I have been on and off the wagon several times with respect to GTD and
have finally noticed that all the things I want/need to get to are
just floating around and making my head spin.
However I am not sure at which point to jump back into the GTD
system. Thought I would see if anyone had any thoughts or tips on
getting started (again)
On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 6:20 PM, DerekS<de...@derekschauland.com>
wrote:
> However I am not sure at which point to jump back into the GTD
> system. Thought I would see if anyone had any thoughts or tips on
> getting started (again)
My method for catching up when you've got too much to bring into
the system at once:
Collect from all baskets into one inbox. Then do a daily review
(start or end of day), and don't worry about getting through all of
the inbox, just go until you're slowing down and then switch to
actions. Keep your 3 Ds in mind and push through as many items as you
can per review. Then work on the list you have, not worrying about
items in the inbox (if at *all* possible, don't go back to your inbox
all day unless you get through your list).
Each review you should collect your baskets to your inbox, and at
get through the new items, plus a chunk of backed up items. No
worries if you have a high stack of an inbox, so long as it is
shrinking (a la the difference between debt and deficit).
It's also a good way to push GTD into a new part of your life, or
(I did this in the last couple weeks) to return to your work flow
after a long personal trip where you're off-system. In the worst
case, I had some file boxes that had been in storage in another state
for eight years. I got through six boxes of paper in a "one handed
pile" each day until I had processed every paper. (And yes, while I
did toss about 40%, a tremendous amount of it was irreplaceable and
important).
I would first address the "just floating around and making my head
spin". I'd put all those projects and ideas "down on paper" (and thus
out of my head) - first, using freeware XMind to quickly mind-map it,
group things, see the big picture(s), then, using a good hierarchical
task outliner like MyLifeOrganized to start getting detailed, enter
next actions.
On Jul 21, 11:51 am, Timothee <tim.howl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I would first address the "just floating around and making my head
> spin". I'd put all those projects and ideas "down on paper" (and thus
> out of my head) - first, using freeware XMind to quickly mind-map it,
> group things, see the big picture(s), then, using a good hierarchical
> task outliner like MyLifeOrganized to start getting detailed, enter
> next actions.
Not a bad idea, but after getting all your thoughts onto paper, the
GTD thing to do would be to take that basket to the inbox and process
it. Note that he asked how to get back into a GTD cycle having
already done it before, not generally "how to get organized" (which is
a different thing entirely, and has loads of different techniques,
including your mindmapping idea).
Organization and or organizational focus might be the best place though to
re-begin.
I am downloading a mind mapping app now (may have questions there as the
concept is a bit foreign). I guess the multiple streams of things to get
done seem to come from lack of focus on any one thing, but I am not sure of
that.
Derek
On Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 8:50 AM, Evan "JabberWokky" Edwards <
> On Jul 21, 11:51 am, Timothee <tim.howl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I would first address the "just floating around and making my head
> > spin". I'd put all those projects and ideas "down on paper" (and thus
> > out of my head) - first, using freeware XMind to quickly mind-map it,
> > group things, see the big picture(s), then, using a good hierarchical
> > task outliner like MyLifeOrganized to start getting detailed, enter
> > next actions.
> Not a bad idea, but after getting all your thoughts onto paper, the
> GTD thing to do would be to take that basket to the inbox and process
> it. Note that he asked how to get back into a GTD cycle having
> already done it before, not generally "how to get organized" (which is
> a different thing entirely, and has loads of different techniques,
> including your mindmapping idea).
On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 2:20 PM, DerekS<de...@derekschauland.com> wrote: > I have been on and off the wagon several times with respect to GTD and > have finally noticed that all the things I want/need to get to are > just floating around and making my head spin.
I go in cycles as well, and every time I get a little closer to something truly maintainable. Let me give you a tip from my latest go-round:
Use the hell out of your Someday/Maybe lists.
Before you put something on an action or project list, ask yourself: when I find myself in the context to take action on this, am I really going to do it? Do I really care? Have I actually committed to doing this, or is it just something wich seems like I might want to do? If you're not truly committing to doing it as soon as you're in that context, put it on your Someday/Maybe list.
I keep a few S/M lists:
1. Someday Soon: Things I've pretty much decided I'll do, but I haven't decided to start working on yet. I consult this weekly. 2. Someday Perhaps: Things I'm not sure I'll want to do, but which I don't want to forget about. I consult this one weekly too, but with a different mindset. 3. 40,000ft Options: Basically career paths which I might like to shift to one day. I don't consult this one much, but it's good to have a place to put those ideas. 4. Way Out There: Crazy ideas I'll probably never do, but which, again, I feel better for having written down. 5. Movies to Watch, Books to Read, etc: a series of lists of media I'd like to consume. I consult these when I'm looking for a good book, movie, etc.
All this means that my project and action lists have no noise. They're all things that I'm ready to do at a moment's notice.
For this to work, the Weekly Review is critical. If you don't trust that you'll see these things as often as you feel you need to see them, you'll instinctively put them somewhere where you will. That will probably be your action and project lists. Once those become cluttered with things you haven't actually decided to do yet, you'll stop trusting them, and then you've got nothing. I've been through that cycle numerous times.
I used to put off my weekly reviews for all sorts of poor reasons. Just schedule an hour or two every week at the same time and check your lists for inconsistencies. You don't even have to think very hard. If you just read over your action, project, and S/M lists, your brain will tell you when something's in the wrong place, or out of date.
You can get better at the Weekly Review over time, but only if you actually do it. It's far more important to *do* it than to do it *well*.
I just recently restarted and re-invented my task organization (using
MyLifeOrganized), and the value of "someday,maybe" finally clicked
this 14th time around: it's liberating. Not everything must be
weighed on a universal importance scale anymore: things that are
"someday, maybe" (S/M) can be weighed just relative to each other.
Your "Movies to Watch" are weighed relative to each other, when you
have committed to watch a movie already, and are just deciding which
movie. I "make it happen" in my S/M area by organizing it into areas
of value in my life, areas across which I wish to achieve balance.
(taking time to relax is where movies would fall, for me)
To illustrate -and continue the theme of "getting it out of your head
and onto paper", here's my tree structure currently (with examples.)
I will appreciate any feedback, any problems anyone sees -because I'm
unsure of it myself, having not used it very long.
I know that personal priorities are personal, so you might hesitate to
say something is in the wrong place -or say that I'm a living
contradiction- but, honestly, if the specific examples show a general
line of thinking that is whack, please do let me know. I will be
grateful, not defensive.
1. Urgent (no importance indication: just means that it has a "soon"
timeline, or a deadline, or an expiration)
1.1 Critical (1st quadrant with a siren: very bad things happen
if not done ASAP)
1.2 Important & Urgent (1st quadrant)
1.3 Nice To Do Soon (not important, 3th quadrant)
2. Next Important Task & Projects (2nd quadrant)
2.1 Finish putting the hardwood down now that the carpet is torn
up. (we have gotten over this being urgent, proved it not, living on a
bare concrete slab for 3 months while more urgent things invade our
lives)
2.x Other tasks and projects I have committed to, really committed
to. Very short list, so they don't crowd each other out. E.g. If
it's just a list of broken things to fix around the house, move it to
section 3 as "Fix broken things around the house", a regularly
scheduled "Area of Balance" (section 3), and leave here in section 2
only really important repairs, like "Fix clothes washer"
3. Areas of Balance ("someday maybe" but actually "penciled in" on a
weekly schedule whereby I aim to do a little of each, for balance and
joy in my life. Some more important than others, some more urgent than
others, but a packed-full someday maybe list, where I get to model my
ideal life - but get to it only someday, maybe, if sections 1. and 2.
above don't take the eraser to the pencil'ed in appointments with
myself)
3.1 Start Remodeling again (but not rushing it stupidly as some
oh so important project this time, not start painting that room until
can finish painting that room -like the floor, walls are better off
not painted, then half painted. And when we do start this, we'll move
it to 2nd quadrant.
3.2 Spend Time With Children
3.2.x Whole hierarchy of wondeful things to do with my children
(teens and 3-year old, thus the anal hierachy) (and yes, folks, I do
have some key quality times already in 2nd quadrant above. and even
recurring dates in 1st quadrant, but these are all the others things I
wish I could do with my kids, never seem to get to, but must start
picking from more often)
3.3 Personal Fun (hobbies, revel in technology, etc. Sure regular
relaxation is Q1, but lets face it, world ran fine BEFORE the
internet, BEFORE i owned a digital camera, etc)
3.4 Project "Improve Home Organization"
3.4.1 Organize the home
3.4.x By Room or Possession class ("books! why do we have
books laying around everywhere?!" "why are the 11 bookcases used for
everything but books?!")
3.4.2 Organize the Garage (know I should, know makes my entire
life so much better, but been living 13 years with that guilt and
still going strong... lol no, it's very important to me, so I
schedule time for it - block of time that can be skipped at times.)
3.5 Classic "Someday, Maybe" - Peter's "Way Out There", same term
actually that I used to describe this section to myself in notes.
3.5.1 "Improve Entertainment System"
3.6 Project: Improve my task management. (and time for this slot
is just about up :-)
> On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 2:20 PM, DerekS<de...@derekschauland.com> wrote:
> > I have been on and off the wagon several times with respect to GTD and
> > have finally noticed that all the things I want/need to get to are
> > just floating around and making my head spin.
> I go in cycles as well, and every time I get a little closer to
> something truly maintainable. Let me give you a tip from my latest
> go-round:
> Use the hell out of your Someday/Maybe lists.
> Before you put something on an action or project list, ask yourself:
> when I find myself in the context to take action on this, am I really
> going to do it? Do I really care? Have I actually committed to doing
> this, or is it just something wich seems like I might want to do? If
> you're not truly committing to doing it as soon as you're in that
> context, put it on your Someday/Maybe list.
> I keep a few S/M lists:
> 1. Someday Soon: Things I've pretty much decided I'll do, but I
> haven't decided to start working on yet. I consult this weekly.
> 2. Someday Perhaps: Things I'm not sure I'll want to do, but which I
> don't want to forget about. I consult this one weekly too, but with a
> different mindset.
> 3. 40,000ft Options: Basically career paths which I might like to
> shift to one day. I don't consult this one much, but it's good to
> have a place to put those ideas.
> 4. Way Out There: Crazy ideas I'll probably never do, but which,
> again, I feel better for having written down.
> 5. Movies to Watch, Books to Read, etc: a series of lists of media I'd
> like to consume. I consult these when I'm looking for a good book,
> movie, etc.
> All this means that my project and action lists have no noise.
> They're all things that I'm ready to do at a moment's notice.
> For this to work, the Weekly Review is critical. If you don't trust
> that you'll see these things as often as you feel you need to see
> them, you'll instinctively put them somewhere where you will. That
> will probably be your action and project lists. Once those become
> cluttered with things you haven't actually decided to do yet, you'll
> stop trusting them, and then you've got nothing. I've been through
> that cycle numerous times.
> I used to put off my weekly reviews for all sorts of poor reasons.
> Just schedule an hour or two every week at the same time and check
> your lists for inconsistencies. You don't even have to think very
> hard. If you just read over your action, project, and S/M lists, your
> brain will tell you when something's in the wrong place, or out of
> date.
> You can get better at the Weekly Review over time, but only if you
> actually do it. It's far more important to *do* it than to do it
> *well*.
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