Comments on: Getting Things Done: Getting “In” to Empty

By: Claire

Claire — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:18:44 +0000

I’m impressed that you file regularly! Most people, myself included, hate filing. And I have to admit that I don’t use my filing cabinet for much except have-to-keep items. Anything I’m working on has to stay out.

By: maggy simony

maggy simony — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:58:47 +0000

I’m so glad you’re doing this!! Thank you. Like others who have commented, I too have applied aspects of GTD to my long life — sporadically. And other systems as well. Always with good results. But I never stick to anything. STILL I have had accomplishments I’m proud of in my life and would not unless I had SPORADICALY gotten inspired to do better. Try, try again is one of life’s truisms.
Your series is just the motivation I NEED RIGHT NOW. I’ve read the GTD book in the past, know the basic plan. Your extrapoltion and personal experience with GTD, nevertheless, is both illuminating and motivating.
In 2007, at 87, got inspired to finish a book I’d been dabbling with for 15 years. And I did finally get it published POD in December 2009. Then I seem to have exhausted my self-discipline and have just floundered since, NOT doing the promotion I need to do.
Now in 2010, at 90, determined to pull myself together, and once again use GTD philosophy to plan and implement book promotion for at least one year. After that I’ll give myself a break and just drift to the end so to speak. Aurora1920

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:19:36 +0000

Can you please add the categories to this post like you did to the others in this series?

By: michael bash

michael bash — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:59:41 +0000

“chuck” into the trash — it would be better to recycle.

By: Pam

Pam — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:35:52 +0000

I have applied some of the GTD plan through the years. One that continues to stick and is unbelievably successful is the project folders technique. I typically have 25 projects (defined as requiring more than 5 actions – could be 5, or could be 50)active at a time and the project folder technique is the only way I keep track of them all. I also keep 1 master list of the 25 projects title which includes only the next action step for each project. I update that list once a week. I can quickly review that list to see which actions can or should be handled the next week. I still have the other personal and business master list of things yet to do, but this allows me to feel in control of the active projects at work. I have been thinking about how to incorporate this same projects technique at home. I don’t want to feel like I’m at work though, so would like it to be a bit more relaxed. I’d welcome any ideas from others.

By: ConsumerMiser

ConsumerMiser — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 05:56:07 +0000

Mastering Time Management is important. Those who do this best are usually also very successful. I think its about prioritization, clearing out the clutter and focusing on the important stuff.

I agree with the chucking stuff, future stuff, filing, and tickler approach. I particularly like the tickler so that things do not fall through the cracks. I find this particularly helpful when managing multiple things. A checklist and status checker is also critical.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:49:05 +0000

I did the collect and am totally overwhelmed with the quantity of tasks in there. Last night I powered through some, but the stack is still enormous. I am just not sure the multitude of pieces of paper is going to do it for me, and was looking more at the Remember the Milk website to see if that could be a task list I could use to help me get things done. But then I decided I was wasting time I could have been using doing the actual tasks on figuring out a way to get out of doing them. I think I need to just remind myself that I am NOT going to get that whole stack done in a day, or a week, or maybe even this summer! But I did sort it into categories like basement, garden/garage, kitchen, money, so at least if I am going to sit down and work on money or scrapbooking stuff or friendship stuff, I pull out THAT pile, not the ENTIRE pile of a million things. I had to do that the night I did the collect. I was totally overwhelmed!!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:09:05 +0000

Thanks again, Trent, this is a great and very helpful series.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:35:46 +0000

I think you’ve inspired me to finally sit down and figure out what GTD is all about.

By: Amy S.

Amy S. — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:15:56 +0000

I just wanted to let you know that I find this article series very motivating! I’ve been trying to find a system that works for me as I always seem to fizzle out after a day or two on anything I’ve tried. I’m a total list person, so this program seems perfect! Thanks so much – maybe I’ll finally start getting stuff done instead of constantly going “Yes, I STILL have to do that…later.”

By: chacha1

chacha1 — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:12:13 +0000

This process is essentially what I used when I was running a small law office. I was the mailroom, fileroom, docket clerk, billing clerk, collections department, accounts-payable department, supply clerk, copier/printer repair person, benefits administrator, foreign filing specialist, and legal assistant to the senior partner.

You’d better believe if I had put anything back in the in-box after once taking it out, I would have been buried in about a day.

By: Lyann

Lyann — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:32:58 +0000

My question is whether that bucket/INBOX should be same as your TO-DO list.

I use GTD with RTM and my favorite thing about it is that I can shoot stuff off my Mac through Quicksilver directly to RTM. In that way, it functions as my collecting bucket.

But it’s also my To-do list which gets organize, prioritized and all that which Im sure you’ll go through later. So, at the moment it’s one and the same thing.

The THING is, when things don’t always get done in the To-do list. Then, it gets postponed and goes back to ‘IN’. Which goes directly against the tenet of not putting anything back.

It’s worked for me most times, it just means having to keep processing and perhaps there’s a more productive way? Maybe I shd use something else as an inbox? Like my mail inbox? I hadn’t really thought about not putting things back in IN for a llkng time since I put RTM in my GTD system.

By: Malisa

Malisa — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:30:38 +0000

I’ve been on and off my GTD horse for a couple years. I’m a teacher home for the summer and I’m determined to get a lot done. I’ve recommitted to my GTD system. I did my clean and capture Monday and have my giant stack to go through. It’s ironic that what kept me from pushing through it on Tuesday was that I went to hear David Allen speak an hour + away and used it as a reason to spend time in my old stomping grounds. Since then, things have been coming at me and I haven’t gotten back to it.

Whether starting or recommitting, my biggest hurdle is that the time of the big stack/basket will take. I see it as something I don’t have time to do in one shot, so I avoid it. I have tennis plans this morning, but I’m committed to working on it for at least two hours when I get back. If I’m done, I’m done. If I’m not, I’ll set another ‘appointment’ with myself. Fingers crossed.

Side note: It was GREAT to her DA speak. It was a presentation to a very small group of business people. There were a handful of GTDers and a couple handful of people not familiar with it/him. It was a quick, animated introduction to GTD. It was very inspiring.