My GTD system - a video

[Brent]

Hey, all! In response to a few posts I've read here asking how folks manage their system, I thought I'd put together a quick video showing my GTD implementation, at least from a day-to-day perspective.

http://www.vimeo.com/1063956

Video quality's low, sadly, so a few elements are hard to see in detail. I think this gets the idea across, though.

As always, feedback welcome.

[Cpu_Modern]

In the video Brent says (paraphrased):
"if it's a pain (to re-write the project list) every week, than you probably have to many projects to begin with and something won't get done"

Here we have it again: in GTD you have no inbuild constraint on how much work you can commit to. the weakness on which DIT draws it success in the 'scene, I suppose

[Brent]

in GTD you have no inbuild constraint on how much work you can commit to. the weakness on which DIT draws it success in the 'scene, I suppose

Why is this a weakness? Why would you want your system to constrain the amount of work you can commit to? Isn't it better that you constrain yourself, based on your own life's limitations, instead of a system?

[locutus2003]

Thanks for sharing this - I'm fascinated to see how others implement GTD. I use a small filofax so on a very different scale to yours!

However, I was fascinated in why you keep your old project lists? I re-write my projects when I've crossed off so many that I can't find the outstanding ones any more - but I throw the list away. Do you EVER have cause to look at the old projects list? Or is it just a way to celebrate how much you've achieved?

[Brent]

However, I was fascinated in why you keep your old project lists?...Do you EVER have cause to look at the old projects list? Or is it just a way to celebrate how much you've achieved?

Oh, totally as a celebration. I'm working to "surround myself with success." My heart soars when I see a wall full of Projects lists that all show work accomplished.

[toremor]

Hey, all! In response to a few posts I've read here asking how folks manage their system, I thought I'd put together a quick video showing my GTD implementation, at least from a day-to-day perspective.

http://www.vimeo.com/1063956

Video quality's low, sadly, so a few elements are hard to see in detail. I think this gets the idea across, though.

As always, feedback welcome.

You definately have succeded in keeping your system simple, great! I use a very similar system, but Palm-based. Trying to keep it as simple as possible.

What do you do when you are not in your studio? That whiteboard wasn't big, but I guess you don't bring it with you...?

[Cpu_Modern]

@brent: I like about your system the 'physicalness, bet you make good use of transitions (http://matthewcornell.org/blog/2005/12/transitions-secret-ingredient-to.html).

Regarding my prior post: I don't disagree with you. It is just that DIT for example, hammers it down every day: you are either finishing your list or you are overcommitted. It is loud and clear. GTD on the other hand is slower in that you have to find out for yourself, that somehow, uh, oh, I don't get enough done, I am overwhelmed by my super long NA lists.

There is no hardwired inbuilt mechanism that gives you feedback on how you are going. Maybe not a weakness of GTD but more a strength of DIT or RPM.

What you said in the video is basically advising people with too long lists that they are overcommitted. It is not written in the book, nor is there some canonical checklist of some sort, no you had to say it, precisely because it is not written into GTD.

And I find this is one of the interesting stories you can encounter on your way to black-belt: what is your mechanism to constrain yourself to not bury yourself with too much to do?

[Brent]

What do you do when you are not in your studio? That whiteboard wasn't big, but I guess you don't bring it with you...?

I work from home, so the studio checklist takes care of 95% of them. I also have a blue @Errands card in my Hipster PDA, so I use that for Actions or whatever when I'm out.


And I find this is one of the interesting stories you can encounter on your way to black-belt: what is your mechanism to constrain yourself to not bury yourself with too much to do?

Isn't this an internal control mechanism? Isn't this like asking "What do you do to keep yourself from eating too much?" You must learn how to do this, and it's different for different people. I can't tell you how to do that any more than I can tell you how to wake up in the morning.

[Cpu_Modern]

Isn't this an internal control mechanism?

Yes, but it seems to me it is a common problem that this control mechanism is out of order. My point was DIT repairs that directly, GTD has a more indirect approach to fixing this. Since the problem is so widespread, again it seems to me, one of the main reason people dissatisfied with GTD switch to DIT and end up liking it more. Remember, there is a reason why we search for self-management help in the first place.
However, I agree with you the "right" place to fix this within GTD is not to ditch GTD altogether but to do decent renegotiation during the Weekly Review. And this is what I found is what you point out on your video (and is missing as direct point in the book).

[jimmo]

Learn to say "No", like with that third piece of pumpkin pie. Learn that often someday/maybe projects are not dreams but fantasies and will never be realized. For me, was a relief to look at some projects and not just say "not now", but to realized "never". So I removed all references to to them. I have thought about them since them, but only to say to myself "I'm glad I don't have to deal with them". Many of my "soon" projects have migrated to the someday maybe list so I don't have to deal with them as often. I use MyLifeOrganized and it is easy to "hide" projects that are someday maybe and I don't see them at all on my NA list.

[JohnV474]

I really enjoyed this video. Several things caught my eye:

1) the amount of 'planner terrain' you used--your system is spread out to the closet, two walls, a door, and a hipster PDA... This was really interesting to me.

2) the Wall of Projects--I thought it was really cool to have them all individually posted up like that. This has given me some ideas to make my own system more efficient.

3) I did notice that there could be times when you don't have desired information with you, but you said you work from your studio 95% of the time, so this would rarely be an issue. In my own case, having lots of information readily accessible is very important.

Thanks for the video. It's a great way of sharing a system.

JohnV474

[Brent]

Thanks, John.

Agreed about #3 - when I worked full-time from a separate office, I kept a separate Next Actions list there (also on a whiteboard, as it happened).

[Sithean]

Thanks so much for sharing this video. I've read the book (cover to cover), however I'm very much a newbie. I'm a visual learner, and have been struggling with how to implement this system on a mostly-paper basis (which I prefer). Well done, and thank you again!