Comments on: Getting Things Done: The Five Stages of Mastering Workflow

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:20:54 +0000

I’m also enjoying this series immensely at a time when I need it so much. But I second the request for the list of children’s literature by ages. I’d love to have that as my oldest becomes a reader.

By: Business Advertising

Business Advertising — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:57:14 +0000

Great post. I also suggest getting an adderral prescription. Will get you productive for sure!

By: Malcolm Anderson

Malcolm Anderson — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:06:26 +0000

Trent, this is a great series, thank you for making it so approachable. I first got started with GTD about 2 years ago, and mostly consisted of me getting a filing system (with label maker) put together and working.

What really turned the corner for me, this year, was David’s new book, “Making it all work.” It got me re-started in working on my systems. I’m expecting that your series is going to support me on my journey to “trustify” my GTD systems.

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:03:58 +0000

Trent, Can you share your kids’ literature list? I have some kids and am always interested in more resources.

By: Suresh

Suresh — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:12:34 +0000

Trent,

Great series.

How do you collect & process your Evernote’s?

By: Prasanth

Prasanth — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:23:40 +0000

Trent,

I read GTD about a year ago but never got around to really thinking about the ideas in the book. Your series on GTD is an eye opener. Thank you

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:51:39 +0000

Thanks so much Trent. I have tried to implement GTD in the past but I just couldn’t understand it all. Your examples are perfect! I am going to try this again, this time following your explanations as you review the book.

By: Luke

Luke — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:20:14 +0000

Thank you for going into such detail on this process. I’ve realized that I incorporate a lot of these tactics already without recognizing it as a “GTD” system, but you putting them into context of an overall productivity system is really helpful.

By: KM at Long-Distance Life

KM at Long-Distance Life — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:48:02 +0000

Really enjoying this series and looking forward to trying out some of the techniques for myself. Thanks for putting the work into doing such an in-depth review.

By: Bart

Bart — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:08:57 +0000

I’m so happy to see you spreading the GTD gospel. I’ve been practicing it for 3 1/2 years. As a corporate manager with many commitments outside the office as well, it’s changed my life more than any single book outside the Scriptures.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:13:32 +0000

I’m just echoing others, but it really REALLY helps to have the concrete examples. Great post.

By: AndreaS

AndreaS — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:31:23 +0000

I think my life is not so complicated that I need to use a box system. Like many people I work with a list, which I think mostly does the same thing. I don’t like to have a lot of things hanging over me… if I have more than three things to do, I feel overwhelmed. I start to lay awake nights thinking about all I needed to get done. It helps to get up and write out a list, and then I can go back to sleep.
We’ve been renovating a starter home for our daughter. It was an unlivable disaster… literally every surface needed something. She and her husband work and go to college, and had little time to contribute. My husband and I have loads of free time and skills. But mostly it fell to me to act as the manager of this enormous undertaking. We had help from relatives, but this was an unpredictable resource, which added to the chaos. It was overwhelming and I started losing sleep.
So I got up one night and started a notebook. In this I wrote out a list of tasks that could be done immediately. Next to each task I listed the tools and/or materials we would need to complete the task, so I would remember to take those things to her house when we went to work the following morning. In this manner, when volunteers showed up, I was able to match that person to a task based on their skills and available time. Without making this list I was lost… was not always able to immediately take advantage of volunteer time because I was unable to remember the various tasks that needed to be done. It was also nice to show the volunteer the list, and allow them to choose the things they wanted to do. Throughout my days, whenever I thought of a task someone could do, I would add it to my list. It was satisfying to look at my list at the end of the day and see what tasks got crossed off.
As some tasks were completed, it was then possible to do other tasks. For example, once my husband repaired door trims, they could then be painted. So every few days I started a new list. I carried over old tasks that had not yet been completed, and also added the new ones we could now do.
In the way Trent said, some tasks require just minutes to do, and so we wanted to tackle those immediately so that we would feel relaxed that there were fewer items on our list.
One of the ways in which we prioritized was recognizing some helpers were just more valuable than others. Mostly, this was my husband who possesses the highest skill level, and also less hours to offer than me. In general, I never allowed him to do a task that could be done by a less skilled person… unless on a given day he had nothing else that he could do. Next to my husband, I was probably the most skilled as I have before done renovation work. So if I had less skilled helpers there, I didn’t do tasks that these folks could do. Even if helpers were not there, I specifically saved some of these lower-skilled tasks, in case a volunteer came.
I used my notebook for other information. A relative donated a set of used kitchen cabinets. So I added to my task list inventorying these cabinets. I took measurements of all the cabinets, and added these to my notebook along with simple sketches of each unit. Then later, I could work from these sketches to figure out how to make them work. I also had dimensions of rooms. I inventoried the lumber we saved for reuse from when we dismantled things. I also wrote phone numbers down from folks on craigslist that were selling items we needed. And so on.
Mostly I used this notebook in the early phase of this project when it was most chaotic and overwhelming. We’re now on the home stretch with few tasks remaining, so we no longer do these lists.
So this is on example of how a list was used. I have before made lists for myself. If I have several things I want to get accomplished in a day, I make a list, then cross each thing off as it is done… it is a great motivator. I have sometimes made lists of handyman tasks for my husband to do… small things that need to get fixed but have been accumulating for a while. Similar lists can be made for kids… for example special tasks they can do to earn money.

By: Elisabeth

Elisabeth — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:25:44 +0000

Trent, you don’t have to throw away junk mail. Recycle it! Otherwise, great series. I am currently reading the book (from the library) and it helps to read how one person puts it in action.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:05:11 +0000

When will someone point out that David Allen clearly has an obsessive compulsive disorder. Hearing him speak on NPR was a nightmare – as if his organizational obsessivness is a route to nirvana – give me a break. He sounds like a hoarder with ADD.

Just simplify. Buy less. Throw stuff out fearlessly. Say No. Just breathe and be aware of your surroundings and it takes care of itself. Start by filng his book in the round file. It only adds to one’s anxiety – which is the real purpose, because then you need more or HIS crap and books and systems and on and on.

By: Debbie M

Debbie M — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:51:44 +0000

This all makes sense, but I think I would like one additional step, which might be called Archive.

You mentioned having a log in your piano folder – filling in that log would be one of the things to do in this step. You could also log eating, exercising, housework, spending, or anything else where motivation could use a little boost. Maybe add to the graph of your weight or net worth or credit score.

Also, keep track of records that could come in handy later such as car and house maintenance, dental and doctor visits and test results, electricity usage, gas mileage.

After trying a recipe, add notes on what worked and what you’d like to change for next time, maybe take a picture, maybe e-mail the recipe to your friends, maybe put a copy of the recipe in your book of tried-and-true recipes.

When returning from a vacation, get any pictures together and create the scrap book or blog entries or family newsletter or whatever helps you maximize the experience.

When you buy something new, find a place for it. Wash it or assemble it if needed. Add it to your house inventory list–perhaps with a picture–or to library thing or anything else you’re keeping track with. If you get rid of something old every time you bring something new in, pick out your something old to get rid of. If it’s digital media, you might make a copy on your computer. If it has an owner’s manual, look through that, attach the receipt, and file it.

I don’t do this step as often as I’d like, but when I do, it makes a big difference. This little extra step after doing things enriches the experience. It makes me feel less like I’m just running around playing Tetras with the things on my to-do list.

By: WendyH

WendyH — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:34:29 +0000

Trent, do you know if this or another time management system is designed for or addresses skills for those with Adult ADD/ADHD? My limited understanding of the condition is that typical management skills don’t always work for them.

Long-story-short: I just spend 4 days helping a friend clean and purge a dumpster worth of junk. I’d like to understand the condition further so I can find ways to help organize that would be most beneficial. It wasn’t quite bad enough for a “Hoarders” episode, but still a significant issue.

Looking forward to the rest of the series, I plan on printing out the entire series (with comments) and hopefully sitting down and discussing some of the strategies with my friend.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:22:47 +0000

I’ve always thought GTD was a bit of a cult and not something I could learn to to, but these two posts have made it seem much more doable.

I start college in the fall and this might just help make the transition from high school level work to college level a bit easier.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:10:30 +0000

I’m going to have to start using that question, “is this item actionable” since mail seems to take over our counters more every day.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:29:11 +0000

I am also learning piano and would be interested in seeing the list of sheet music that you plan to try. Do you have that in a digital format that you could share? Are you using a particular book right now?

By: becky

becky — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:19:45 +0000

So far I’m really enjoying the level of detail that you’re going into for this. I’ve always heard of GTD and tried to implement a few things, but never really followed through. And my lack of completing things totally shows that. I’m hoping to get back to actually being able to check things off of my to-do list, instead of just having piles of things on my desk. Thanks for this series, Trent. I didn’t realize how much I needed until I got to this 2nd installment. Looking forward to the rest.