The second-worst task list app is an inbox with stuff that’s been there more than 48 hours. Here are some reasons the inbox is a poor list manager.
The Direction Correction Badge
I’ve noticed that one of the hardest things for people to do is to change what they’re doing to something better to be doing, when there’s nothing externally forcing them to. But to unhook from whatever groove we’re in, in the moment, and shift the focus of awareness and physical energies into something that may not be as immediately easy or comfortable…I think that takes real strength.
Fast Forward to Yesterday
I wouldn’t have wanted yesterday any different. I might have ended the day with a shorter inbox and next action list, but might not have had as rich a life.
The Process Pressure Points are Personal
The most successful executives/professionals/people keep their decks clear, make decisions on the front end, dispatch the results to trusted people and systems, track commitments rigorously (their own and others’) and get physically engaged taking actions on the projects they own.
Choosing what to do
The five steps of GTD workflow are Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, and Engage. When it’s time to Engage, people often ask how to choose from what may be long lists of tasks to do. That’s when it’s helpful to use the criteria for choosing: Context – What place, tool, or person will the action require? …
Can GTD® help you do less?
Question: It seems to me that focus and productivity are different concepts that often get conflated. When people think of productivity, they seem to think of doing more, faster. When people think of focus, they seem to think of doing less, more deliberately. Doing more faster, in my view, simply means being more efficiently frenzied, and it appears a lot of people are chasing this ideal. Doing less with focus, however, seems to be truly valuable. It appears GTD as a theory and practice favors increased productivity—efficient frenzy. How do you see it? Where does focus fit in the GTD equation, and can GTD help with doing less, not more?
William Elliot on Building Courage
William Elliott, GTD® trainer and coach in South Africa, talks about ways to use GTD to deal with anxiety or fear. He starts by offering a definition of courage, and moves to specific questions you can ask yourself that give practical help during times of stress.
Steven Coutinho-Story to Innovation
Steven Coutinho talks about how the stories we make up can get in the way of productively innovating, and shares his vision of what school could be like.
Troubleshooting Your GTD® Capture
Komal Thakkar takes you for a deeper dive into the Capture step of GTD workflow. She discusses potential areas for improvement, and advises how you can evaluate your capturing to align with the best practices for this step.
Guided GTD Weekly Review®
Experience what David Allen calls the “critical success factor” with GTD®, by going through a complete GTD Weekly Review®. You’ll get a taste of all 11 steps of the process, with helpful advice along the way. Please note that this recording has not been edited to remove the several minutes of silence for you to do each of the 11 parts of the review.
Office Hour GTD® Discussion
In support of GTD® implementation and integration, we had a free-form hour (plus) of discussion. We talked about recurring projects, checklists, clarifying versus doing, verbs for projects and actions, and much more.
Quick Executive Tips with David Allen
David Allen shares 5 quick executive tips that will help you right away.
Your Priorities: Leaping from Hope to Trust
GTD makes the intuitive leaps about what action to take more a matter of trust than hope.
The Case for Current Reality
David Allen’s answer about where to start with GTD? Anywhere.
We’re All Alone in this Together
The best teams and relationships are the ones in which the players all acknowledge they’re each alone in the endeavor together.
Why “List” is a Dirty Word
When I have shared my own personal system in my presentations, someone always says, “You’ve got so many LISTS!’ with a tone of voice that really translates into “How silly and stupid! There’s no way that could work for me.” What’s wrong with lists? I understand their negative reactions. Most people haven’t had a lot …
Go beyond passion to peaceful purposefulness
I have been attempting to understand why it bugs me to hear professional motivators talk about the necessity for “passion” to be successful. Perhaps I’m just getting too old and lazy to be interested in jacking up my emotions about anything. (Getting passionate about something usually seems to me like hard work.) Or perhaps it’s …
Continue reading “Go beyond passion to peaceful purposefulness”
New GTD partners in five countries
We are pleased to announce that we have new GTD distribution partners in five more countries.
Are you overwhelmed by long lists?
Are you overwhelmed by long lists? David Allen’s advice for choosing what to do from your many possibilities.
GTD and Teams
A recurring question from people new to GTD, or interested in its applicability to an organization, is “How does GTD relate to teams?”