Comments on: Getting Things Done: Getting Projects Under Control

By: maggy

maggy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:59:24 +0000

That elusive quote is by William James, and original reads like this:

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.”–William James

Far better than my version above.

By: maggy

maggy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:24:59 +0000

From maggy — Like Theresa I have attempted GTD several times, always with “some” success.
[If I've said all of this to comment on an earlier GTD post, forgive me--I know I started to do so, but I think I gave up and deleted it.]

This time around with GTD, I’m taking some steps to make a permanent difference, mainly in simple LABELING!

I’ve always been oblivious to physical surroundings anyway, and now–really old–just staying AWARE and focused is difficult. I have a habit of — say — posting a sign or reminder which is effective fora day or so and then I just don’t SEE IT anymore, whether it is on the refrigerator or near my computer. Ditto, taking notes, planning a project. I get it all down and almost feel like it’s DONE — don’t re-read my own notes!! My own handwriting is defeating.
Changes this time? Stickers in strategic places (my super-organized daughter does this). On the door above the door knob for errands and “out” things. On the coffeemaker for next-day priorities. I even have a sticker there that says LOOK AT THE DAMNED CALENDAR TO YOUR RIGHT! So help me, I need it.
As to the project that is driving me to distraction — promoting a book that I KNOW requires getting into blogging and/or Facebook and my “resistance” is overwhelming — THIS TIME I give myself one hour to read and plan and take notes by hand–45 minutes only, THEN spend 15 minutes to summarize into action steps and type it out in OVERSIZE PRINT (18-20)–toss the handwritten stuff.

I’m following that process also for your GTD series–Oversize typed summaries of each in a GTD folder.
It SEEMS to be working. Will finish up not only collection process of everything I have to do but, at the same time, plan/organize book marketing project by the weekend.
I also did some serious re-thinking of how I have actually finished other projects in my long life that I resisted doing. Invariably, one or two books I came across did the trick, and a couple of mantras/slogans. Whether it was sheer desperation or serendipity I invariably invest some one-two books and a mantra/slogan with magical properties to get big jobs done. These are the gimmicks that have worked for me.
All I know is that without two books — If You Can Talk You Can Write and The War of Art — I never would have finished my book. War of Art is best thing I’ve read on RESISTANCE and its insidious destructive ability to keep you from doing what you know you want to do. That and this ntra — Failure cannot tolerate/withstand PERSISTENCE.
I’m hoping my LARGE PRINT summaries of this GTD series will provide a permanent way to keep on track (make part of weekly review). And my mantra now in several places (REALLY LARGE AND TYPED) is:

“There’s nothing so exhausting as an undone task.”

It encapsulates (I think) the GTD approach, but as I remember is a quote from 19th century. Have to try to Google that.

I also think I’ve finally found my two “magical” books for this major project–a manual on Facebook and one on internet marketing. No more procrastination LOOKING for yet another instruction book!

Good luck to all fellow/sister GTD-ers!

By: Theresa

Theresa — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:43:58 +0000

I have really been enjoying this series and your thoughts about the GTD method – I have attempted to this previously, with some success – The addition og your notesd has prompted me to review & revise and to see what more I could incorporate Cheers!!!

By: Eva

Eva — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:15:46 +0000

I love this series, too. Thanks for sharing it. This summer, I’m taking a few months off between working full time (well, double-time, really, hence the being able to take time off now — overtime pay adds up!) and starting graduate school (debt-free and with no need for student loans!), and it’s the *perfect* time to start to implement a system like this. I’m so excited to get in the swing of it.

“Unconscious resistance to thinking” — yes! I know exactly what that is. I experience it several times a day. And having the ability to welcome it into my mind and then push it right onto paper is so freeing. Wow.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:06:16 +0000

I am loving this series! I think when it is completed you should compile the entire thing into an e-book and sell it, perhaps with some of the most helpful reader tips integrated into each section. I know that even though it is available here for free I’d probably pay a few dollars to have all of this great information in one document.

By: Allison

Allison — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:59:52 +0000

“You can’t jump into your dreams if you don’t have things organized.”

I have been SO inspired by this series of posts, Trent. I picked up GTD several years ago and then abandoned it because I derailed myself looking for the perfect software to run all my contexts and sorting and what-not. I got lost in the system instead of letting the system help me achieve forward movement.

Thank you so much for putting this into real-life examples! Unlike other commenters, I am not planning on picking up the book again. Instead, I have made a collection of hyperlinks to each of your posts to review when I need them! I have corraled everything in my brain now and am “keeping up” with thoughts as they come and will do the “house tour” round-up over the long weekend coming up. Yesterday, after 15 years, I finally cleaned out the four-drawer file cabinet I have in anticipation of “processing” this weekend as well.

I LOVE the idea of A-Z files for most things. I am keeping the top drawer for all the household bills/tax info/college loan stuff. (I guess that’s my financial drawer?) And the bottom drawer is the empties: file folder, hanging files and notebooks. The middle two drawers will be the A-M and N-Z.

And now projects?! I’m so glad to finally have a real-life connection to help me put this all together. Doing GTD on my own left me completely boggled. But now I can see the beauty of this system and how I will be free to pursue the dreams I THOUGHT had to be put on hold until my little ones grew up. Now I see how things can work together, moving forward on all KINDS of fronts!

By: lynnette

lynnette — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:51:17 +0000

I had read GTD a while back and it seemed like so much work. Adding more work to my day just seemed too overwhelming to consider. Thank you for breaking it down into manageable parts. I’ve started carrying a notebook and that alone has made a big difference in my productivity.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:32:44 +0000

Thank you for this series! You inspired me to check out GTD from the library and I’m really excited to implement it. This weekend I”m going to start my file system and begin my collecting, I’ll be referring back to your blogs as I go for tips and advice. So much of the book is “work related” rather than work/life related. I like your approach.

By: chacha1

chacha1 — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:00:03 +0000

“unconscious resistance to thinking”

Oh man, there’s a post in that phrase alone!

By: Debbie M

Debbie M — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:06:50 +0000

This is showing me that my list of projects I want to get done for the year isn’t really good enough. I need to narrow that down each week on the way to choosing my next steps.