Forum: PUBLIC: Discuss Getting Things Done

I read GTD twice now and while I feel that I understand most of the book, the "a to z" filing system for general reference materials remains a mystery. What I'm picturing is one file folder for each letter: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h,... w, x, y, z. And if you get a bank account summary where no...

A lot of times I become what programmers call "single-threaded" - I work down my Next Action list in a linear fashion, and when something important is undoable, I get blocked. For example, say my action list for context "home" includes "put out grease fire in kitchen", "do laundry" and...

Hello all, I just wanted to discuss my current filing system (which is mirrored in my laptop and in my physical files). And see how I can improve it. (I didn't feel comfortable with the A-Z system recommended by David, because there's so many ways to label a particular 'thing'). Here's my...

Hi, everytime I finish one 'next action', I start going through next action list, and find myself getting lost in the undending list of next actions. I am now trying something - in the begining of everyday, I review my 'next action' and 'waiting for' lists and decide what would be my next three...

Can I use GTD to declutter my computer and other things? Each object could go through the workflow of 1. what is this, etc. Can I use it to get rid of the clutter in my basement? Hope this isn't a real dumb question. GN

I'm a sales manager. I have a team of 30 people (4 direct). My Waiting For list is full of items that I check weekly and write followup emails. I just got that there're lots of emails (70%) that I keep sending and get no responce. Does it mean email is not effective for delegating and followup?...

Hi, A question about collection buckets. I am fine with the idea of writing things down, having paper based inboxes and email inboxes. My question deals with things outside that. There are other sources of information that I access regularly. This is mostly looking at different websites for...

A friend of mine told me that he did not have ADD he had ADOS which stands for "Attention Deficit- "OH SHINY!" Which is definitely me as well. I bought the GTD book over a year ago and was able to pick up some great tips that I have integrated into my daily life. Most importantly my email...

I'm reading the new GTD and BB guide. At page 23, the subject is Agendas and it suggests to write the name of the person in the subject line and the things to talk about in the note box. In my experience, I always wrote the both the name and the thing in the subject line, so I don't have to...

Other than GTD methods, of course? Some macro, procedure, etc? One I recently developed in tandem with an expert Excel macro writer is one to compare two spreadsheets cell by cell and note any differences. You would certainly think that something like this would already exist, but a quick...

I came up with a systematic way to keep project support materials (computer based) organized in Outlook that I haven't seen elsewhere. Maybe its been discussed here or somewhere else, but I haven't seen it, and I think its worth sharing. Step one: Create a systematic naming convention that you...

Hi, GTD made a great improvement in my life and i love it. Now looking for frameworks like GTD in other areas of life, for example communication-relations-friendship-partnership area. It's very good to have such reasonable simple and such effective framework like GTD, but how about communication...

Hello, I'm working on a project which would allow to get reminded of tasks based on where you are. It sends you an text message or a iphone push notification based on your location. Example: - you are at work, it will send you a reminder that you need to get some paper work signed. -...

Other than David's "Getting Things Done," what other time management books do you think are the best for boosting personal productivity?

As a work from home professional, I strive for about 12-15 hours of billable work a week minimum to meet my financial goals. This is usually not a problem during the school year, but during the summer when my kids are home from school, I struggle with where to squeeze it all in. In the...

I use Dropbox for all my personal files. It has changed my life! I like to keep work and personal stuff totally separated. What services work like Dropbox? The thing I most like about DP is that it is not web only. Files always reside on my computer and are accessible, even without a net...

Basically I wanted to have a simple checklist system and a flowing plan for how I use GTD so that there is less thinking about how to use the system and more time using it to GTD. This is my interpretation and implementation of GTD. 1) My daily inbox processing checklist - in tray on desk; my...

I have been searching for this answer. Say I am doing a mind map or outline for a new project. I have determined the core project and now im brainstorming my actions, in order, for the project in my outline document. I have determined that there are 10 physical actions associated to the project....

I am an IT recruiter who uses Outlook and a CRM called Resumate. Resumate is not as user friendly as Outlook for tasks and projects but but I have to make 80 calls a day that Resumate does a good job of chronicaling. does anybody use Outlook with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management)? ...