What is GTD?
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a way to get organised so that you can cope with more stuff, efficiently and without too much stress. It doesn't specify an implementation, but provides a framework and principles for you to apply in the way that suits you.
And you're writing this blog...why?
There are loads of resources on the web around GTD, so I'm not trying to duplicate this. However, I just want to capture the way i'm approaching GTD, and the logic behind it. I also want to reference the best resources I've found.
The Approach
OK, so I've read the book Getting Things Done by David Allen - a good start. But what tools should I use for my implementation? The initial temptation is to go all high tech and start evaluating PDAs and smart phones, GTD applications and strategies for synchronizing and communicating between them. I quickly caught myself though, as I recognised the fact I was getting embroiled in all of this complexity almost as an end in its own right. I decided on the following principle:
Start with the simplest and lowest-tech tools possible, and only get more advanced if the advantages of doing so have been illustrated clearly through practice....so I got some cards, some clips, a notebook and some pencils.
Inboxes
I think I need several inboxes to be available at different times.
- Work - away from computer
- Work - at computer
- Home
- Out
Work - away from computer
My notebook is my inbox for meetings, workshops etc - where it seems far easier to jot everything down rather than battling to enter info into a PDA, iPhone, laptop etc. I think a big issue that still remains with all these tools is ease and speed of data entry. I find it the simplest, cheapest and quickest solution to write things down by hand.
Work - at computer
At my computer, my natural inbox is my email inbox. This leads to the first exception to my low-tech rule because, at work, my calendar and inbox are already in Outlook and everything works quite efficiently and simply there. Therefore things in Outlook stay in Outlook unless there's a good reason to jot them down in my notebook. I've created @Waiting For, @Actions, @Read, @Someday/Maybe and Reference folders to move emails to as I process my Inbox. My aim is to move every email into one of these folders, the calendar or trash so that my Inbox is reguarly emptied. Also, I've added a simple rule in Outlook to put any email that I've cc'd to myself into the @Waiting For folder.
Home
Google Calendar and Gmail (with Tasks. Integration between Gmail and Google Calendar is useful, as are labels in Gmail.
Out
Mobile Phones - simple todo list for actions and "notes" capture to collect stuff coming in.
Whenever I'm back at my desk, I process the inboxes (Outlook inbox and notebook), removing and progressing the entries rather than leaving them in 'in'.
Calendars
My work calendar is Outlook, which works well apart from access when I'm not at my desk (no Blackberry...) . I think I need a personal calendar seperate from my work one mainly because its not particuarly quick or easy to access my work calendar at Home or Out. I'm undecided about my personal calendar. The two options I'm considering are Google Calendar and a paper-based diary. (update: decided on Google Calendar)
