GTD for moms

A Community Contribution by Sarah Albright

I began my GTD journey in 2005 when I took a 2 day version of the class at work. I loved the concepts, but at 27, I still placed a lot of trust in my memory. Then I got pregnant. Now that a massive hormonal shift has occurred and I’m the sleep deprived, full time working mother of a 1 year old, GTD lists are the only thing that keep me from sinking.

Outlook tasks combined with my Blackberry are my weapons of choice. Probably my biggest saving grace is the Agendas category. Three biggies: @ diaper bag , @ doctor and @Target.

@Diaper bag-Nothing is worse than getting to a restaurant with your somewhat cranky toddler only to realize you don’t have any snacks. Before I leave the house I do a quick check of my @ diaper bag list to make sure all the essentials are accounted for (Diapers, wipes, plastic bags, snacks, toys, sippy cup, extra clothes (for baby and me), etc.)

@Doctor-As a first time parent the list of things I can come up with to worry about (and of course Google) is way too long to keep between doctor visits. So if one pops up, I quickly record it, and the next time we have a check up I can bring my lists of concerns with me.

@Target-This one is self explanatory, but it’s huge for me. I’m forever running out of something, and this keeps me from realizing at 4 am that I used my last diaper before bed.

These are just a few of the small ways that GTD keeps me sane.

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4 Comments

  1. the first one sounds a little bit more like reference list–useful no doubt, but there aren’t really actions to do in this context (except restock this stuff). you can raise the awareness of this action this way, so i guess it works.. but i think it’s a misleading example. same thing for a grocery list or target list IMO.

  2. Nothing like sleep deprivation to make the value of using contexts to manage life much more noticeable. Thanks for this very practical post. Great ideas for moms (and dads). I did the stay at home dad thing while in grad school, and I know I could have used these contexts back then. I was unlucky enough to have to wait another decade from where you’re at to learn about GTD. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Great post. I just picked up a copy of GTD. I love how you are using it for GTD Mommystyle. Will definitely apply your technique to staying organized for my 2 y.o. as well as my business!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Kim

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