Comments on: Getting Things Done: A New Practice for a New Reality

By: Susan Jenner | como quemar grasa corporal

Susan Jenner | como quemar grasa corporal — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:43:52 +0000

I’ve experimented with the Pomodoro technique. Its central premise is that you’ll be more productive and less streesed by being able to focus without interuption on one single task for 25 min, then take a 5 min break before starting again. I’ve heard good things about GTD and would definately love reading a copy.

By: Jeane Ropa ciclismo

Jeane Ropa ciclismo — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:00:57 +0000

Thanks for all the advices you share with us.
In this article your can realize and help you change the point of view and change ancient practices.

Thank you for sharing!!

By: Sandra ley de atraccion

Sandra ley de atraccion — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:16:25 +0000

Thanks for sharing your rich experience. I will definitely read this book, and continue reading your articles, they are very useful for me since i am working on my first own business.
thank you!
Sandra

By: Allison

Allison — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:34:59 +0000

Ok, I am slow in making a comment only because I am reading and re-reading this series. Wow. Awesome, Trent. You’ve explained GTD in a way I just COULDN’T get before. I did GTD a couple of years ago and spent WAY too much time organizing THE LIST (going from in to context to next-action, finding the right program to process… really, it was just ridiculous. Admittedly, I am a bit OCD about lists and organization, but I truly got NOTHING done. So I recognize I didn’t fully grasp how it was supposed to work.

YOU, however, make PERFECT sense and I am anxious to try again!

What I still don’t get, though, and was a big stumbling block to me before, is how much truly needs to be captured.

In your example here, with the chicken and the laundry and the piano playing — is there anything in there you really took the time to jot down?? Much less to PROCESS it? Or was that purely an example in how you can go from thing to thing but still be in the zone about it? There wasn’t a thing in that afternoon of doing that I would have written down. Now, during the dinner prep or folding laundry or practicing the piano, something ELSE may have come to mind (an email I needed to send, a call I needed to make) and I would have written THAT down.

I SO want to understand this.

Trent, your GTD series is incredible. Truly. Thanks.

By: Kristie Ryan

Kristie Ryan — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:43:51 +0000

Hello Trent,

I am so looking forward to this! My boyfriend picked up a copy of this book a couple months ago and said he never got into it. He referred me to your blog (which he loves) and says the way you explain it makes it so much easier and practical.

I myself am in need of a time management system desperately as I have so much I want to do and am hoping this will help.

Can’t wait!

Kristie Ryan

By: Fawn

Fawn — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:29:45 +0000

#21– Really?! Get over yourself!

I am really looking forward to these articles. I already do some things to keep my productivity up when working on my To-Do lists. I put them in order that they need to be done (have to pick things up before you can vacuum the floors, etc.)and then break them down, listing the important points. I have A.D.D. and get distracted easily, so I tend to loose focus.:D Sometimes I go on a cleaning blitz, which consists of me running around like a crazy lady and doning things way out of order. (taking a glass into the kitchen while cleaning up the living room leads to cleaning up something in the kitchen, etc.) I do get a lot accomplished and get in the zone, so I guess it isn’t such a bad thing. It might make an organized person go crazy watching! ;)

Looking forward to more!

By: Kathy

Kathy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:59:34 +0000

If you like GTD, you may also be interested in a book called “Take Back Your Life” by Sally McGhee and John Wittry. In many ways it takes GTD to the next level and provides a way to apply its principles and set the system up in Microsoft Outlook. It takes a bit of time to think things through and set it up, but once thats done its great.

By: Maria

Maria — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:08:25 +0000

Hi Trent, Thanks for doing a deep dive into GTD, I look forward to more real-life examples of how you use the tools. I read it awhile back based off of your frequent mention of the book, and there is a lot of useful material that I now use. I work in a profession that requires a high level of time and physical document management, and what I’ve realized over time is that people are not generally taught how to prioritize their time and be an overall organized person. There’s the attitude that being organized is only based on personality–but I think that organization can be learned (as with GTD). I feel like these types of tools could be taught to children early on to increase their opportunities for success. The same goes for financial management tools–I could have used a lot more than learning to balance a checkbook!

Do you plan on teaching your kids some of the skills laid out in GTD? (Or are you already doing so?) I’m curious what your take is on teaching children these skills in conjunction with other educational endeavors. I plan on doing so when I have children, as I think it would have made a world of difference for me as a lifelong learner if I had learned some of these skills early on.

Thanks!

By: Michele

Michele — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:31:08 +0000

Trent – thanks for this review. I embraced the GTD system about a year or so ago, and it started off well, but I feel like my projects list has grown but it’s tough working on keeping my next actions organized. Looking forward to seeing how you and others use the system.

I keep a Franklin Covey binder with multiple tabs for each of my lists (projects, at home, at computer, someday/maybe, agendas, etc.). I’ve also tried managing this online at rememberthemilk.com.

Any hints from others will be greatly appreciated.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:16:37 +0000

I actually just reviewed this book a few days ago, after finally finishing it!

http://blog.amhill.net/2010/05/25/book-review-getting-things-done/

Do you have any pointers for non-Executives to implement the system and get started?

By: AmyG

AmyG — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:17:10 +0000

I need all the help I can get with time management, so thanks for the GTD review series, Trent.

By: austere

austere — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:41:57 +0000

This was excellent.

Will try and reach for the zone, though usually I don’t.

More, please.

By: David/MoneyCrashers

David/MoneyCrashers — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:41:38 +0000

This is a great forum for a book on time management, because good time management is eessential for people who want to make extra money in their lives.

Pre-planning helps me manage my time very efficiently. Usually s few moments at the end of each day planning out the next day does the trick for me

By: Danielle

Danielle — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:41:39 +0000

I used this technique today! As I was making dinner I kept thinking of washing the dishes that were piling up. I got the dishwater ready instead of just watching the dishes pile up and getting frustrated. I am really looking forward to this series.

By: Malisa

Malisa — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:07:16 +0000

Oops. Bi-weekly. :)

By: Malisa

Malisa — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:05:50 +0000

Good timing for me too. I’ve been on-again, off-again with GTD and I’m working on tightening up my system…again. It’s my first free day of summer vacation (teacher) and I spent part of my day collecting and doing a partial, long overdue review of my system. I’ve bounced back and forth between paper and digital and still don’t think I’ve quite got THE system. I look forward to a weekly dose of GTD here.

By: Adam P

Adam P — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:55:57 +0000

Hey Trent. Thanks for this review series, I have picked up the book on your advice and many others, but not read it yet. I’m off to Bermuda for some R&R next weekend though and I’m going to bring it with me (thanks to this little reminder you posted).

By: Kara

Kara — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:12:03 +0000

@#19 Susan- I love flylady!! It has really helped me break things into smaller tasks.. amazing how much you can get done in 15min!

By: jgonzales

jgonzales — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:00:52 +0000

I read half of GTD before I returned it. It was good, but I’m in the middle of moving & I don’t want to lose it. What I read reminded me a lot of FlyLady, which I’ve been following for years (mentioned in post 19, if you want a link). I am interested to see the rest of this series and see if there is more that I didn’t get to.

By: princess_peas

princess_peas — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:26:23 +0000

I enjoyed this review and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. However, I have one question about the whole princicple the book is designed upon, this of getting things out of your head; it sounds like it will work really well for the purposes it intends to , ie, clearing the brain to enable getting in the zone. But, and the emphasis is here, over the long term, doesn’t this mean that you are teaching yourself not to rely on your own brain? Several years later, haven’t you lost the ability to remember apointments or to do lists without the use of your external system, whatever that is? Which means that, apart from tweaks you make along the way, you are tying yourself to this system for the rest of your life?

Now you might weigh up the options and decide its a fair exchange. But te above reasons are why I was taught that writing things in a calandar is a bad thing.