So, I’d been hearing whispers about this “j ortenzi” thing for a while. You know how it is, some new method pops up, and suddenly everyone on those forums is calling it the next big revelation. Supposedly, it was going to completely change how I managed my projects. My desk, both digital and physical, was a bit of a disaster zone, so I figured, why not give this j ortenzi a whirl?
Getting Started with j ortenzi
First off, I tried to find some clear instructions. That was challenge number one. Most of what I found was pretty vague, lots of talk about “synergy” and “holistic flows,” but not much actual, you know, how-to. I eventually pieced together a basic framework from a couple of different blog posts. It seemed to involve a lot of color-coding and a very specific way of breaking down tasks. Okay, I thought, I can do colors.
I bought a bunch of new sticky notes – all the colors they recommended – and a special notebook. Felt like I was back in school preparing for an exam. I spent a whole Sunday afternoon trying to map out my current workload according to the j ortenzi principles. It was… an exercise in patience, let me tell you.
The Daily Grind with j ortenzi
For the first few days, I was pretty diligent. I’d arrange my sticky notes, update my j ortenzi notebook, the whole nine yards. It looked impressive, I’ll give it that. My wall started looking like a modern art installation.
But then, reality hit. Here’s what I found:
- Too much overhead: The amount of time I spent managing the j ortenzi system started to outweigh the time I spent actually doing the work. Every little change or new task meant a whole ritual of re-arranging and re-writing.
- Not flexible: Life isn’t neat. Unexpected stuff comes up. The j ortenzi method felt super rigid. It didn’t really have a good way to handle urgent, unplanned things without messing up the whole beautiful color-coded structure.
- Digital disconnect: A lot of my work is digital, obviously. Trying to bridge this very physical, paper-based j ortenzi system with my digital tools was clunky. It felt like I was doing double the work.
I remember one Tuesday, I had three urgent client requests come in one after another. Trying to fit those into my perfectly curated j ortenzi board was a nightmare. I ended up just scribbling them on a loose piece of paper, completely bypassing the system. That was kind of the beginning of the end for me and j ortenzi.
What I Think Now
Look, I get why some people might like it. If your work is very predictable, very linear, maybe it’s great. Or if you just really, really love stationery. But for me, it was more hassle than it was worth. It felt like one of those things designed by someone who theorizes about work more than they actually do it in the trenches.
I ended up going back to my old, slightly chaotic system, but with a few tweaks. I did keep the idea of breaking down big projects into smaller chunks – that part of j ortenzi wasn’t half bad, even if the execution was over a bit much for me. But all the intense color-coding and the ritualistic daily setup? Nah, not for me. I’ve got actual stuff to get done.
So, yeah, that was my little adventure with j ortenzi. Another productivity fad tried, and mostly, just another set of colorful sticky notes added to my drawer.
