Getting Things Done – Revisit

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Getting Things Done – Revisit the principles while we are keeping our resolutions 

It’s early in the year, and most of us feel that we are on top of our resolutions to do better than last year. Changing habits on how we do things is not easy. This time of year, it’s not a bad idea to look at the principles of Getting Things Done and remind ourselves that we must continue to practice what David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done had written in this popular book on personal productivity.

We all get the feeling of too much information to deal with.  The avalanche of letters, emails,, articles, texts, phone calls and so on can make us feel like we will never catchup. If we don’t stay on top of it, we feel frustrated, we miss important tasks/events, and disorganized. We can learn to prioritize and focus on what’s important to us and how to deal with it.

A key concept promoted by Allen is that our brains have limited capacity to hold/retrieve vast amounts of things and to help remember all of the things you need to do. It’s much better at dealing with ideas and creativity than being a storage unit.  Having many things to deal with creates what he calls “open loops” which are created by things for which you feel some level of responsibility.  These pull your attention away from what is important. You’ll tend to bounce from one thing to another. As things arrived in front of you, say an email, you’ll feel compelled to deal with it. If you don’t, it is sort of dangling out there competing with other things as they arrive. The more open loops in your life, the more stress you’ll feel while working on something else and you think, I need to call so and so back, or write this report and so on…

Closing the loops as he discusses, doesn’t mean “doing it or completing it”. What is means is that you decide:

  • what it is, 
  • what it means to you and
  • whether you need to act now, or
  • delegate it or
  • file it away for future action, or
  • just delete it. 

You must to be very clear with yourself on what needs to be done  and how and when that will occur. 

Begin by capturing or collect each of those open loops so that they won’t be missed or forgotten in the future. Maybe you’ll just have to take a morning or even a whole day to find all the things that are whirling around your mind, computer or desktop.  Get all those things that are not finished or not started. Gather the emails, post-its, mail, emails, thoughts in your head , books you’d like to read, and whatever it is and focus on each one, one at the time. Your system can be manual like using folders with labels or digital with to-do apps and calendars and digital folders. There are even apps that are built around GTD. Put all these open loop items in an “in-box”(either paper or digital) so you can process them. Your system must work for you, or you will be reluctant to use it, and it will be worthless. 

Next, clarify and process those things by asking yourself:

  • what is this?
  • what does it mean to me?
  • Define what that next action is
  • Do I need to act now? 
  • Can I delete it? 
  • Can I file it for action later? 
  • Can I toss it? 
  • What is the final outcome?
  • and will it take multiple steps? If so, that becomes a project. As you process things, be concrete about what the item requires. Think in terms of action words (call, write, give to associate, file away for future action as in defer, or trash it).

Now, organize things after your “in box” is empty. If no immediate action is required, then put it in a someday/oneday/maybe file. You can have a reminder to look at this list periodically or attach a date for action in the future. Maybe indicate a priority. (Various apps permit you to set a priority or tag to help in identification.) Some things can go to a reference file. Other can go to a project file (where multiple steps are required). Some items can go directly to a calendar app for action if they are time sensitive. Some can be next action items which is something due soon but not immediately. Note: if the work can be accomplished in two or three minutes, just do it to get if out of the way, otherwise decide on what needs to be done to keep things moving. Be clear on what the next action means by using action verbs. The remainder of the items can be in a waiting for file which are items that other people process and then give to you. There could be other files in your particular situation but the basic structure of GTD should cover the majority of users. 

A review is the next step and should be as often as needed but weekly should handle most situations while you check over things that require updating or additional information  as situations change. After a couple of weeks or perhaps a month, ask what do you need to change to improve your system. Make notes during the weekly review on weaknesses and possible solutions. Anything falling through the cracks? The weekly review and edits/updates in your system will make your ready for the coming week. This is vital make it something you do at the end of the week or certainly by Sunday to be ready to start the next day without fumbling trying to remember where you were.  Set up your desk in a way that what you need is at your fingertips.

Here is where action takes place where you do the work. Sometimes you will be sidelined by immediate action when things pop up, like a request from your boss or an emergency. 

As you look at your do work, consider: 

  • the context (and errand or phone call or meeting); 
  • the time available; 
  • the energy available; and
  • the priority. 

Each day look over your todo list and chose two or three items that must be completed today. Do those first and preferably early in the day in case unforeseen things arise. Do the hardest ,most critical, (or high payback) thing first. 

This overview covers most people and most of the things that are encountered in life. Some fine tuning may be necessary, but the basics work well. Some people use folders and colored sticky notes to get started  to classify things once they are collected. Many graduate to a digital system after the initial setup. 

Some popular apps, in no particular order, include:

  • Google Calendar
  • Apple Calendar
  • MS Outlook Calendar
  • Todoist -task manager
  • Things 3 – task manager
  • Any.Do – task manager
  • Evernote – multi function app
  • Omnifocus for projects
  • Trello for projects
  • TickTick

You can use iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox for storage and retrieval. The tools above are a partial list but are popular and used by many people. After a while you may change what you use but it’s best just to get started and not seek perfection immediately.

To aid yourself as you go through your day, you might try the Pomodoro Method. Set a timer for 25 minutes of work, break for 5 minutes, repeat for four sessions, then you’ve earned a 15 minute break. 

When the day is done, close open tabs and apps. Tidy up your desk. This helps to be ready to tackle the next day. 

This system works when you apply it consistently. Sometimes you may need to force yourself into discipline so things don’t get away from you as it was before you started. You don’t want to fall back into old habits.  This way you mind can be free and you know you have a trusted system that works. 

If you have not read this book, its available from Amazon or likely your favorite bookstore. It’s a short read and very straight forward with practical tips. I think we all can agree on the practicality of what is in the book, Allen just said it in a way that is easily transferred to a system that you can use today. See https://gettingthingsdone.com/ for more information.