Our lives have many facets and roles, each of which requires us to think and manage things differently. A business must expedite orders, develop future business and services, do its accounts, submit tax returns, raise finance and more — and often we have to learn new skills as we go. The aim of mjl-tek is to help people clarify their workload and their priorities. We support autonomous responsibility, taking the time, and self-respect. Everything on this site comes back to one idea: professionals and independent workers should be able to turn ideas into action without being overwhelmed by the tasks, tools and information around them. ![mjl-tek themes – software information management, management methods – brainstorming, mind maps, operations – decision making, project management, effectiveness analysis – systems in practice, black box method](mjl_tek_themes_v5.png) ## What we cover and why mjl-tek is organised around six themes. Each one earns its place because it answers a problem we have met in real projects — running businesses, building databases, translating, digitising video and supporting learners. ### Management methods #Management Most people are not short of tasks; they are short of a way to decide what matters and keep moving. A reliable method to make decisions reduces stress, can help you to plan and stops priorities being set by whatever happens to be loudest. We discuss practical, proven workflows for organising work - [[Getting Things Done (GTD) framework|Getting Things Done (GTD)]] for capturing and using a trusted system, the [[Plan Do Check Assess cycle|Plan-Do-Check-Assess cycle]] for continuous improvement, the [[Eisenhower Decision Matrix]] for prioritising by urgency and importance, and [[The Many Uses of Mind Mapping|Mindmapping]] for planning, problem-solving and project definition. ### Structured data and systems #Database #Systems Decisions are only as good as the information behind them. Small businesses and independents rarely need an ERP; they need a simple, well-structured record they can trust. Documenting a system also makes it trainable, auditable and improvable. We showcase our [[Issue Management Database]], our [[Translation Project database in Access|Translation Project database]], the [[Purchasing Price and Forecast Database|Purchasing Database]], and the black box approach to [[2 Areas/Posts/Systems/Systems Analysis and Design|systems analysis]] for documenting processes, data and physical flows. ### Software and knowledge management #Software Choosing software is a real cost in time and attention. We compare tools against the job, not against the marketing, so readers can build a system that fits their way of working rather than adapting to someone else's. We review the tools we actually use — Obsidian, Notion, Trello, Todoist, Evernote, Capacities, Toggl and more — and how each supports real workflows such as GTD, note-taking and database building. Explore: [[Software to use in Getting Things Done]], [[Obsidian Features and Plugins]], [[Evaluation of Notion with Example Databases]]. ### Running a small business #Translation Running a small business - in our case providing [[French to English Translation|French to English translations]] and [[Digitization and Media Services|digitisation and video editing]] services meant having to think creatively about our services, to market them and provide all the necessary marketing. Translation is where accuracy meets culture. Getting it wrong is expensive, whether in a contract, a manual or a website; getting it right builds trust. We share the [[Translation Process|process]], not just the results, with some posts in #French. ### Supporting learners our current work supporting learners with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia, using mind mapping, chunking and scaffolding to break work down into manageable steps. Organisation is a skill, not a gift. If the same planning methods that help professionals also help a learner who finds the world overwhelming, that is the clearest proof the approaches work. ## Who this site is for mjl-tek is written for professionals, independent workers and small business owners — and for anyone juggling several roles at once: managing today's orders while developing tomorrow's business, keeping accounts, raising finance, training staff. It is also for learners and the people who support them. Everything we publish comes from work we have actually done. That is why the posts stay practical: rather than abstract theory, you will find steps, worked examples, and the tools used to do the job. ## Get in touch Have a question, a project, or a topic you would like us to cover? - [Email us](mailto:[email protected]) - [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/user/Mikfrom56/) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/mjltek/) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mjltek/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklewis56/) ## The point of it all mjl-tek exists to help professionals and independent knowledge workers organise, prioritise and achieve their goals with less stress. We cover management methods, structured data, software, translation, video and learning support because those are the real, everyday challenges we have faced and solved — and because in the end, getting organised matters more than getting more done. - Build a trusted system with [[Getting Things Done (GTD) framework]] - Compare the [[Software to use in Getting Things Done|software used to get things done]] before you add another app.