Oh dear heaven this is a gem disguised as simplicity- it's SO easy to get distracted. Thanks!

David's GTD system certainly has made a difference for me. I used and taught Covey and Daytimer for many years before reading David Allen's GTD book and switching to GTD. And then I found an application that allows me to view my entire GTD at work on my Win machine, at home on my Macs and even on my cell phone. And another app lets me call in tasks to my GTD without any writing or typing, great for those thoughts that hit me while driving. I've written about my experiences with GTD in a blog post at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/more-getting-things-done/ John

Testify!

Seriously, I've been struggling to implement GTD since Nov. '07 and it was only recently that I recognized what was getting in my way: my obsession with finding the perfect planning software. GTD is about clarifying and processing the myriad inputs coming into your life, and having someplace trusted to park the results of that thinking. Fancy software doesn't improve the quality of that thinking -- and doesn't make your next actions any more or less actionable.

I use the Netcentrics GTD Outlook Add-In, and for a while I had a love-hate relationship with it. I'd do a weekly review, I'd be fine for a day or two, and then it'd all go to hell. I'd wonder, "Why isn't this program helping me?" So I'd try alternatives and find them unsatisfactory as well. I couldn't understand why I couldn't find software that worked.

Then it hit me: it wasn't the software, it was me. When an e-mail came in, or a phone call, or whatever, I was too quick to call it a "next action." So my "next actions" list included "someday/maybes" and stuff that just didn't need doing, not now, not ever. I've since learned to take a deep breath, and ask myself every time I process an input, "What is this? What does it mean to me? What is my commitment to this?" Then I run through the workflow diagram in my head, and only after I arrive at an answer do I hit one of the GTD Outlook Add-In buttons. It's not as hard as it sounds, and it makes all the difference.

Thanks for all of your comments. I posted this quote because I see so many people out there getting tangled up trying to find the "perfect tool" at the expense of getting value from the outcome to next action thinking of GTD. Myself included, by the way.

As I recall, I spent the year 1996 trying to setup the perfect list manager. A coworker at the time said to me, "Do you ever DO anything from those lists or just reorganize them?"...or something like that.

I then just picked a system that worked well enough (Palm Desktop) and soon realized the value of trusting the system and not having to THINK about the lists anymore far outweighed the quest to find the perfect list manager. 12 years later, I'm still using Palm Desktop despite far more sophisticated programs available to me.

It's not about the lists being in the perfect system. You could go create your lists on a paper legal pad and be black belt with GTD. As long as it helps you keep it "clear, current and negotiable" for you.

And, a good reminder for all of us from an essay David wrote in Ready for Anything---you don't create the lists to do nothing else in your life. You make the lists to do what you REALLY feel like doing, and do it with 100% of your focus, creative energy and attention--whether that's on a list or what just showed up.

Is GTD for everyone? Of course not--David never said it was. But there's value for anyone.

I wish you all the best!

Kelly

Kelly,

Can you share with me how you set up your Palm Desktop? And how often are you reviewing the Palm Desktop list throughout the day?

Thank you,
Tim