April 27, 2008
Rolling up your hoses when you're not fighting fires
We were in a staff meeting the other day discussing some of the finer points of David Allen's 3-Fold nature of work. Part of the Doing phase, the 3-Fold nature describes how you spend your time:
Doing Pre-defined Work (choosing from what's already processed and organized on your lists and calendar)
Doing Work as it Appears (responding to latest, loudest and new opportunities)
Defining Work (your own processing and reviewing time)
Everyone has a mix of all three of these choices. It won't necessarily be an even split of your time and attention. Depends on your job, and frankly your personality. I often like to do bite size chunks of doing work as it appears to stay interested and engaged in something that's taking more mental effort. It's a balance though and only you will know if you are in/out of balance with any of these choices.
If you think about it, even someone whose job is about doing work as it appears, like a fireman, is still working on being ready for the fire while they are not IN the fire. In fact, their ability to deal with that fire effectively requires them to have spent time getting their gear ready so that they can move quickly.
It's no surprise, whenever I cover this module in a GTD class, the majority of the participants find themselves spending more than than they think they should in Doing Work as it Appears and not nearly enough time in Defining Work. The tricky part about it is that each of these phases can really affect one another as well. The less time you give yourself to define your work, the less defined work you have to choose from and the greater the tendency to do work as it appears.
Do any areas of 3-Fold nature seem out of balance to you? Anything you can you do to shift that?
Posted by Kelly at 12:30 PM | Comments (6)
March 15, 2008
Step away from the inbox
A few times lately in GTD classes, people have asked me for recommendations on how often I process email. There are some approaches out there that suggest people only check email once a day. Sounds pretty extreme to me, especially if your world moves pretty fast and real work is getting done through email. I check email as often as I need to and at least once a day my Inbox is at zero. However, I do think stepping away from the constant stream of new input can be helpful, if not essential, to getting things done. Otherwise, it can be like standing in front of a fire hydrant with water blasting you in the face. You'll keep getting pelted until you step away from it.
Here are a few tips around processing email:
1. Only check email when you think you can process whatever you open to completion. Remember, deciding is not doing. Processing it to completion can mean you've decided your next action and parked that in a place you trust. It doesn't mean DO every email in your Inbox.
2. Give yourself offline time. For many of us these days, there's a constant stream of input. Even getting your Inbox to the holy grail of zero will only last until the next time you Send/Receive. Be willing to close your Inbox, go offline, turn off your Internet connection--whatever. I do this sometimes when I know the temptation of new stuff coming in will be too great and I'm trying to get some big project done, like writing or reviewing something that's outside of email. In Lotus Notes, you can change your location to "Island" mode to go offline. In Outlook, try File>Work Offline.
3. Get a general agreement going with your team about email response times. Is it within 15 minutes? 1 day? 1 month? I bet there are huge differences among your co-workers about the standard for replying to mail. Within our company, it's 24 hours on normal business days. Now, replying within 24 hours could just mean letting the sender know you got and you're on it--it doesn't always mean you've completed the action or whatever they're asking for.
There's also a new article I wrote for Coach's Corner about processing + organizing email.
Hope this helps.
Posted by Kelly at 10:06 AM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2008
It's either actionable or it's not--there is no gray zone
There are two forks in the road when you process an email: it's either actionable or it's not. Yet time and time again people tell me that they get emails that they think fall into this mysterious gray zone. It's the email from a coworker/customer/friend that implies action, but it's not an action they want to take. Yet their standard won't allow them to delete or ignore the email because some part of them thinks they should be doing something about it. Guess where the stress tends to show up? In the gray zone that gets created from the "shoulds without a decision" about this kind of stuff. Does receiving an email automatically create an agreement just because it landed in your inbox?
I was coaching someone recently who had tons of emails that fell into this gray zone and her reaction was to simply file them into a Reference folder. My role, when I'm a GTD coach, is to be vigilant with (and for) people when they are processing their stuff. I noticed that when she moved something into the Reference folder, she said "I'll get back to that someday," but she didn't track that action anywhere. So did she really let it go? Of course not. She still has an implicit agreement to do something about that email, so filing it away just moved it to a less obvious place.
I received an email recently that could have easily fallen into that gray zone if I let it. My first reaction was to delete the email but I knew the person would be expecting my reply. And they would have every reason to expect my reply because I've handled this kind of thing in the past, even though I don't consider it core to my job. So I can't blame them for sending it, I've trained them that it's OK to send that kind of input to me until I tell them otherwise.
One of the most powerful aspects of GTD, in my experience, is the part about agreements. What am I doing to create, promote or allow the input I am receiving? What's the agreement I am making with everything that I collect? Is there anything I can do to better communicate when my priorities and interests shift so I stay clean, even when things land in my world that I don't want or think I should do? Am I clear about my Horizons of Focus (runway-50k perspective) to know if this is my job to handle? There lies the simplicity and freedom in working GTD. Pay attention to what has your attention and agreement.
This all may generate more questions than answers, but I thought it was worthy of a blog post. I'd love to hear your input on this (no implied agreement! just for those of you who want to...)
Posted by Kelly at 08:34 AM | Comments (11)
February 01, 2008
Shifting your position
Did you ever move your bedroom around as a kid? Even a simple thing like moving your bed from one wall to another? Remember going to bed that night? It felt new and exciting. Same furniture, new perspective. If that worked for you as a kid, it can work for you as an adult. If you're feeling stuck, bored, repelled, low energy or uninspired when you step into your office space, change your perspective.
Here are 10 simple things you can do to breathe new life into your workflow systems:
1. If you've got a desk that can move to a new position, move it.
2. Rename your lists. I change the names of my GTD action lists all the time. It's a simple thing, but it works. @Computer becomes @Offline and @Online. @Calls becomes @Phone. @Agendas becomes @Talk to. Same purpose, just fresh new lists.
3. Clean something. Anything.
4. Get a labeler. It's a mystical thing. Ask someone who has one.
5. Get new gear like In, Pending and Out trays that you really like. Don't settle for the company issued ones if you don't like them.
6. Make sure your workspace ergonomics really work. I coached a guy one time who was right-handed, but actually endured his mouse being on the left side. He literally reached his arm across his body to use the mouse.
7. Update your framed pictures of your kids, friends, families or favorite vacation photos.
8. Get your reference filing system (hard or soft copy) to a place where you are actually more attracted than repelled by it. Review, purge, reorganize. Whatever it takes.
9. Get the best lighting you can for your eyes. If the fluorescent lights bother you, get a lamp for your desk that is closer to natural sunlight.
10. Do a GTD Weekly Review. Honestly, if it didn't work, we wouldn't suggest it.
Posted by Kelly at 06:15 PM | Comments (6)
January 14, 2008
How much do you value your attention?
I was doing a class recently and suggested to the group, as I often do, to resist the urge to 'reply to all' on emails. In my opinion, that's one of those seemingly innocent things that is a huge contributor to email volume. I'm not saying that replying to everyone is never appropriate, but somehow when it's on email there seems to be a greater freedom for over-communicating and looping everyone in on random bits of information, whether it's relevant for them or not. Hey, it's just an email right? They can always delete it, or so the thinking goes. It works both ways though. I bet if you assessed the kind of emails you get, there are some that you are allowing in that you don't need, or even want.
Working for David Allen, our team is vigilant about who gets copied on emails. I wouldn't think of copying David on a 'thanks', 'got it' or any other email that I know isn't worth his attention. I value his time too much and I know he processes everything he gets. It helps that he lets us know the kind of things he wants to get and not get so we're not trying to guess or hold back on something that actually could be valuable to him. He does the same in return for us. About twice a year he'll send an email out to all staff giving us the choice to opt in or out of particular kinds of emails that he sends.
Consider that every piece of input you allow in will require your time and attention. Every email. Every phone call. Every conversation. Every piece of mail. Input in = time and attention out. Take some time to assess what's coming in for you. Can you let go anything? Any updating that needs to be done letting others know what not to send you? Anyone to ask about what you send them?
Here's an easy place to start--email newsletters. Opt out of every email newsletter you don't read. Even the nice to read and might get to's. Even the ones you just have filtered to a folder. If you're not reading them, why have them even tug on your attention?
Posted by Kelly at 11:11 AM | Comments (1)
January 02, 2008
More of and Less of
I don't make too much of New Year's Resolutions--probably because they tend to have such a negative connotation and guilt around subsequently breaking them. What works better for me instead is to take a look this time of year around what I would like to have more of or less of in my life. I don't place any big should or have to on myself around it--just an intention to just do the best I can with to work with what I came up with.
Some questions that have been useful for me include:
* What worked well last year? Any big accomplishments, milestones, goals reached?
* What would I like more of this year?
* What would I like less of this year?
* What took more of my attention last year than it needed, deserved or I wanted? Any improvement opportunity?
* What would I like to do, have or be different this year in my job, home, relationships, finances, health etc.?
* At the end of this year, what would I like to have completed?
One of my favorite memories from last year was this simple little photo I took of a child playing on the beach at sunset. So free and joyful.
I hope this coming year is exceptional for all of you!
Kelly
Posted by Kelly at 02:04 PM | Comments (1)
December 08, 2007
No system is still work
One of the perplexing things I run across in presenting GTD classes is people who want to defend their lack of system as taking less time and effort than the "work" it would take to maintain a system (GTD or otherwise). There are books out now about how organizing is a waste of time because it takes too much time. I do agree, to a point, that spending too much time organizing can be ineffective, but ANY system--and even lack of one--takes work and time. Why not go for the path of least resistance?
Leaving things undecided and stacked in amorphous blobs of stuff--because it would take too much time to decide a next action and put it in a trusted place--is a guarantee to have to reassess, reprocess and redecide what that thing means. I don't get it. With so many people complaining that they are too busy to maintain things like action lists, how can they afford to NOT have one? If it's coming in to you, you're going to handle it at some point. Why not handle it with as little effort as possible when it first shows up?
Believe me, if I could get away with not managing lists and be as effective, I would do it in a heartbeat. Over the years I've tried to cut corners in whatever way I can so that the maintenance of all this doesn't outweigh the benefit of doing. I'm inherently lazy. I don't maintain lists because I love spending the time doing that. I maintain the lists because it's faster and easier for me than not having any system at all.
If I can decide my action on an email when it first shows up, organize it in a place other than In, and put that action reminder in a place I know I'll see, that's about 10 times faster for me than leaving it undecided, and having it snap at my ankles every time I look at my Inbox--clamoring for my attention with the 200 other actions I also need to handle.
Why do people resist having a system? I'm curious to hear from the GTD community on this one.
Posted by Kelly at 08:33 AM | Comments (20)
November 12, 2007
Have to or choose to?
What if you looked at everything on your To Do lists, personally and professionally, as things you are choosing to do, rather than having to do? Would it change your frustration, procrastination or whatever other ___ations show up when you look at some of the items on your lists? Or some of the meetings you think you have to go to? Or some of the projects you have to finish?
I was sitting waiting for a meeting to start today and the other person was 40 minutes late. As the time stretched on I found myself getting more annoyed and was scripting in my mind what I would say when they showed up. Then I thought--wait a minute--I'm choosing to be here. I can leave or I can stay. I have other things I can do while I'm waiting ( a primary reason I love having my GTD system be portable.) The meeting was valuable for me whenever they showed up. That simple awareness snapped me out of my upset. The person eventually showed up giving the standard 'Sorry I'm late,' but we moved on and had a great meeting. As a side note, what the person did, however, is train me that they are not someone who manages their agreements very well. Good to know for next time.
Of course we all have things we have to do in our jobs in order to get paid, even some things we don't like. But aren't we really choosing to have this job versus another one? I imagine there are a ton of other jobs any of us could choose instead. Some part of you chose the one you have. How you choose to relate to it is up to you.
Perhaps this is one of those that is sometimes easier said than done...but I remain the eternal optimist.
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
- William James
Posted by Kelly at 03:37 PM | Comments (2)
November 04, 2007
The 2AM Worry Club
Any of you in the 2AM Worry Club? You're sleeping peacefully and your inner committee wakes you bolt upright in bed to remind you of something you missed, need to do, should have done, need to track down or have to figure out. With reasoning out the window, some part of you wonders if maybe your boss/coworker/client is up too and you should just call? Sure! They'll just love that.
In my experience, the reason that happens is that in the mind's effort to be a loyal servant for feeding the conscious brain incompletions, it has no idea that 2AM is not the best time to be thinking about that thing. So for lack of a better choice, it thinks it should worry about it to at least make some progress on it. Next time, try writing it down. It's hard to organize it in your brain on a mental "not now" list when that's not how your brain is designed to work. Consider that it's your brain's job to feed you what it thinks is not complete. Writing it down is a way to bring it to completion, at least temporarily.
If I wake up with something on my mind, I write it down and leave it in a place I know I'll see when I get up in the morning. My mind lets it go. It doesn't mean I've solved the issue or problem, but it's off my mind. In the morning, I look at what I wrote and ask two questions: What's my desired outcome with this thing? What's the next action? Those answers go into my system: Calendar, Projects list, Action lists, Waiting For list or Someday/Maybe. Simple as that.
I'll often name something a Project that I'm just trying to get some clarity about. The Waiting For list is also brilliant for those 2AMers where I'm waiting to hear about or get resolution on something. The weekly review ties it all together to give me consistent review of all of these lists and to reinforce the idea that it's OK to let it go.
Do you have any 2AM kinds of things grabbing your attention? What would you call the project around any of that? What is your next action or is there anything you are waiting on?
Posted by Kelly at 04:51 PM | Comments (8)
August 21, 2007
Is productivity contagious?
An article was published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine proposing that social ties can affect obesity. If that's true, couldn't that also be extended to personal productivity and organization?
I was in a doctor's office yesterday and was amazed at how organized, efficient, relaxed and happy everyone in the front office seemed. In contrast, have you ever been in an office (doctor or otherwise) where everyone seems frazzled, disorganized and annoyed? It's as if the mood and behaviors strike everyone, positively or negatively. I wonder, do we start to adapt our efficiency to those around us to fit in socially?
I had someone share in a seminar one time that she was proud to say her email inbox was at zero when she walked into my seminar that day. Another participant shot a remark over at her and said, "Well, then you don't have enough to do." How sad that someone who stands out as productive, efficient & organized would be the outcast. I would not be surprised if the person at zero unconsciously adapted her behaviors to match the rest of the group's disorganization rather than the other way around.
One of the things I love about working for David Allen is that he encourages us to "eat our own dog food." I would do GTD whether I get paid for it or not. I bet anyone on our staff would say the same thing. We really do use the best practices--not always perfectly--but we are all on the same side of the fence. Luckily it's the side I want to be on!
Posted by Kelly at 11:50 AM | Comments (9)
August 02, 2007
Stop digging and start climbing
We've all been there: I feel stuck so I might as well get busy doing something...anything...so I at least feel like I'm at least making progress. Email is wonderful for this. Send/Receive never fails to distract me into a busy trap. It grew up on the same farm as procrastination. I'm not saying plenty of valuable work doesn't show up in email, but I think anyone these days can relate to getting stuck in the infinite loop of email rather than doing what we know we should be doing instead. Just because it landed on email doesn't mean it's your job.
How do you know that what you're doing is the best use of your time, talent & attention? We've all had our internal tap on the shoulder (or kick in the gut) telling us, "HEY, YOU! You know you're not doing what you're meant to be doing!" Trust that. I don't know about you, but I'd rather get those reminders from my own internal monitoring before my boss does.
One of the best GTD tools I use to keep myself on track with doing what I'm meant to be doing is in what David calls the Horizons of Focus:
50,000 - Purpose (why are you here, what's important to you?)
40,000 - 3-5 year vision & strategy
30,000 - 1-2 year goals and direction
20,000 - Areas of responsibility, focus and interests
10,000 - Projects
Runway - Current Actions
Specifically, the 20,000 foot level defines your areas of responsibility, focus and interests. Most people tend to have 5-7 "hats" that they wear professionally and personally that make up the 20k level. That doesn't stop things showing up on the runway level that demand my attention, but it sure makes it clearer to know what to take on as next actions and projects. It's pretty simple for me, when I get something that doesn't map to something for me on the 20k level, such as "Present GTD classes", there's a good chance it's not a priority for me and it's easier to say no. Or, it's an opportunity for to get even clearer about what my 20k level is since it does change.
I'd suggest sitting down and mapping out your 20k level, especially if you've been wanting more clarity on your priorities. Make two columns: Work and Personal. What areas are you measured by in your job? What are the roles you play personally? That's the kind of stuff that makes up your 20k level. See if that makes a difference in some of the things on your Projects and Action lists. Would you choose anything different? Would you let go of anything?
Posted by Kelly at 04:08 PM | Comments (5)
July 28, 2007
It's not about the lists
I've heard David Allen say that many people miss the real purpose of making lists in GTD. You don't make the lists to only do what's on the lists and nothing else in your life. You create the lists so that the lists take your attention off that stuff so that you can REALLY do what you want to do. And then do that with 100% of your focus, attention and creativity.
There's a comfort zone I found works for me and my lists where I have as few lists as I can get by with, but as many as I think I need to slice and dice my stuff in a way that makes it manageable. And, they change from time to time, if for no other reason than to just change the look to get me excited about them again. (It's kind of like new running shoes--it's amazing what that does to get me motivated to get out and run.) My current action lists, all managed in Palm Desktop software, are:
Projects
Someday/Maybe
@Calls
@Errands
@Home/Office
@John
@Laptop
@Boss
@Waiting For
@Wherever
An easy way to figure out which context lists you need is to look at the people, places and tools you need to do your work, personally and professionally. That will serve as a good starting point.
The magic, motivation and purpose of the lists for me is that I can have the freedom to do whatever I want to do (whether it's on the lists or not) without feeling the pressure to only do what happens to be top of mind or top of the pile. In the middle of a chock full week of GTD classes, I snuck in a play day in San Francisco for my birthday. If I didn't have my lists and trust that they were current and everything on the lists could wait, I wouldn't have had nearly the same experience of relaxation and joy.
Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work. - Gustave Flaubert
Posted by Kelly at 09:23 AM | Comments (4)
June 25, 2007
Getting Things Going
Someone asked me recently in a seminar, "I have this big list of things to do, but how do I get myself to actually DO it?" Wouldn't it be nice if this were all about just organizing stuff? There does come a time when you want to do it. Here are a few tips for getting things moving, especially for the ones that have seemed stuck:
1. Define what done looks like. A clear outcome does wonders for getting motivated to get going.
2. Define what doing looks like. Pick a clear next action that you physically, visibly see yourself doing.
3. Pick an easier next action. Often things can get stuck when the next action is too big. Pick a smaller step to get the ball rolling.
4. Ask yourself if you have all the information you need to take the next action you chose. If not, the action you chose might not be the very next action. Back yourself up until you get to the very next step. That will help.
5. Does this still need to be done? Have you reviewed this lately against some of your other priority levels lately? Just because you capture something on a list doesn't mean you end up doing it. Priorities, interests, standards and resources shift and so will the things on your list. It's OK to renegotiate the agreement.
6. Can it be delegated? Can someone else do this for you?
7. Can any of the things on next actions move to Someday/Maybe? Does it all need to be done now?
8. Carve out time for yourself on your calendar to take action. Sometimes seeing it as a "hard landscape" meeting with yourself to work on something helps.
The beginning is the half of every action.- Greek ProverbWhat's worked for you to get things moving?
Posted by Kelly at 08:27 AM | Comments (3)
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 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
May 07, 2007
The double-edged sword of waiting for
I have found an interesting dynamic takes place on work teams with the Waiting For list. Just watch what happens, especially if you are a manager, once you really start tracking people on what they said they would do. I bet one of these two reactions will show up:
1. Motivation - I liked being tracked ! It means I can get acknowledged for what I am doing. Someone gets to see how much I'm actually getting done. I get a chance to get some recognition for completing what I said I would do. Bring it on!
2. Resistance - I don't like being tracked ! It means there is a greater chance that what falls through the cracks will be noticed. It also brings attention to things I've agreed to that I really have no intention of completing.
Managing agreements effectively, yours and other people's that affect you, can be one of the most powerful things to come out of implementing GTD. It may not be easy, and some of your teammates might kick and scream for what they perceive as micromanaging, but you owe it to yourself to track actions that discretely. You might just find that what people resist will motivate in the end.
Posted by Kelly at 11:49 AM | Comments (6)
April 18, 2007
No meetings day
I worked with a client recently who has instituted "No Meetings Day" twice a month. How great is that? No meetings. Nada. Zip. A free day for people to do their work without any chance of planned meetings.
I hear from people in seminars all the time that too many meetings (with little time in between to debrief and regroup) is one of the biggest drags on their workflow.
Some would argue that being in meetings IS their job and where things happen. Others say, meetings take them away from their "real work" and it's up to them in after hours to get the job done. What's your take on meetings? Good, bad, depends? Do you ever say no to meeting requests? If not, how come?
Would love to hear from y'all on this.
Posted by Kelly at 03:35 PM | Comments (10)
April 02, 2007
A shout out for the women
I was watching a bike race yesterday and amazed by the power and speed of these women cyclists:
I have great appreciation for people who excel at something so naturally, especially sports. I've tinkered around with triathlons over the last few years. I'm rarely even close to finishing toward the front of the pack but I enjoy it so much it doesn't matter as much as having fun. I'm finding that the journey for me is not even so much about the actual event, but in training for it. With my travel schedule, it becomes like a game to fit in exercise. I'm about to start a 2 month training plan toward my next race on June 3rd. It's an all-women triathlon near Los Angeles. There's something about the women-only races that is so much more relaxed and supportive (sorry guys!).
People often ask me how I manage to train for something like that while traveling like I do. It's pretty simple. In my weekly reviews, I look forward on my calendar and block out time for my workouts. Before I started doing that it was too easy to blow off working out if I didn't feel like it. Now, I see it on my calendar and treat it like an important meeting. Sometimes I change what I thought I was going to do (indoor vs. outdoor if it's nice out), but I pretty much keep to the schedule as much as I can. I also check out ahead of time what my best options will be where I'm going, such as Athletic Minded Traveler or the hotel website. If it looks like exercise is not feasible because of the timing, location etc. than I will allow for that and try to make it up when I'm back home again.
What works for you? Would love to hear how other people keep exercise fun and interesting.
Posted by Kelly at 11:06 AM | Comments (2)
February 24, 2007
Keeping the simple things simple
I pride myself on being a little tech whiz when it comes to gear & systems. So when my new broadband and VOIP phone system at home went down yesterday I moved into problem-solving mode. I started troubleshooting the IP address of my wireless card. No luck. In fact, my laptop froze and I had to reboot to bring it out of trying to release/renew the IP settings. I checked my firewall settings. No difference. After spending about half an hour checking my settings to see why things were not working I decided to call my wireless provider to have someone come out to look at it. Before doing that, I decided to check the cable modem box. I noticed a tiny little button on the back of the device called "Reset." So I grabbed the ubiquitous tech tool the push pin, reset the button, and as if by magic the cable modem and VOIP are back online and working perfectly.
This is one of those funny examples to me of making something more complicated than it needs to be. It's a good reminder for me to keep the simple things simple. Those of you who are in GTD Connect might have heard a similar story in the recent interview David did with General Fullhart about training Air Force pilots. He tells the story of teaching pilots to check the obvious stuff first, like 'Is the lightbulb on the dashboard burned out?' before taking the plane down. The solution may be easier than you think.
Posted by Kelly at 08:37 AM | Comments (2)
January 10, 2007
What's your quit point?
I was asked a phrase this morning in an exercise class that's been intriguing me: "What's your quit point?" During physical exercise, it's easy to convince myself to quit when I get tired, especially if the place I'm going is further than I've ever gone before. That further point can be subtle in a sport like yoga (pivot my foot one inch to the left) or obvious in running (run one extra mile.) Learning to recognize my quit point in whatever I'm doing gives me the power to move beyond what I think I can or can't do. It can become like a game where I win no matter what.
What are the quit points in your workflow? Here are some typical ones I've certainly been guilty of at times:
- Opening an email, scanning it and closing it because it just seems like too much to handle right now. If I'm really feeling clever I'll mark the email as unread or print it, as if that will somehow bring divine inspiration about what to do.
- Doing the Inbox shuffle with hard copy stuff looking for the easiest ones and throwing the rest of the stack back into In.
- Trying to plan a project in my head based on one thought, idea or meeting and reacting with next actions rather than leading with an outcome.
If I'm really applying GTD, no matter what I'm dealing with often takes less time, effort and brain power to figure out what to do than I think it will.
You need to think about your stuff more than you think, but not as much as you're afraid you might. - David Allen
One of the most valuable GTD keys for this is the Fundamental Process with any input:
What's the outcome? What's the next action?
Deciding what to do doesn't mean I need to do it in that moment. If my quit point is to close an email because it seems to unclear, overwhelming or vague, do I need more information? Am I clear what the outcome is? Is this part of my job? Am I trying to rush through my Inbox without giving things the proper attention they deserve? What would support me best here in this situation?
Coming back to that Fundamental Process demystifies whatever I'm dealing with. Two simple questions I can use no matter how complex something seems.
Posted by Kelly at 12:46 PM | Comments (1)
December 29, 2006
Wind Storms
I'm the first to admit that the weakness in my workflow is email. I LOVE EMAIL--especially new email. New email is always more exciting than the stuff I got 5 minutes ago, much less 5 months ago. I have to really watch that I don't stay stuck in front of the fire hydrant of Send/Receive all of the time, at the expense of the work I've already defined. I'm probably not alone in this :)
Well, our email server has been down for the last 24 hours due to a major wind storm in Ojai. I have had no business email during that time. Nothing new to distract me from the things I need to do, could do or might like to do, such as the value-add stuff I tend to put off: seminars I could listen to, articles I could write, books I could read, PowerPoint slides I could update, etc. These kinds of things have no due date and no one tracking me on whether I do them or not.
Over the years, it's been interesting to me to see the progression of my GTD systems. I have pretty well mastered the action and project levels. I'm very well organized by most people's standards, but that doesn't mean I am always working on the right stuff. The good news is that I'm getting better at recognizing when I'm stuck on a track that's not the best one for me. Sometimes it takes a wind storm to shake things loose.
Posted by Kelly at 09:54 AM | Comments (1)
December 28, 2006
What's the motivation to do GTD?
I was listening to a seminar where David Allen talks about motivation and GTD. Oh, let me sidetrack here and say that I was listening to it on my brand spankin' new red iPod Nano, compliments of Santa.
I was struck by his comment, "If you need to get motivated to do something, then you're not motivated to do it." People will sometimes comment to me in seminars that my lists and system seems like a lot of work to maintain. It honestly never occurs to me to be work or something that I need to build in a lot of motivation to maintain. I just do it because I can't imagine not doing it. The scuzz factor, as David calls is, would be too great if I didn't do any of this. And, the rewards are too sweet to miss out on. He tells a funny story about people brushing their teeth. Most adults these days can relate to brushing their teeth without an external motivation to do it. Sure, as kids, our parents had to tell us to brush them. Eventually though, our own internal monitor took over and the motivation was just there. It becomes like second nature. That's how I experience GTD and my systems.
I had a group of 100 people yesterday in a seminar in Minneapolis. Most of them were new to GTD. My advice to them and for anyone new to all of this is to start small. Pick an area that will bring you the biggest relief. Where's your gnawing sense of anxiety right now in your workflow? Email overwhelm? Paper or reference filing out of control? Scattered to do lists? Consider what you would like to do or experience differently about that. Then apply the best practices of GTD to that area consistently for a month. I've heard it takes about 32 days to make something a habit, good or bad, so doing it once or twice may not lay the new tracks down that you want.
If you've been around GTD for a while is there any area to expand or improve upon? Any parts of David's books you want to revisit? With the New Year approaching, I think it's a good time to take a look at what kind of things I'd like to be true in 2007.
Happy New Year. I wish you all the best.
Posted by Kelly at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2006
What's your slippery slope?
Have you ever noticed that an area of your house that started as a temporary storage place is now the black hole for stuff? (Hey--after 2 years it's not likely you're going to need that empty box your printer came in so do yourself a favor and toss it.) Or, the first flat surface when you walked in your house that was a place you used to drop today's mail is now a two-foot pile? Or, leaving a few of those emails in your inbox that were must do's by the end of the day 4 months ago have somehow turned into 467? A few weeks of not exercising and the thought of getting back on the treadmill even for a simple workout feels like being asked to run a marathon? I call that the slippery slope. Before you know it, things can go from bad to worse and digging out of it can seem daunting.
The good news is that it's usually less work than you think to get it back to the place you want it to be, especially if you start with small steps. If email is your weak area, pick 25 old emails to go through to start. That'll take you about 12 minutes. (30 seconds per email.) If it's an area that like your paper filing that's out of control, break it into more doable steps like purging one letter or one drawer at a time. If you've got a storage area that is overgrown with stuff, decide to get rid of 5 things at a time rather than overwhelming yourself with the thought of having to clean the place all at once. With exercise, 5 minutes on the treadmill is better than nothing, at least in my case.
And if you're a GTD'er you probably know by now that ANY part of the Weekly Review is better than nothing! Pick one thing from the list and commit to that. Done a mindsweep lately?
Posted by Kelly at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2006
Would you choose the same Stuff?
We had an flood in our bathroom and bedroom the other day. I discovered it via text message from my husband. He knew I was doing a seminar so he texted me with enough information to get my attention, but not too dramatic to freak me out. "Flood in bathroom. Getting new rug." It was serious enough to require replacing the rug and do some repainting. Hello new project.
I spent most of yesterday bringing the stuff back into the room. I thought it was interesting how my Stuff had proliferated and things had landed in the wrong place. How did the sleeping bags end up under the bed? Oh yah, after that last trip I didn't feel like taking them down to storage. Why am I saving all of these CD cases? Oh yah, I thought I might need them but now I'm realizing I haven't looked at them in two years.
It was actually quite refreshing to have a chance to look at everything that was going back into the room. Do I need this? How often do I use this? Is this exactly the way I want it?
If you took everything out of your office and then had to put it back in (and really gave yourself time to look at everything) would you choose the same Stuff? Would you change anything? Pick one thing that's been bugging you that you know has taken more of your attention than it deserves and change it. Are those pictures on your desk exactly the way you'd like them? Are your files working for you or do they need some purging? Are you comfortable in that chair you sit in 8,10,12 hours a day? Can you see your monitor clearly?
Try it. I bet changing that thing that's been taking your attention is going to be like taking a rock out of your shoe. You'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
Posted by Kelly at 02:32 PM | Comments (2)
August 14, 2006
Is there such a thing as obsessive-compulsive productivity?
I read an interesting article in yesterday's LA Times Opinion section which talks about the new term "obsessive-compulsive productivity." Are people robbing themselves of the experience of downtime?
I wasn't surprised to read that 40% of Americans work 50 hours or more per week and rarely disconnect from their work, even on vacation. I hear about it all the time in my seminars where people feel like an 8 hour day is slacking off and working at night after the kids go to bed and in the morning before the office really opens is the only way they can stay on top of things.
Is it that people have too much to do or is it that they just don't have trusted systems (ala GTD) to feel like they can disconnect?
I've heard David Allen mention that we've always had too much to do. I don't think BlackBerry's necessarily create more work, it's just now people have higher expectations about how fast the work needs to get done.
Someone in one of my seminars recently told me she takes her laptop on vacation just to stay on top of her email (people actually hissed when she said this, perhaps from the fear that this will become expected.) The "vacation tax" of coming back to hundreds, if not thousands, of emails is just not worth it to her.
Your thoughts on this?
Posted by Kelly at 12:32 PM | Comments (5)
February 14, 2006
Recovery
I was taking a cycling class this morning at a gym in New Jersey and the instructor made a comment that intrigued me. Between intense bursts of climbing hills she said, "recovery builds confidence and strength." Whereas part of me wanted to keep a fast pace and just keep going, I took her advice, slowed my speed down to rest my legs and heart. I was stronger on the next hill I cimbed.
OK--so you knew there'd be something GTD in this: the Weekly Review is recovery. It's my time to relax my mind and body from the frantic pace of the daily grind. It builds confidence in my system letting my mind know it's OK to relax and be creative. It gives me mental strength to make better choices because I'm seeing a clear picture of everything instead of chasing after latest and loudest.
"You need to spend quality time, detached from the daily grind, thinking about, getting control of, and managing the daily grind." - David Allen
Posted by Kelly at 04:50 AM | Comments (1)
November 28, 2005
Do we Live to Work or Work to Live?
I was having dinner with friends over Thanksgiving and the question came up, do we work to live or live to work? My parents taught me as a kid that if you can work, you should work. I took 6 months off once and my parents thought I was nuts. I was mentally exhausted after my run at a software company and wanted to chill out for a while. No matter what I did to assure them that we were fine financially, they couldn't understand WHY I would do this. But I came out of that time off more refreshed and a clearer perspective about what was important to me.
At the end of one of my seminars recently, a participant yelled out "Thanks for loving your job--it shows!" I truly believe this work makes a positive difference in peoples' lives. I love that it teaches me about completion, so that I don't overcreate or overcommit. And, I also have my job crafted in a way that is in balance for me. I don't work more days than I want in a given month (I'm fortunate to have a choice.) So in a way, I live to do this work because I love it AND I also work just enough to live the kind of life that I want.
Posted by Kelly at 09:54 AM | Comments (3)
