I've been doing the GTD method on and off for about a year. October 30 of last year, I took a day off and just inboxed so much stuff. I began using a paper planner, but discovered a plam was better for me (for quick reviewing) and wasn't so bulky. It is also easier to change categories of things.

I have had a habit of sending myself messages by email and using email as reminders for things. Bad idea.

I worked out a system for getting my active email screen down to about 7 pending messages for the first time yesterday. What a relief! I actually had messages from 1999 on the active list, where it built up to about 475+ in total periodically. I just made folders in my groupwise and started filing and dumping.

Now I have an email list that is manageable.

My palm lists are not managable, so I am moving some projects to a "pending projects" list which I can review weekly but not constantly. A renegotiation. I am also putting lots of other stray items on "Someday/Maybe." This after reading post 327 by Cosmo and others.

Lots of helpful advice on this site. Thanks to David Allen for the principles and everyone else for your input.

Joe