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May 14, 2007
Catching fleas
Trying to manage incompletions in my head is much like trying to catch fleas on a dog. One second I feel like "I've got it!" and the next it's gone. Regardless of how important it is, the mind can only seem to manage a certain number of open loops before one of them is bound to fall through the cracks and get replaced by something else.
One of the keys to GTD is getting your head clear. I regularly do the GTD Mindsweep process (page 113 of the GTD book). Sit down and empty your brain of all of the "stuff" you've got your attention on. Put it down on paper or digital--whichever is faster for you to collect it. Don't analyze or organize it, just collect whatever pops into your head and allow yourself the freedom to add stuff to the Mindsweep without any commitment to doing what you write down. I bet you'll be amazed at what shows up. You might find walking around your office or living space will also trigger different things for the Mindsweep than staying in one place. Do it however long you want. You'll probably start to find a natural point where you'll feel like you've swept most of the mental post-it notes out of your brain.
Then, when you're ready, decide what each item means to you, if anything. I'd walk myself through these 3 questions:
1. What is it? Is it actionable?
If no, it's either trash, Someday or Reference.
If yes, it's likely a project with a next action or simply a next action not related to a project.
2. If it is a project, what's the desired outcome? Write that on your Projects list.
3. What's the very next action? Write that on your Action(s) list.
...then on to the next one. This may actually go faster than you think. I tell people to expect about 30 seconds per item to walk yourself through those questions. The Mindsweep is one of the 11 steps suggested in the Weekly Review process. I find I often do it more often than that because I just love the experience of a clear head. I can't say I've ever looked back after clearing my head and said, "Damn, I wish I didn't do that." I bet you won't either.
Get a purge for your brain. It will do better than for your stomach.
-Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
Posted by Kelly at May 14, 2007 03:53 PM
