Got any knots? What’s your desired outcome to resolve that? What will be true when you can you declare it done? What’s your next action?
How’s your altitude aptitude?
Over the years, it has become more and more helpful in my work to help people understand the ecosystem of GTD® (particularly priorities) by framing their thinking and decision-making around my altitude model: GROUND: Calendar/Actions – The nitty-gritty this-moment doing level. Call Fred. Buy tires. Draft proposal. Email Susan. HORIZON 1: Projects – The things …
The best ways to deal with stress
David Allen on the best ways to deal with stress: Understand first that you’re actually IN stress Determine what’s causing it Clarify what you’d like to have true in the situation—what’s your desired outcome, at least in terms of how you’d like to be feeling? Decide if there is a next action you can take …
Outsmarting Your Mind
I have the feeling and the hope every now and again that in 25 years what GTD teaches will be such a “given” that we may wonder what it was like to walk around with such pressure and stress from our suboptimal thinking habits. The advent of the “knowledge worker” society has given so many …
Getting (back?) on the wagon with GTD
It all makes sense. You want to do it. And yet, you aren’t doing it. If this sounds familiar in relation to your GTD practice, know that you are not alone. The methodology is incredibly powerful, but only to the extent that one actually uses it. Perhaps because of this disparity, I sometimes see clients …
The workforce for the next century
The assumption that everyone can and should do everything they have been given to do is an old industrial paradigm that does not hold water for “knowledge workers” who all have tons of projects that could be done infinitely better. Renegotiating agreements and standards with ourselves and our world is an unfamiliar but required skill …
Your best thoughts about work…
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The dark side of collaborative cultures
The dark side of collaborative cultures is the allergy they foster to holding anyone responsible for having the ball. “Mine or yours?” is unfortunately not in the common vocabulary of many such organizations. There is a sense that that would be impolite. “We’re all in this together” is a worthy sentiment, but seldom a reality …
Speeding up by slowing down…
I want to talk about one of the more mysterious best practices in the GTD®methodology: the art of speeding up by slowing down. I am making the assumption that all of you reading this are on some track of improvement and growth to begin with. I mean, why speed up, instead of slow down, as …
Managing projects with GTD
Having a complete and current projects list is one of the cornerstones to GTD mastery. To support you in getting there, here are 10 keys to defining and managing projects: 1. Projects are defined as outcomes that will require more than one action step to complete and that you can mark off as finished in …
GTD Setup Guides
Our GTD Setup Guides give you step-by-step coaching on applying GTD to some of the best software tools out there. We currently have Guides for: Todoist Trello Nirvana Wunderlist OmniFocus Outlook for Windows Outlook for Mac iPhone/iPad OneNote for Windows Evernote for Windows Evernote for Mac Lotus Notes Google Apps You can get them and …
Managing Work on a Vacation
QUESTION: While on vacation, how do you juggle work and play? How much time should you allot each day of your vacation to reading business email, checking up on projects, etc.? What’s the best balance of work and play? When is the best time of the day to spend on work? What organizational tools should …
Refresh and reset with the Weekly Review
For more support on this essential GTD practice, check out the Weekly Review audio set.
Capturing Your Thoughts
10 Tips for Success with GTD
I was reading a great article about creating fitness habits and realized every key point the author made about exercise could be applied to GTD®—especially for anyone still trying to get their systems off the ground and build sustainable habits. Inspired by that article, here are 10 easy tips for success with GTD: 1. Start …
Making Use of Weird Windows of Time
The concept of daily or weekly to-do lists is as outdated as rotary phones. We need to have a total, holographic view of everything we want to accomplish, and all the actions required to start any of them. And we need to have access to views of those actions whenever we actually might be able …
How well do you know the GTD Fundamentals?
How well do you know the GTD® Fundamentals? Designed for newbies getting their systems off the ground and veterans looking to close any gaps, the Level 1: Fundamentals course is offered around the world: March 27 – Stockholm March 29 – London March 31 – Prague March 31 – Milano March 31 – Roma March 31 …
Continue reading “How well do you know the GTD Fundamentals?”
How complete is your inventory?
Advice for perfectionists
Question: Do you have any GTD pointers for perfectionists? David Allen: Just focus on doing the next action perfectly, which is a lot easier than trying to be perfect about how you approach something bigger. Be as retentive as you want. The only problem is when it stops action. Be a perfectionist about the process, which …
A Tense Muscle is a Slow One
A tense muscle is a slow one. This is a physiological and demonstrable fact in the martial arts. Could this be true in other aspects of our lives? In karate, the power that can be generated by a punch is primarily due to speed, not muscle. It is the snap at the end of the …