This is a Community Contribution from Mike Vardy
I’m a fan of gadgets. I love shiny new objects that promise to deliver bigger, stronger and faster results. The problem with a lot of these shiny new objects is that there is a learning curve for most (if not all) of them and even when the knowledge is set firmly in place, they are only part of the equation. It’s the other part that often lets us down. That other part is us.
We often get bogged down in the details, mired in a slew of hidden tasks that pile up in our electronic folders and leave us with our heads spinning. And as a bit of a technophile myself, I’ve had it happen to me on several occasions. When this happens, I turn over my trusted system to a device that I can trust with its implementation: paper.
Paper is a powerful device in its own right. It is simple in both design and execution. You write something down, and with the act of writing it out you have enhanced your chance of doing something productive with it.
There’s no framework as to how you lay out your productivity plan when you have a blank piece of paper in front of you. You can build your own, use an existing template or adapt an existing system to make it your own. As long as you’ve got a system in mind, you’re only limited by how it appears on paper by your own imagination. In a sense, paper is freeing.
There is simplicity in using paper over electronic devices. It doesn’t have an operating system that needs rebooting, and it is always wireless. If you hand someone a piece of paper with action items on it, they can look at it and understand it without having to refer to a manual. The only operating system that would ever require rebooting when paper is used is the user.
The cost of paper is another bonus. Costs can range from a few dollars for a simple junior legal pad to hundreds of dollars for elegant paper products. Again, it is the user who will define how well the paper is used — so an expensive planner could be worthless if not used diligently while a dollar store legal pad that is used extremely well would be priceless.
Whether you choose paper to implement GTD or some form of software comes down to personal preference and choice. Some, like me, might use software to handle the bulk of their work while using paper to outline other work. It all comes down to to what works best for you. Paper is a great gateway device for someone getting started with GTD. For those who have more experience with the methodology it can be used to great benefit as well. Anyone with some GTD know-how can tailor paper to the fit the system.
The key is not tailoring the system to fit the device. Doing that will result in doing very little.
Thanks for sharing this! While I agree that many people focus too much on the tool rather on the concept, I find it hard implementing GTD on paper in my job. There are so many moving targets, and I often have to shift list items from one list to another. That on paper would look terrible after a while, and I would lose overview. With an electronic system I always have a clean view. Anyone agree with me?
GTD fan,
I have to agree with you. I went fully electronic about 5 years ago for the reasons you cite. I have one regret, though. Each time I see someone open up a month-at-a-glance paper calendar I truly miss the days when I could see a full month laid out before me on plain old paper.
I agree with “GTD fan”. While I see the strong benefits of paper, the mutability and sortability of digital tools is a key part of my system’s success.
Ive resisted paper for years, but find myself coming back to it now in my insurance business. Technology, with all it’s wonders, still proves itself unreliable at times. Paper allows for capture of details on the fly, and never is a slave to connectivity or temperamental operating systems. The best system is likely a marriage of the two that has failsafes.
I think that paper-based tools are the ideal gateway for those who haven’t been doing GTD either at all or consistently. It’s in your face more often that way — keeping you on track better as a result.
Using paper will keep the moving targets in front of your eyes better if you’re new or just getting used to GTD. And with its low overhead, it is an ideal way to get started.
(I use paper to augment my productivity, I use OmniFocus as my tool of choice to keep me in implementation mode.)
Thanks for your comment — and for reading!
I prefer paper since I spend so much time away from a computer. However, I do keep my projects list and next actions on the computer and update them each week as part of a weekly review. I then print out a fresh copy of each when I am done and put them in my binder. Since I tend to group things by area of focus as opposed to agendas, this works well for me – I do not have a lot of people who cross areas of focus, so I do not maintain agenda lists.
I have a combination system as well. I have multiple paper collection tools, and a master eletronic database that can be updated during weekly reivew, then printed or viewed by area of focus or context. But I find I don’t always look at them regularly. So from the master lists I write down my action/context lists on 5×8 index cards that are with me whether I’m at a PC or not. The writing helps them stick in my brain and reduces my feeling of being overwhelmed, which helps get things done!
IMHO, a serious advantage of the older PalmOS or PPC devices (that supported stylus-based input), over the new multitouch devices running iOS or Android, was their ability to instantly deliver the benefits of old-fashioned paper whenever desired.
When in a rush, one could always open up Note Pad (or equivalent), scribble some free-form handwriting and/or diagrams, and thereby easily capture lot of details on the fly. Later on, when more time was available, one could decide to re-enter the information as text.
paper project & action lists are like a dead body to a murderer. hard to lose, hard to ignore. in other words, important. unlike the millions of ambiguious electronic bits in our worlds, paper becomes more & more a unique and meaningful tool. paper is here in reality, digital is more like a movie on a screen or a dream. whered that list go? was it on my phone or my pc? i emailed a copy to myself, i’ll try search…
As a GTD user, I prefer to use my own computer-based GTD implementation in LaTeX (a scientific mark-up language) – it is fast, cross-platform, and I can backup it using bitbucket (revision control system). This is my electronic storage for all projects, ideas, and lists.
Then I print it on a paper – that’s easy since LaTeX generates PDF files with very high quality. So I always have my digital version of GTD (in LaTeX) and a copy on a paper (where I mark completed actions).
What I want to mention here is the way of making paper organisers. Recently I discovered for myself Levenger Circa – roller-based system that allows to organise flawlessly your papers of any size. There are many variants of it: Levenger Circa, Rollabind, Atoma etc., but the idea is the same. That’s a brilliant idea: I have transferred by entire paper organiser to this new Circa-based and it is just a terrific improve in my productivity. It is expensive but worth a try.
With paper based GTD, I had always faced this mobility issue for those kinda big organizers eg of A5 size. Later I decided to try smaller ones in A6 size, but still it’s not becoming ubiquitously attached to me. Finally I resorted to a pocket-sized leather-made diary with a mini pen comfortably attached to it. I am now consistently carrying them for use anywhere I go. For me, such sense of satisfaction achieved by crossing out my to-do items manually using a pen is tremendous.
I switched to a paper-based task manager about 6 months ago and haven’t looked back. I still keep my calendar and some checklists in Outlook, but I found that paper helps me think about tasks and see connections between them – and I’m getting more done.
With few exceptions I would advocate anyone starting out with GTD use a paper system then eventually start an R&D project to convert to an electronic solution later.
I still use an old-fashioned PDA synched to MS Outlook. One of the reasons I’ve not gotten a smart phone is that I’ve not found any one solution that seamlessly allows me to work GTD like my current system. It’s very likely that if my PDA dies and I can’t find a similar replacement I will go back to a paper system, though I really hope I don’t have to. Paper doesn’t back itself up or ring to remind you of an appointment.
Synched in a cloud with Outlook at home and work and with Iphone.
I use OL tasks for to-do-lists and projects. OL Calendar for schedule. Notes for archives and references. I could not find an application to sync notes and developed some vba code to do it 🙁
Emails I manage at fixed intervals. Inbox stays empty. 100% is covered most of the time and I free up and finetune weekly as part of my religion.
There is no way I could handle this on paper. By the time is hits the paper it needs updating. I use paper for mindmaps, drawings, to brainstorm plans and dreams. I print out long term plans and goas. I print and keep in sight only what motivates me.
I’m glad to see that this piece has generated so much interest!
Ultimately, a hybrid system seems to work best for me…where getting the three big things that I want to get done down on paper in front of me works well (I take the action items from what I’ve got in OmniFocus). The rest is left in OF (which I mainly use via the iPad app) to be completed in and around those “three big rocks”.
It appears as if the majority of those commenting do employ paper in some portion of their GTD process…all to varying degrees. Getting back to paper is becoming more popular these days as well.
As for lamenting for the days of the paper planner, I still have my Moleskine and I even went so far as to pick up a DODOcase for my iPad. Looks like a paper planner from the outside, acts like an electronic one from the inside!
Again, thanks to everyone for chiming in!
I use a paper system for 3 main reasons:
1. Trust.
2. Efficiency.
3. Flexibility.
Despite all the cool and wonderful things technology can do for me, this is one area I find better to control myself. For this, I don’t want to depend on other people’s servers, clouds or software. I don’t want to spend more time trying to master someone elses idea of how my system should function.
With a paper system, it can be as simple or complex as you need it, and it can be modified and updated as the context of your life changes. With paper, if something isn’t working, you fix it right there. No need to wait for a “software update”.
The nice thing about paper is that it stays synchronized with your brain. When you write, you remember it. When you write it, you most likely will do it. When you write down a task, you are making a commitment with yourself to get it done. When you type it into the “task” section of outlook, you made a commitment with a computer. Hit delete, and it’s like it never happened. At least with paper, you need to cross it out. It looks ugly, and you get to look at it for a few days, if for nothing else, a visual reminder to be more careful next time you make a commitment you can’t keep.
My system consists of 2 books. One is a pocket size (4″ x 7″) with monthly and weekly calendars, and action lists. It’s sole purpose is to keep track of what I need to do and when to do it.
The other book is a basic notebook to write down mtg. notes, ideas, projects etc. It’s simple. It works. My weekly review is looking back through these notes, and deciding what actions I need to take next week, projects to finish, projects to start.
I prefer to spend more time thinking and doing and less time trying to figure out how to manage a complex personal organiziation “infrastructure”.
I have an iPhone that is synched with 3 computers. Everything I do on the iPhone is updated on the computers instantly. Cool. Guess what. I deleted ALL the apps, put the Apple apps that can’t be deleted into a folder. I am just using it as a phone, and to check email.
When I need to tell someone something, I call them. If I want someone to know my “status”, I call them and tell them. If it’s not worth my time to do that, then they probably don’t need to know or care anyways.
Bottom line is, by doing that, I get a lot more done, in less time. What I found was that managing all the technology “clutter” itself was consuming a significant amount of time.
The one area that technology DOES help me do more, in less time, is spending money.
Paper is still the most trusted way to do things been around for a long time – why change what works. There is also the sense of satisfaction as something is manually ticked as done
I disagree because of how efficient my software is, and it is always with me as it syncs with my iPhone. I can throw things into my inbox at any moment and even attaches files from my phone. It’s called omnifocus. In case you are wondering I don’t sell this product or anything I just find it useful for GTD
My vote goes for the ubiquitous Palm PDA and Palm Desktop. Fast and all the apps you need all bundled together.
GTD on an iPhone I’ve tried but inputting data such as calendar events is so slow in comparison to the palm as is navigating and editing lists in for example ‘things’.
I love capturing on paper and agree paper is the best way to start for newbies.
How do you backup a paper based system?
Mike:
You said: “My system consists of 2 books. One is a pocket size (4″ x 7″) with monthly and weekly calendars, and action lists….The other book is a basic notebook.”
Thanks for the interesting post on using paper. What brand pocket-size book do you use? Is it ring-bound, spiral, glued? I’m currently using Moleskine folios as a capture tool and sometimes for action lists when I’m not around a computer. Otherwise using GTasks, set up for Action Lists and Projects, and an iPhone. But I still prefer paper, if it’s portable enough. As for the basic notebook, I guess you mean something like a Mead?
Thanks,
Andy
I used to use OmniFocus almost to the exclusion of paper, but now I use paper only.
The reason: having my system in electronic form, or even having a hybrid system, is always one level of abstraction beyond the real world of physical objects from which everything else originates. It’s one extra step, every step, to capture, clarify, etc. into an electronic system “up from” a physical system. The example of the Read/Review stack, in which the contents of the stack serve as their own action reminders, is a demonstration of the principle. Why write into my electronic inbox that I need to “read x” when “x” is sitting right there? If I’m always entering data, it’s always one more thing I have to do, but multiplied across every action.
The exception is email, of course, but I don’t find it to be an issue. My interactions with it never need to cross over into the physical world. It’s just like a big, fancy telephone.
I have been on the digital bandwagon, and right now I have gone back to paper. Still use digital for communications. But my planning and notes is in my resurrected filofax.
Here is my thought;
1. When I write on paper I tend to remember it better, and also action the item more than on the ever nagging blinking stressbox.
2. My life was suddenly free from the ever stressful blinks and beeps from the digital nag.
3. I find it easier to organise properly on paper.
4. When digital I ended up with a ton of stick-its notes, messed up somewhere on a desk or worse in one of my bags. How many notes i lost, misplaced and so on is unknown. Many…
5. Many times to make visual logical drawings, makes things more fluent, and easy to comprehend afterwards.
6. My stresslevel has decreased as I do not get reminders while on fishing trip with my family, blinks and beeps during a birthday celebration. I took back control over my life from a digital gadget telling me what to do.
7. At meetings people do not mind me opening my filofax taking notes, if I ever started to jot down on a cellphone it would be frowned upon. On top of this, people take me more seriously when I pull up my filofax than pulling up a cellphone, to take notes, addresses etc.
8. The saying “written in black and white” makes it much more serious in mine and others mind than on digital media.
9. I don’t need to fear the flat battery monster, or the crash, or loosing the connection to cloud.
10. Finally, what is written down will never ever be on an obsolete file format, impossible to sync over to the new gadget, get a virus, being hacked, deleted by mistake or any of the other fears I might have.
So I am very happily back on filofax.
great post, Mike!
Absolutely loved it and especially reading all of the comments – amazing that paper such a buzz in 2011.
I’ve been using Omnifocus, but switched to a Filofax-based system almost six months ago! Absolutely love it. The tactile feel, remembering things much better, not having to worry about syncing this or that way (eventhough omnifocus is great at cloud-syncing, I found myself spending huge amounts of time making sure that everything was synced properly) and just being off-the-wire is really a life-changer.
Being able to sit down, order a cup of tea at a cafe and just go through my review without nothing to bother me except an occasional phonecall… True bliss!!!
I too love shiny gadgets & figured I’d be soley using my iPod Touch or an online list manager for GTD. However, I find I am more committed to doing a task on paper & am less likely to spend time sorting, categorising etc. rather than doing.
My system consists of my filofax, iPod for my calendar & I also use Remember the Milk to create checklists (e.g. weekly review) to print out.
Hello Mike
an excellent praise to paper as a time management tool. Even most of the comments show, how important paper these days still is. I am using the latest IT tools as well, however, there is no solution visible, that would fulfill what my paper solution actually delivers. Although I am using the TAO Timing, I think the most important parts of GTD also work best with paper solutions. Of course, if the kind of profession you are in, forces you to process data, I too would use an electronic solution.
Thanks for your great post and for triggering so many rich comments!
I agree with Yosi – oh for the days of my old Palm Pilot. I was wicked-fast with Graffiti and even faster scribbling on a notetaking screen. I captured like a champ and my reviews went like lightning. When my Palm finally died I had to get a smartphone and my GTD implementation plummeted. Unlike teenagers, I type like a snail and learn new tech only with great time and effort. Went back to paper. Sigh.
I too love paper. I have dual computer screens for my work and I couldn’t live with out them, but when it comes down to evaluating my current projects and the next actions and taking notes and thinking its my purple jr cira with the thick levenger paper and a beautiful gel pen that gives my mind the space and
the lack of distractions to get it done.
Great point. It´s clear that anyone who use a simple an elegant method to organize himself can be better organized that anyone with the latest gadget.
Best Regards
JC
http://comomeorganizo.blogspot.com
I know why we all miss the time when all the projects and tasks were committed on a paper with a pen and collective brain. But now it’s rather impossible, because we are all weak and addicted to electronic gadgets and tools. The same situation happened to me, when I shifted to comindware task management tool and still can’t rid of it.
My input device of choice is a 25 year old slimline filofax, with 50 sheets of blank paper.
I quite like Apple’s “reminders”, but I worry about the risk of having my iphone stolen, or the data being lost in some other way. And there’s something very satisfying about being able to review your tasks on a train using paper, when everyone else is worrying about flat batteries.
But the biggest factor for me is the speed at which I can input a variety of data, simply by using pen and paper.
Hi everyone,
Question about paper based GTD.
How do manage project lists, actions and the specific contexts?
Is you have a action list (per project) and you write down the context next to it i guess you will have to write that action again on a different page for the specific context.
This is a bit redundent right? what’s a good way to solve this?
Hi Richard,
It would be redundant if you wrote the list of actions per project, and then wrote them again on the context lists. But the idea is to only write them on the context lists.
You may want to download the free article on setting up a paper planner, available here.
http://www.davidco.com/free_articles
@Editor,
Thnx. I have read those pdfs already.
The “problem” with context list only is that there is no link to a project.
There is no real overview from these projects are the most important.
You are just working through context-lists instead of finishing projects.
You want to have a project list and a list of actions per project.
And then link these actions to context.
Am i the only one who thinks this way?
As complement to my previous comment.
GTD is more then just task management.
GTD is life management.
You need some link between a taks, project, and horizon.
Richard–
Many good electronic list management programs allow what you are wanting to do–see a broad view of projects and their related Next Actions. Best of both worlds you would be working from a variety of views and be able to fluidly move between them. For example, sometimes I want to look at a project and work through actions just related to that project, and other times context trumps all and will be the limiting factor in choosing what I can do. Not to say I can’t then filter within context to focus on a particular project.
All that said, a simple solution to do what you’re asking is to include a keyword for the project you want to work on. That will give you a visual trigger when choosing actions, if the description isn’t specific enough as to what project it related to.
But end of day, if you don’t use contexts lists and only want to list next actions under their related project, be prepared to be evaluating next action choices that you can’t make, because you aren’t in the right context. And you’ll likely be looking in more places (every project and all related plans), than if you were only having to look at the Next Action lists for the contexts that match your current availability.
Hope that helps.
Kelly