The art of stress-free productivity is no different from any other art

For me, perhaps each thing is somewhere along the scale from not-automatic to automatic.

In Effectiveness Training based on Thomas Gordon's material, we were taught that one tends to progress through these levels (though one also jumps around at times):

First, incompetent and unaware of it; then still incompetent, but aware of it; then competent, and aware of it; and finally, competent and unaware of it ... doing things right without even noticing that that's what you're doing.

I can't take credit for the original question about "automatic" -- still waiting=for an answer from ctklai.

My additional thinking follows, and I see it aligns with what others have discussed.

We all know that GTD is a Systematic Approach to Getting Things Done. I see three things within here to expand/expound on.

1. To ctklai's point, there is a definite and clear system to learn GTD that has principles, rules, guidelines - whatever you want to call them. Based on understanding the system, it goes towards what Marci was mentioning about doing stuff while standing in line at Starbucks.

In my world, if I "have" to stand in line (eg Post Office) I love it because it gives me time to catch up on my @Anywhere list -- typically iPhone focused. By having the GTD methodology, these actions are possible and go towards being productive.

You could say that there is an "automatic" thought process to consider doing a GTD-type action when the opportunity arises -- this happens more from awareness of the GTD effect. After standing in line for 10 minutes I felt good about what I accomplished.

2. Within the word "Approach", I think there may be a golden nugget to uncover. There is nothing in my opinion randomly added to the Workflow Processing & Organizing map. I'm seeing an arrow between "Stuff" and "What is it?".

For me, this arrow is the Achilles Heel (no pun intended on the arrow allusion) of my path towards Personal Productivity. This could also go towards what ctklai was referring to about "Automatic". If I don't have a 100% belief in: myself, GTD, and so forth, then all of that could show up within this arrow as a question -- "What's in the way??". Why is it that I'm not asking "What is it?". Why am I wanting to fast-track the processing and have some magical computer automation do the thinking for me? What meaning is there in actually answering the question? And so on and so on.

As long as my human-ness has to answer the question "What is it?", then the experience of GTD being "automatic" will be restrained by any drag or resistance within the arrow.

3. Getting Things Done. I'm either working "in" my GTD system or I'm working "on" it. If I'm working "in" it, I'm asking questions specifically about projects and actions. If I"m working "on" it, I'm musing about how to automate it.

I could say that if I'm not effectively Getting Things Done in my life, then I'm not really authentically doing GTD as the system is designed - I've heard folk say, "Oh yeah -- I don't need to read the book, I already do parts of GTD". I know there's latitude allowed, but if my actual actions are outside of the GTD Systematic Approach, is there something to ask or uncover about why is that? Maybe something within the arrow?

Final question then is what part needs some attention within the arrow? Until that's answered, let's not fixate on the word "automatic".

Enjoying the discussion on this forum.

Paul

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Originally Posted by marciturk

Great question, I love that you brought that up!

I thought about it and an aspect of GTD that seems to be automatic at this point for me, is doing things that can be done based on where I am. For example, I find that immediately when on line at a Starbucks or anywhere else I have down time, I go right into my system to see what I can get done, based on my context. It has become second nature to me.

Another is mindsweeping. I tend to do it very often (not just at Weekly Review) but several times throughout any given week.

How about some other long time GTDers???

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That is something that I still need to work on. It's hard to be stress-free when I am working. :)

As long as my human-ness has to answer the question "What is it?", then the experience of GTD being "automatic" will be restrained by any drag or resistance within the arrow.

Is that a good thing?

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Originally Posted by shane_k

Are you asking if some of the principles were already automatic to us when we first started?

Or are you asking if after practicing for a long time we now find some things have become automatic?

If it is the first, then I will say that probably nothing was automatic, because it was all new to how I done things, and I had to put in effort to learn those new skills.

If you were hoping that you could read the GTD book and just automatically have GTD down pat, without effort, and without having to go through the learning process, then that is just not a realistic expectation.

However, if it is the second, then I have been practicing GTD for about 5 1/2 years now and what I find is automatic for me are, checking my calendar, then next actions lists at the beginning of the day, and my context lists throughout the day, the 2 minute rule (that was the easiest and quickest) and the weekly review.

For others things, I still have to remind myself, and am still working on are things like emptying my email inboxes (I don't always check my email everyday) using my tickler folder, and clarifying/managing/reviewing the perspective levels which you learn about in Making it all work.

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I agree the view.
I have practiced GTD for more than 1 year, some actions are automatic, checking forecast calender in OmniFocus, finding actions in suitable context, reviewing ervery week. It is stress-free in work and in life.
I have already read "how to read a book(chinese edition)", the book is not relate to GTD.

Wasn't really thinking if this was going to be a good or a bad thing -- more of an "is" thing, I think.

Been a while since I took a close look at this thread, but I think I was having an aversion to the word "automatic" because it alludes to a computer-like technology-based replacement for some human thinking and interaction with GTD.

The more I really work the system - ie ask questions to gain clarity, the smoother things flow inside the arrow. The more I start trusting the system, I end up trusting myself to have an external system. After a while, things appear to be automatic, or as DA says "on cruise control".

As an aside, grabbed my copy of MIAW and re-read chapter 6 on Clarifying. This addressed all the things that I've been attempting to discover within this thread. Of course, DA puts things way more succinctly....

Life is good.

Paul

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Originally Posted by curtis

As long as my human-ness has to answer the question "What is it?", then the experience of GTD being "automatic" will be restrained by any drag or resistance within the arrow.

Is that a good thing?

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