Getting Things Done

David Allen (outline by Aaron Radke) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The art of getting things done

A new practice for a new reality

"work is defined as anything that isn't the way that it needs to be" //{David Allen David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, http://davidco.com/ , Penguin Books, January, 2003}

This is a wonderful physical definition of work

Anxiety is caused by lack of control, organization, preparation, and action. //{David Kekich}

The problem

Work is changing, no clear boundaries for work
Our jobs keep changing
Old models and habits are insufficient
Big picture methods do not fully work and uses more time

Promise:"Ready State"

Painting the picture of in the zone
Mind like water
GTD to get into the zone, mind like water
Karate punch is not muscle but mind
Empty mind is ready for anything

Principle: dealing with internal commitments

"open loops": anything pulling at your attention that doesn't belong where it is, the way it is.
Managing commitments

Clear your mind, get it out: I found writing clears my mind in a happy way!
Clarify commitment and what needs to be done
Keep reminders in an organized system

Exercises to write down whatever is on your mind
Ancestor of every thought is an action
Why things are on your mind
Your mind is really kind of stupid, only reminding in the short term
"Stuff": anything that does not belong where it is, but haven't determined the outcome or action
Need to transform "stuff"
Clarify when an item first appears

Process: managing action

Managing the action not the stuff is the issue
Clear the stuff out to get a clear mind
Horizontal action: a thousand actions coming in from the horizon
Vertical action: focusing on the details of a single event, even just for a moment
Thoughts on your mind consume your efficiency

Getting control of your life: 5 stages of mastering work-flow

Collect things that command our attention
Process what they mean and what to do
Organize results
Review options and chose
Do

If any of the stages are week the whole system is week.

Collect

Have system and use it

There needs to be a place for all open loops
As few buckets as possible
Empty buckets regularly

Process

What is it
Is it actionable
Is it a project
What's the next action

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. -- Albert Einstein

Organize

action items

Projects list
Information for projects in folders
Calendar on-line
Next actions list (calendar and more)
Waiting for list

non action items

Trash
Incubation tools

Someday maybe (things I would like to do)
Tickler file

Reference storage (of information)

Review

Review your lists as often as you need, to get them off your mind.

Most people feel best about their work when they have, cleaned up, closed up, clarified, and renegotiated all their agreements with themselves and others. Do this weekly instead of yearly.¹

Do

criteria

Context
Time available
Energy available
Priority

evaluating

Predefined work
Work as it shows up
Defining your work

scope of levels

50kft: life
...
Runway:current actions

Getting projects creatively underway: the five phases of project planning

Get projects off your mind but do not lose any useful ideas.
Horizontal focus

Projects: clearly defined outcomes
Actions: steps to take to move projects to completion
Reminders: a trusted system to review regularly

Vertical focus

Think productively

Enhancing vertical focus

"plan" to reduce stress

Natural planning model: your brain!

Define purpose and principles (set boundaries of plan)
Outcome visioning (positive goal reaching ideas to reach a plan)
Brainstorming (listing of cognitive differences and questions to reach the vision)
Organizing( components, priorities, sequences)
Identify next actions (to make it happen)

Unnatural planning model

Most meetings go against the natural planning that your mind can do.

Outlines skip the goal, vision and purpose stages. The reactive planning phase goes backwards and then hires a consultant for vision and purpose that should have been done in the beginning.

I. Purpose (juice and direction)

Ask why!! it:

Defines success
Create decision-making criteria
Aligns resources
It motivates
Clarifies focus
Expands options

II. Principals (parameters and criteria for excellence)

To help define principals ask: "I would give free reign as long as?"

III. Vision/output (parameters and criteria for excellence)

There is extraordinary fabrication in your brain to that wires itself to fashion on what it focuses or spends its time.

par:bible thoughts

"The mind set on the spirit will keep it's mind on the spirit".

This is another reason why the mind is a muscle and it is so important to be careful what we do set our minds on.

How does this match with an inappropriate dreaming that could never be fulfilled.

You have to envision the path of the moguls to go through them, you body will take care of the details! You have to make it up in your mind, before going to the unknown territory, We need guidance to know how to get there. This is why it is "most important to clarify clear outcomes". Use the question "wouldn't it be great if?"

IV. Brainstorming (empty your head)

Capturing many ideas, don't judge, evaluate or criticize, put analysis on the back burner.

V. Organizing (natural structure appears at the emptying of ideas)

Identify significant pieces
Sort by components, sequences, priorities
Detail to required degree

VI. Next Action (grounded reality is critical point)

It is fundamental to clarify the next action to stay relaxed and in control.

Decide on next actions for current moving parts
Decide on next action in planning process

Things are on your mind because the next action or a reminder has not been made.

80% of projects are easily next actionable and just mentally project planned
15% take small project areas
5% deliberate focus

Review

Work each phase of the project until you have exhausted your ideas.

Practicing Stress-Free Productivity

Getting Started: Setting Up the Time, Space, and Tools

It's all about tricks

Some simple tricks applied make a big difference. I find this with a good magic trick.

Setting aside time todo this

Setting up the space

Use it at home also, in transit, don't share with others

The needed tools

Paper trays
Plain paper
Post-its
Labeler
File folders
Calendar
Waste basket
Organizer

Critical filing system factor

Make it simple fast and fun, keep it yours, use on alpha filing system, have lots of fresh folders, keep the drawer < 3/4 full, use auto labeler, high quality mechanics, don't use hanging files and purge once a year.

Collection: Corralling your "stuff" putting it in the "in" box

Take a day or two to collect everything.

Physical gathering

Some stays where it is: supplies, references, decoration, equipment

Mental gathering

What comes to your mind, and trigger list.

Processing: Getting "In" to empty

You need to read and understand "Collection" and "Organizing": to understand the full picture of what to do here.

Guidelines

Top item first all in's are equally important!!! if you jump around it is not processing and the whole process will begin to fail, you are merely doing what you feel like doing. em:{Build this habit.}
One item at a time, it is easy to jump to the easy things. And the decision isn't as focused and if you get interrupted it will not be as bad.
Nothing goes back into "in"

Key question: what is the next action?

No action: trash, incubate, reference
What is the next real em:{physical} action, not just a fuzzy idea

What to do

Do (2min)
Delegate(to someone)
Defer(to your organization system)

Identify projects

Organizing: setting up the right buckets

Basic categories (keep hard edges, just lists and folders)

Project list
Project support material
Calendared info
Next actions
Waiting for
Reference material
Someday maybe

Action reminders

Actions on calendar
As soon as possible by context (calls, computer, errands, office, home, read)
Waiting foR
Item itself as a reminder
Action should be easily dispersed
Make sure action reminders are not to far out of sight, they can not fully remind and it will be hard to be at peace to take an aimless walk if things are not in order!!!

Organizing Project reminders

Project lists (and sub-projects)
Project support materials

Organizing Non-actionable data

Reference materials
Someday/maybes: list, calendar, tickler file

Checklists

Clarify projects
Blueprint areas
All levels of life and make a habit of it

Reviewing: Keeping your system functional

This is the important discipline in order to see the Forrest among the trees.

What to look at when

Calendar
Actions list

Updating your system

Lose papers
Notes
Previous calendar
Empty your head
Review projects
Review next actions
Review waiting for
Review checklists
Review someday/Maybe list
Review pending and support files
Be creative and courageous

Doing: Making the best action choices

Four-criteria's

Context
Time
Energy
Priority

Three work evaluations

Defined work
Work as is shows up: surprises are another opportunity to be creative
Defining your word

Six level review

Life
Three to five visions
One to two year goals
Areas of responsibility
Current projects
Current actions

Getting projects under control

Need more informal planning

Have a pen with you at all times! Wish he was raised as a kid to value ideas!

Project planning

Piplined projects
Ideas just show up

Planning steps

Brainstorming
Organizing
Meeting setups
Gathering information

Thinking tools

Writing instruments
Paper
Whiteboards
Computer
File folders
Software tools (outlining, brainstorm, project)

Power of the Key principles

Power of the collection habit

Personal benefit

Open loops cause negative feelings

Three options to preventing negative agreements

Don't make agreements
Complete the agreement
Re-negotiate the agreement

Benefits of an organization and relationships use the system

Power of the next action decision

Creating the option of doing

Why bright people procrastinate the most

Next action as a standard

Clarity
Accountability
Productivity
Empowerment

Power of outcome focusing

Determining outcomes and actions for everything we consider work

There are a number of New-Age comments made through this final chapter.

Conclusion

Habbits to make

Get everything out of your head
Decide actions and outcomes when they first come on radar
Regularly review and update inventory of open loops
Enjoy the process

Final tips

Get organized
Set aside time to work through it
Share with others
Review in six months
Stay in touch with others

Software systems

Textmate/Aao

I have been modifying and adding tools for Aao for a simple todo, inbox and project listing in aao. However it does not generate nice reports.

Textmate/GTDalt

This is now my favorite. It is ruby and has many nice features to work with textmate.

issues

Inbox processing chokes on double 'at' signs

¹ I have found this especially true with semester reviews and even weekly meetings

Life's End

Getting Things Done