a Master Mason. At installation, I was seated, and the new Master asked everyone to introduce their families. I stumbled through a painful introduction of my wife and daughters. It was a struggle. Later that year, I was asked to deliver an educational program at the lodge. That was also a struggle. Suffice to say, it gets easier if you keep doing it.