FlyLady vs. GTD

[pageta]

I've been doing FlyLady for over a year and recently discovered GTD. I have done tons of decluttering and my house is ready for company in minutes. However, I have struggled with the morning routine - I am a very creative person and when I have a good idea, I want to make the most of it and take it as far as I can. I'm a SAHM so it really doesn't matter if I don't shower until 10:00 unless I have an appointment in town. I'm thinking GTD will help me get the morning routine done - I'll still take a shower, but I won't be stuck to a routine that stifles my creativity.

I'm wondering if there are any other FlyBabies out there and if you quit FlyLady or do it in conjuction with GTD.

Cheers!

[Instigase]

Scary, I was just reading the FlyLady site when I saw your post pop up on the RSS feed thingy...

I'm approaching this from the opposite direction. I've been practicing GTD for the past three years - its certainly had an effect on my outlook and work. Ive been trying the FlyLady technique at home to help my SAH spouse.

If your home is ready for visitors in less than 5 minutes, it sounds like you've got the spirit of the FlyLady if not the exact method. So my question is does it really matter if you dont have a strict morning routine?

If you feel you need to develop a routine, then an approach in the GTD fasion would be to have the tools available to capture that creative moment and save it for the processing and then acting on that idea. I've been carrying a set of index cards on my person or within a step or two to capture an idea that I cannot act upon that moment. I know I cant do it right away, but I feel assured that the idea has not slipped away since its been captured and I have a system for reviewing it at least on a weekly basis.

Good luck!

[Cordelya]

Yes, I once followed the FlyLady method. This was back in 2003. I managed to entirely clean my apartment (which wasn't all that difficult given that it was a 1BR). I managed to continue to follow it more or less, but was forced to give it up when I moved in with a guy. That guy was willing to split the chores, but only if I'd stop following the FlyLady method. So I did, because there was no way I was going to work full time *and* do all of the chores. In retrospect, I realized that while I still follow some of the principles, a full FlyLady implementation is not feasible because it is not vague enough to include single people who work full time. I also felt like I was being treated like a child, which, I'll admit, some people need in order to actually make it work. I have noted in my weblog that the biggest difference I've noticed between FlyLady and GTD (aside from the fact that DA expects people to be adults) is that FlyLady doesn't address the issue of the "stuff" that's floating around in your brain. Even if I had been "permitted" to continue with the FlyLady method (Read: agreed to do all of the chores instead of half), I would have had a very hard time keeping it going because I'd forget to do stuff all the time.

All the same, he's a dirtbag, and I'm glad to be rid of him.

[spectecGTD]

So, I'm curious at what level did you make the decision to get rid of the dirtbag - 10,000 ft, 20,000 ft, 30,000 ft, (or was it just a Runway N/A?)

[Cordelya]

I think it was pretty high up there. I don't think I would have seen it closer to the ground.

[Kat]

I try to do Flylady and GTD together. However, I admit that right now I am more focused on GTD. I guess I agree that FlyLady sometimes treats you like a child, but I guess I really overlooked that aspect. What I do like about FlyLady and I feel is like GTD is the list. I have list of my housework,then I really do not have to think about what needs to be done today. I have a @Home context in Outlook that contains my FlyLady list. I sync with my palm so I always have it with me. Before I leave work, i review my @Errands and @Home actions, so I know what I have to deal with during my trip home and once I get there. I think this follows GTD because I get these actions out of my head and on a list. That does not always mean they get done on the correct day, but at least I know it has not been done and I will do asap. I use the GTD approach during my FLylady actions as I do any other time of the day. If something comes to mind, I write it down somewhere, so I will review at somepoint in time, normally during the Weekly review. Hope this helps, this is not perfect, but I find having these list help me to see what needs to be done.

[Diane]

Well, maybe "vs" isn't the right way to put it...
I use FlyLady at home, and GTD at work. Works for me.

[JLouise]

I do both. I did the basics and strict adherence to Flylady at the beginning to develop good habits. I'd gotten into some bad ones over the years of working in my home without kids. I would just sit down at the desk with my morning coffee and look up 4 hours later unable to answer the doorbell because I was still in a terrycloth robe and bunny slippers.

I add the "zones" as recurring all day events at the top of the Outlook calendar so I remember that today I'm supposed to do @home tasks involving the bathrooms. My @home tasks for that zone get assigned to the upcoming week when I do a Weekly Review. As my zones start on Saturday, I have time to add any materials I need to purchase to my shopping list. Then, when I get stiff from working at the computer or there are no forum messages to answer I'll take just a few minutes to dust off the pantry shelves or gather the materials to caulk the tub after work.

BTW, I don't think Flylady talks down to people. I think it was developed for people who were depressed or ill or so stressed that they've either forgotten or never were taught the basic structures of taking care of home. At least, that's how I viewed it after being introduced to it on some talk show focusing on overcoming depression.

[andersons]

Certainly don't be stuck to a routine that stifles your creativity! Take what works for you, and can the rest.

I took a look at FlyLady when I saw the site highly recommended. I do not like being told what to do. But I adapted the structure for my own home and tasks, trying to follow the FlyLady routines pretty closely.

Well, after a few weeks it became clear those routines were not going to work for me. I revised the structure of routines to fit my time better, since I'm not the stay-at-home-mom FlyLady is geared toward. But my revised routines did not work much better.

So I thought about what I wanted. My goal was not to become a FlyLady; my goal was to maintain a basically clean home most of the time without being perfectionistic about it to the point that cleaning ruled my life.

I kept trying different strategies until I found one that worked: most mornings, and most evenings, I devote a small chunk of time, like 30 minutes, to doing whatever most needs doing. I also use a strategy of asking, What thing could I do to make the biggest difference in how clean the house looks and feels.

I also give myself permission to let the house go if I am too busy or tired with more important and urgent things, like proposal deadlines. I do not have a problem with procrastinating on housework, so I know I will clean as soon as I have the chance.

[artsinaction]

On the recommendation of another member, I'm trying out the iPad app HomeRoutines. I found that housework was difficult to keep in my GTD system - seeing cleaning items along with other projects on the same list repelled me. So I started by simply keeping a separate list for housework.

Home routines, though, is interesting because it lets you focus on a Zone a week... one Zone for the kitchen, another for the living room and so on, with the details of what needs to be done in those rooms in rotation as the weeks pass. And they're very customizable. So I'm finding that having that single-area focus for the week is less stress-inducing, and I accomplish more.

Has anyone else been using HomeRoutines? How is it working for you?

Thanks for letting me share.

Dena