Oct
25
Getting Over GTD
Filed Under Organization
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For those of you who don’t know, GTD stands for Getting Things Done
Best Practices for GTD and Administrative Assistants
GTD Primer (A Chapter by Chapter breakdown)
In this article, I’m not going to go into the intricate details of the GTD system. Instead, I’d like to share my own personal experience with GTD. First off, I have to admit that I’ve never read the book cover-to-cover. There, I said it. I’ve tried but these types of things get tiring quickly for me. There’s only so much time I can devote to learning how to effectively use my time. I start feeling incredibly impatient and anxiety ridden. My mind starts going over the hundreds of things I should be doing rather than reading this silly book about organizing those things. GTD devotees would say I’m the person who needs it the most!
Even though I haven’t read it cover-to-cover, I’ve read a bit of all the sections and I’ve certainly read enough in the blogosphere to give me a broad understanding of the system (see the incredibly detailed articles above). While it’s not extremely complicated, it is very specific and, in my opinion, quite demanding. It has a lot of good points, though personally, I find the stringent approach to be a little too much for my constantly changing life. I don’t have the discipline to stick to one precise way of doing things, which is probably the source of my existing disorganization. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a chaotic mess or anything. But I could do better. GTD is not, in my opinion, the answer for me. However, there are a few golden ideas I’ve taken from it (and implemented successfully) so I wanted to share them with you, just in case you were wondering what all of this GTD stuff is about.
1. Only use one inbox for information
Whatever it is, - a notebook, a box, a binder - only use one place to gather information. When it’s strewn across a variety of places, you just increase your opportunity to neglect something. I used to be the biggest offender with this. Partly, this happened because I like organizational tools. I love pretty binders and notebooks and planners. Of course, using multiple things to track tasks or “to do” items or even phone numbers is a total waste of time, energy and space. Plus, you run the risk of forgetting or losing things because you have so many places to check for information. Minimizing the items used for collecting information has been a big shift for me - and an incredibly beneficial one. Now, I collect all of my tasks on one pad of paper throughout the day. Anything that is not completed by the end of the day gets copied into a separate task book that is reviewed each morning. Still not perfectly streamlined but much, much better.
2. Break down your “to do” items into “next actions”
Don’t simply look at a large task and put it on your list. For example: Get Bachelor’s Degree. That’s not really a task and it could just end up sitting on your list forever. Instead, break down these big tasks into their “next action” steps. For example, instead of “Get Bachelor’s Degree”, you may add the task, “Write to University to request application packet for Business program”. That is a manageable task that can be crossed off by doing something. Breaking down large projects like this has done an amazing amount for me. I used to look at large jobs and feel overwhelmed with all of the steps involved. I had no idea where to start. Now, I simply look at the next thing that has to be done - nothing more. Doing it this way helps get you moving instead of just staring at big, looming projects with fear. This blog got started by following this process. I knew nothing about how to blog so instead of adding “Start a blog” to my to-do list, I added “research how to start a blog”. Each time I finished one action, I added the next one in the step-by-step process.
3. Keep a “Someday/Maybe” list
One of the tools in the GTD system is a Someday/Maybe list. This is simply a running list where you can put ideas that occur to you which are not important now but may be in the future. For example, I might be interested in taking some classes on coaching. So I’ve included that on my list. I’ve also included things I’d like to add to this website, places I’d like to travel, books I’d like to read. Basically, it’s a list that you can review at any time for ideas and reminders of the things you could be working on. It’s like a big goal list that doesn’t have to be anything too serious or strict - after all, it’s a maybe list. Nothing on it has to be done.
4. The review process is vital
Though GTD has quite a few very specific times and ways for the review process, I think it’s simply important to make it work for you. Just do it regularly and don’t forget it! After all, what’s the point of collecting all of this information if it’s never reviewed? Evaluate the items you collect in your “one system”, monitor next action steps (and add the next one whenever you complete one), and don’t let your someday/maybe list just sit there collecting dust. Whenever you are bored and looking for a project, pick it up and find the next action for something on there. Then, add it to your to-do list.
As I said at the beginning of this article, this is not by any means an exhaustive review of the GTD system. These are only a few key points that really hit home with me. Maybe one day I’ll actually finish the whole book and I’ll gain hundreds of other wonderful insights. Until then, I don’t think I’ll consider myself a GTD-fanatic.
If you are a GTD-fanatic (or if you’re considering becoming one in the future) check out this Massive List of GTD Resources that was created by Leo at Zen Habits. I think you should be able to find everything you need to become an authentic “GTD cult” member!
Please share your experience with the GTD system in the comments below. I’d love to learn the “golden nuggets” you guys may have gathered from it.
If you liked that post, then try these...
Project Management Simplified by Chrissy on November 26th, 2007
End-of-Year PERSONAL Review by Chrissy on December 4th, 2007
How to Map a Project by Chrissy on April 8th, 2008
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12 Responses to “Getting Over GTD”
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Thanks for the nice summary, and the link. I think reading the whole book cover-to-cover isn’t nearly as important as pulling some habit changes (for the better) from the concepts. Good for you!
Thanks so much for the clear, concise summary of GTD . I already unknowingly do steps 1, 2, and 3 as part of my own time-tested organizing techniques. After failing through numerous methods - and being sick of carrying around a giant planner and thereupon losing it — I have successfully been using a Palm Pilot for my “one inbox”. I keep handwritten lists in the “Notes” section - one for daily, weekly, and monthly; the calendar for appointments; and break down my “Someday/ Maybe” list by category (goals) in the “Tasks” section. Works for me, but my next goal is to get a smart phone which can do email and replace having both a PDA and a phone.
Congrats on having a blog meant to help the Executive Assistant. You are a great writer. It is so true that there are barely any blogs (and no other good ones) that are meant to help Assistants. It is such an untapped market. Check out my blog for a somewhat facetious list of suggestions for the temporary assistant to pass the time: “28 Temporary Suggestions Later.”
BTW, since you liked “Good to Great”, you might also enjoy “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. A lot of its insights can be applied to our personal lives as well.
Keep up the good work.
[…] a regular commentator at Organize IT, has a great introductory article to GTD over at her blog, The Executive Assistant’s Tool […]
What an intelligent and helpful article. I think it’s really helpful for those who want to excel at their job. I’m definitely going to try to give the book a try
I get the newsletters and have been to the David Allen site. A great deal of GTD is common sense. I work at a movie studio - common sense is not common - and priorities can change minute by minute. BUT If you can organize what really is a priority and what really isn’t you are halfway there. The problems come when you are the only one using GTD system in the group.
I’ll have to look into GTD more.
Have you ever heard of the Action Pad? It’s by Behance. I’ve been using it since August.
http://www.behance.com/Outfitter/Products/Action-Pad/3
I find that I don’t use the PREP/Focus section too much, but I use all the other sections, and it’s been helpful. They have a ‘tester’ you can print that… I just print the saved tester file when I need one (and it’s good for the environment, right?)
[…] a regular commentator at Organize IT, has a great introductory article to GTD over at her blog, The Executive Assistant’s Tool […]
I think the most vital thing I learned from the GTD program was to look for the next action. David Allen just touches on this in his book but it is centered around a part of our brain that is called the reticular activating system.
Every event from taking a foot step to doing your taxes is preceded by a feedforward message from the brain. This message warms the muscles and fires up the brain. We anticipate the next action whether it be the great leap forward of taking that footstep or finding a pen to do our taxes.
If you don’t clearly figure out the next action the project tends to loop over and over in your brain. It is an open loop that does get resolved. This repeating message still takes energy. And the project tends to get stuck.
By even deciding the next action you break the loop and allow your brain and body to move onto the next event. And even the simplest “next action” like finding the pen to start your taxes can break this loop.
Kevin Kunz
Complete Reflexology for Life
http://www.reflexology-research.com
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