What the GTD system doesn't handle very well...

[ero213]

...long-term projects that require sustained and consistent effort (ie writing a novel, running a marathon, learning a martial art.) Where do they fit in the GTD system?

[Mark Jantzen]

I have yet to encounter something that can't fit into my GTD system.

Some of those sound like things you can mark off as "done" - i.e. a 10,000 Foot Project: Finish a marathon, write a book, etc.

Learning a martial art might be a higher horizon thing - e.g. 30,000 Food Goal. You could then determine whether there is a project or two that could help you move in that direction. Or, maybe it's just a series of next actions.

In my own system whenever I encounter ambiguity it's usually because I went too fast past the, "What is it?" question.

[Linada]

As Mark said, it's perfectly possible to finish projects like writing a book etc, and unless you want to just write one to try it out, 'being an author' is a higher area of focus.

But I am guessing you are more after implementing the repeated effort to reach something like 'draft chapter one'. I'd implement it the same way it's suggested with the weekly review: put it in your calendar until it's a habit. Whether you pick a time in the day or have an untimed appointment isn't as crucial, just the fact that you establish frequency. And of course for things like learning a martial art, class times/dojo hours etc would go in your calendar anyway.

[Roger]

...long-term projects that require sustained and consistent effort (ie writing a novel, running a marathon, learning a martial art.) Where do they fit in the GTD system?

What specific problems have you encountered?

[ero213]

What specific problems have you encountered?

Completing a lot of low-priority, but easy, tasks and not making progress on long-term goals that require sustained effort.

EO

[Oogiem]

Completing a lot of low-priority, but easy, tasks and not making progress on long-term goals that require sustained effort.

Then you need to re-define the tasks in your big long term goals and projects so that they too are easy to do. It might be as simple as making the tasks smaller.

I can get by with "weave cloak fabric" as a next action that I plug away at for years to finish a big project but if I was stuck the action might be "Fill 3 quills with weft yarn for cloak fabric" and " Weave off 3 quills of weft on cloak fabric" and those actions might toggle and repeat. Or set time limits, the action might be spend 15 minutes weaving cloak fabric. If you are not getting to the action or project then in my experience it's either because the action is not small or well defined enough for you to really do or you have serious thoughts about the plan and perhaps even need for the project as a whole.

Big goals you are not making progress on may in fact be things you no longer want or need. If that is the case then drop them and move on. If not, then re-evaluate why you are not getting them done and work on making it easier to do.

[Roger]

Completing a lot of low-priority, but easy, tasks and not making progress on long-term goals that require sustained effort.

That's a good start, but I'd really like to hear more about the actual specific long-term goal(s) that you're not seeing any progress on.

Perhaps I ask too much! No one likes to discuss their failures in public. But in my experience it's a much more effective way to proceed than to talk in generalities.



Cheers,
Roger

[ero213]

That's a good start, but I'd really like to hear more about the actual specific long-term goal(s) that you're not seeing any progress on.

Perhaps I ask too much! No one likes to discuss their failures in public. But in my experience it's a much more effective way to proceed than to talk in generalities.



Cheers,
Roger

Sure. So one of my goals last year was to produce a 1/2 hour documentary. I'm a video producer by trade, but I've never produced a long-form documentary. I thought 1/2 hour would be a good middle ground that I could take on in addition to my day job.

I went so far as to save for a very expensive video camera, research topics and make an interview list. But for some reason it didn't come together. My feeling is it was because I was spending more time on easy, low-priority stuff. When I looked at my project list and "produce 1/2 hour documentary" was looming there, it was much easier just to pick off some low-level tasks and feel like I'd been productive. I did break things down to next actions but even "write project plan" or "research interviewees" feels like a lot of work. Sometimes, in creative or intellectual pursuits, it seems you can't break down actions into small chunks in any meaningful way. It takes a force of will to make it happen and so it much easier just to pick off easy, but less meaningful tasks. Perhaps the calendar is the way to go in this case, but I've never found a good way to blend the whole project-next action approach with "time boxing."

BTW, just for the record I've read both "GTD" and "MIAW" and have practiced GTD for many years. I've just been a bit disappointed with the results. Its made me very efficient at getting things done and without friction. However, I've found it less helpful with making progress toward important goals, when staring at a flat list of actions, all given the same weight.

[TesTeq]

When I looked at my project list and "produce 1/2 hour documentary" was looming there, it was much easier just to pick off some low-level tasks and feel like I'd been productive.

I know nobody who would be excited by a project named "produce 1/2 hour documentary".

"Produce a documentary about global warming", "Produce a documentary about Facebook billionaires", "Produce a documentary about local artist who became an Internet celebrity" are project names that would motivate me to act.

In my programming career I tried to learn new programming languages but it never worked unless I had a real problem to solve (a real world challenge).

[ProfessorSue]

Sometimes, in creative or intellectual pursuits, it seems you can't break down actions into small chunks in any meaningful way. It takes a force of will to make it happen and so it much easier just to pick off easy, but less meaningful tasks.

I agree with you that the creative Muse is often resistant to the usual GTD workflow! Mine is fickle -- sometimes refusing to work with me, and at other times taking over my life. My suggestion would be to try to block out substantial amounts to time -- preferably many days relatively free of other obligations -- to commune with your Muse about this creative project, to see what develops. The GTD part would be to find the space in your schedule, and to identify a location or other aspects of context that is more inviting to the creative process.