Processing: dedicated or in-line?

[Chesnokov]

How do you usually make processing time: dedicated or in line? If it's not dedicated then how you make sure it takes not all of your time?

[klyakh]

If it's not dedicated then how you make sure it takes not all of your time?

That is exactly why it is better to use dedicated time (1-2 per day) for processing your stuff. Also as it is suggested in the GTD book once your mind switch to "processing" mode you'll be doing it more efficiently. I believe it is possible only with dedicated time.

[Oogiem]

How do you usually make processing time: dedicated or in line?

Both, I try to dedicate about an hour or so a day to processing, in the morning and again in the evening but I will also do some during the day if I get a chance. Esp. in summer when I need a break from outside work I'll come in and try to finish some processing during lunch.

[Mic]

Hi everybody,

Surprisingly, at least for me, this thread is so short. I expected many replies regarding processing urgent items on the fly, keeping them from blowing up.

Do you all just write urgent things directly into the Day-Specific section of your calendar and that's it?

In fact, applying GTD in an intense, interruption-prone environment, and readiness-for-everything is supposed to be black-belt-GTD, how do you see the method and system helping you here?

Mic

[bishblaize]

I normally process to zero each morning if I can, but Im quite happy to do a bit here or there if I get the chance. Could just be my job, but since i deal with the public there's never a time when I can guarantee I wont be interupted, so I dont bank on getting that bit of time free each day.

How do I make sure it doesnt eat up my whole day? Just being mindful i suppose.

[Cpu_Modern]

Mostly in-line after completing a big task when I am too exhausted to do real work. Or at the beginning of the day to get into the jive.

Do you all just write urgent things directly into the Day-Specific section of your calendar and that's it?

No, I also think about how it could be posssible that something become urgent in my world. In the model of the three-fold nature of work you have the house is burning kind of stuff. I am ok with that, it's part of life.

But projects and NAs that are urgent? Not with me. No stress for us, just because some other kid didn't do the homework - is a houserule here. So I think who dropped the ball on that one? What process needs to be changed so that in the future no further urgencies come up from that source? (And to be clear: this is a 50k - 40k issue for me, I could earn more mulah if I wouldn't be so stubborn there. But I am and happy with it.)

In fact, applying GTD in an intense, interruption-prone environment, and readiness-for-everything is supposed to be black-belt-GTD, how do you see the method and system helping you here?

Mainly that I am totally comfortable in jumping into the fire because I know what I am NOT doing. You know, that point about knowing what you NOT have to do now. So a quick glance at the calendar/tickler makes sure I will not cause another fire to start while putting out the first one.

[Roger]

Personally, I've found the best way to deal with this sort of thing is to stop being a victim/responder of my Inboxes, and to take ownership and control of them.

If I've got a level of inputs from all sources that exceed my ability to deal with them all, or that makes me unhappy, then it behooves me to take control, make choices, and throttle things back to a level where I am happy.

I'm not sure why some people seem to think that's impractical, impossible, immoral, or all of the above. Maybe that's a topic for a new thread.



Cheers,
Roger

[Oogiem]

I expected many replies regarding processing urgent items on the fly, keeping them from blowing up.

My urgent on the fly items need to go immediately from input to decision to doing with no stopping so they never make it to a list of next actions. Most are emergencies that happen in the course of doing something on my next action lists.

Recent example:

Routine check on the adult rams to deworm them. Bring them all in to the sweep for a check and wormer as needed. Discovered 1 ram had a horn injury that was flystruck. This new input resulted in an immediate change of plans to cut the horn off, disinfect and kill the fly larvae and bandage the ram up. Part way through sawing the horn off we hit a blood vessel, now it's an immediate emergency to finish sawing the horn quickly to cauterize the horn core, and grab some paper towels and duct tape to apply a pressure bandage. Ram is fine BTW. My "inbox" went from input to emergency to solution in the space of about 15 minutes.

[Myriam]

@Oogiem: I always love the examples you give, because they often show GTD in a very understandable way, with very practical cases. The fact that the examples are abolutely not from my (and others) everyday life adds even more interest to them.

I must admit sometimes I just click on a post that has a heading that is not appealing to me, just because I see you were the last one to react and I wonder what example you will have used this time. It's always a pleasure to read your posts!

Myriam

[Mic]

Do you all just write urgent things directly into the Day-Specific section of your calendar and that's it?

I would like to explain what I meant with a simple example:

Suppose you come back from a car ride you made to take care of an errand. In the middle of the trip you received a phone call from a prospect client regarding a product you sell, and finished the call promising the client to send a quote today because his boss is leaving soon to Europe. Now this is not really "urgent", you can always let it go away, but let us assume that by your higher-level priorities you decided not to drop this possible sale.

Now, after finishing the conversation you stopped the car and wrote a note explaining in short what is needed and how to contact this person, and threw the note to your inbox as soon as you came in to your office.

It's a project obviously, and you committed to advance with some of it's actions today, when will this note get processed?

Usually I simply add a line to my calendar in the day-specific section for today saying something like 'send quote to x'. And that will make me dig the note from the inbox and do what's needed. What do you do?

I assume people who work with a lot of incoming calls from clients have these situations all the time. Think of a secretary in a law office receiving dozens of calls a day from clients who want all sorts of answers regarding their cases. She will need a special form or board or whatever to put all of those Today-to-be-finished-projects. No room for "I process my inbox once a day" attitude. What would you suggest her to do?

Of course it is possible to take it easier and tell the client that - One of the lawyers will get back to you with answers within the next week or so - but it well could be that our standards would not permit such an answer

Mic