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May 04, 2009
Building a GTD House
There was a great discussion on GTD Connect about how to setup a new GTD system. I offered some tips on what I would consider when building a system.
I look at a GTD system as being like a house. You need 5 basic rooms in that house for your Projects and Actions (10k and runway). For most people, their Calendar already lives somewhere. If that works for you, keep it there. If not, find somewhere else for it that does work for a complete personal/professional view of calendar stuff. For the other 4 rooms, you just need something that will allow you to create lists that can sort by context/category, allow due date (but not force it) and allow a field to capture additional notes on the entry (when needed). So that house might look like:
Ground floor (where you'll spend most of your time):
Next Actions list(s) (these are context lists tracking your next actions)
Calendar
Waiting For list(s)
Second floor (good overview, looking down on the ground floor):
Projects list(s)
Attic (place to keep the 'seasonal', not yet needed stuff):
Someday/Maybe list(s)
You want this house to live somewhere that is:
- a place you like (don't underestimate this one)
- a place you can access the information easily (too slow will fustrate you)
- somewhere you feel free putting things into (not everyone wants "get legs waxed" on their work computer)
- portable, if needed (printing works, if not handheld sync)
- something you would feel like maintaining if you were sick in bed (don't get sucked into complicated is better)
- it is scalable for your personal and professional work (give yourself room to capture it all and continue to grow)
Out in the backyard, in a tool shed you can get to easily, you'll also want a place for your non-actionable stuff (checklists, reference lists and reference files.) And, please, get a good filing cabinet!
By the way, this is not in the GTD book--just my way of explaining this after years of doing seminars and looking for the easiest way to demystify "lists" for people.
Hope it helps.
Posted by Kelly at May 4, 2009 02:28 PM
Comments
Terrific post, Kelly. I like the simplicity, as well, of the hand-drawn house.
And, shoot, if we can build the house, let's at least build it somewhere we like. I'd vote for a place with a view of some water!!!
Posted by: Joe Ely at May 5, 2009 07:43 AM
The GTD 'house': a sparkling brilliant simile!!!
Posted by: Harry Larsen at May 5, 2009 08:13 AM
Thanks Joe.
I didn't take 2 weeks of adult-ed cartooning class for nothing...
Posted by: Kelly at May 5, 2009 08:57 AM
Awesome analogy Kelly. Have you been moonlighting as an architect?
I looked at the picture before reading the article and I was trying to figure out why you shot the Reference material into space on a rocket ship. (Not a bad idea, especially when there's too much of it!)
Keep up the free-form thinking. It helps thinks from becoming stale.
Posted by: Darla - ShareYoga.com at May 5, 2009 09:49 AM
