10K, 20K, 30K, 40K, 50K . . . What does it mean?!

[innovyse]

I'm having a bit of trouble understanding how to fit these into the GTD system. I've read through the pages in the book, but it just hasn't "clicked" for me yet.

What extra information do I need to define for these areas? It seems like if I define NA's and Projects, I've also defined 10K and 30K?

It seems like they translate into 1) "Now" items 2) Short term goals and projects and 3) long term goals and projects. If that's true, then why did we complicate it with all the other stuff, and if not true, what am I missing?

Thanks!

 

[mattsykes]

The horizons of focus are taking a step back from the specifics of actions and projects, to ask the increasingly big 'why' questions. They are important to do periodically - certainly not weekly, but between quarterly and annually - to make sure you don't just 'do' indefinitely without any greater purpose.

 

[TesTeq]

Paying bills just for fun.

It seems like if I define NA's and Projects, I've also defined 10K and 30K?

Projects = 10K.

Defining NAs & Projects does not imply that you've defined your Goals & Objectives (30K). For example you may pay your bills just for fun or as part of your goal to get out of debt during next 12 months.

 

[pxt]

The book does seem to be vague about how to integrate horizons of focus above 10K ( projects ) into the daily workflow and weekly and monthly review cycles in a way that can be described as a systematic approach.

In my own case, I have decided that the purpose of documents above 10K is to generate Next Projects and hold support materials at a level that crosses multiple such projects, in the same way that a project generates Next Actions and holds support materials that cross multiple actions.

This gives me something concrete to do at review time which is to check that each document has a Next Project. I run through these at monthly review, so now I have a concrete action plan for monthly reviews too.

This still leaves the question of how each level from 20K to 50K behaves differently and I have issues there. For example, the longevity and scope of my Areas of Focus is greater than those of my goals and visions and so they seem to belong above visions and below purpose ! ( And why should I care anyway ? ).

 

[ellobogrande]

If you're new to GTD, don't put a lot of focus into the 20-50,000 ft focus areas. Be aware of them, but don't try to get clear on them at first or you'll blow all of your fuses. You need to get control of the current runway and 10,000 ft in your life. Once you've gotten control over those things then you will be able to graduate your thinking into the higher altitudes.

D.A.'s book "Making it All Work" goes into greater level of detail on how and when to engage with these other altitudes.

 

[TesTeq]

Weekly Review links daily activities with Horizons of Focus.

The book does seem to be vague about how to integrate horizons of focus above 10K ( projects ) into the daily workflow and weekly and monthly review cycles in a way that can be described as a systematic approach.

My understanding is that high-level Horizons of Focus (above 10K) are linked with Runway and 10K via Weekly Reviews only. Weekly Review is primarily the time to check if Runway (Next Actions) is aligned with Projects level. You do the extended Weekly Review monthly/quarterly/yearly to check if the higher levels are aligned too.

 

[kkuja]

My understanding is that high-level Horizons of Focus (above 10K) are linked with Runway and 10K via Weekly Reviews only. Weekly Review is primarily the time to check if Runway (Next Actions) is aligned with Projects level. You do the extended Weekly Review monthly/quarterly/yearly to check if the higher levels are aligned too.

Quoted for truth. This is also pretty much how I have understood it.

E.G. in weekly review you review some of your horizons of focus, asking yourself, does this altitude contain something that needs new projects to advance. Review frequency is defined by the question how often you need to review altitude to stay up to date and stress free. So it may be weekly or may be yearly. As a rule of thumb, higher the altitude, less frequently you need to review it. (E.g. 50k thinking: is this job part of life I want to live?)

As a rough simplification, I say that altitudes above 10K generate projects and projects generate next actions.

runway: Next actions
10k: projects
20k: Areas of responsibility
30k: Vision and goal for 1-2 years
40k: Vision and goal for 3-5 years
50k: life

If you think I have have got something wrong, please tell me about it.

 

[pxt]

kkuja,

I think you are on the right track in attempting to define the mechanics of how to keep your 20K+ materials aligned. I.e., what is it that you do, consistently, during your reviews and your workflow that makes that alignment happen?

The GTD books describe in detail how to align projects (10K) and Next Actions, but they leave it open for 20K+. In your description above, you have decided that the link is that 20K+ materials generate projects. This works for me but I think it's worth keeping in mind that this is an implementation decision for something that was not covered in the book.

My reasons for liking the Next Project approach is that it gives me concrete ways of maintaining that alignment. During monthly review I check from top down that every 20K+ material has a Next Project. Every project I create names its parent and, at project completion, I create a weekly review action to track back to the parent and see what needs to be done to move this 20K+ material to the next Next Project.

 

[TesTeq]

"Making It All Work" has the answers!

I think you are on the right track in attempting to define the mechanics of how to keep your 20K+ materials aligned. I.e., what is it that you do, consistently, during your reviews and your workflow that makes that alignment happen?

I think "Making It All Work" by David Allen gives more thorough description of the connection between Control and Perspective (workflow management and horizons of focus). Highly recommended!

 

[pxt]

I think "Making It All Work" by David Allen gives more thorough description of the connection between Control and Perspective (workflow management and horizons of focus). Highly recommended!

Make your mind up. Does it have the answers or are you not sure?

 

[David.Atom]

Available Materials for More Help

I took the DA public course "managing projects and priorities," this month in Chicago and found that it focussed on the 20k and above and helped me to be able to implement. Explaining the mechanics - I am not there yet . But, there is a four CD set of DA teaching this course in the store that would probably be worth the cash if you want to make a leap forward in your understanding of this area. I am assuming the CD course follows the live one. I took this after ~1.2 years of mostly 0-10k GTD implementation. Hope that helps!

 

[TesTeq]

Understanding more something that you already understand.

Make your mind up. Does it have the answers or are you not sure?

For me all that was required to understand the connection between Control and Perspective was the GTD book.

But MIAW book contains more thorough discussion of this topic so I think that it may help.

I cannot prove it by myself since it is not possible to understand more something that you already understand.

 

[pxt]

For me all that was required to understand the connection between Control and Perspective was the GTD book.

But MIAW book contains more thorough discussion of this topic so I think that it may help.

I cannot prove it by myself since it is not possible to understand more something that you already understand.

If you had understood it, then you would have contributed something to this discussion.

Useless.

 

[mcogilvie]

If you had understood it, then you would have contributed something to this discussion.

Useless.

Don't be harsh. I recommend books and papers to students all the time based on what I think may be of benefit to them, not necessarily on what I got out of them.

 

[TesTeq]

My understanding of high-level Horizons of Focus.

If you had understood it, then you would have contributed something to this discussion.

Useless.

Thank you for your comment. Probably you haven't noticed my previous post in this thread so I quote it for your convenience:

My understanding is that high-level Horizons of Focus (above 10K) are linked with Runway and 10K via Weekly Reviews only. Weekly Review is primarily the time to check if Runway (Next Actions) is aligned with Projects level. You do the extended Weekly Review monthly/quarterly/yearly to check if the higher levels are aligned too.

 

[darlakbrown]

If you had understood it, then you would have contributed something to this discussion.

Useless.

What's up with the attitude? Completely unnecessary and "useless", too!

 

[iannarino]

Making It All Work makes it work

Make your mind up. Does it have the answers or are you not sure?

Making It All Work does a great job explaining the Horizons of Focus and how they fit into GTD. But, the problem some people have is trying to cram the horizons into a tool like Omnifocus.

Your life's meaning doesn't fit into a project, it is all of your projects (which may give you pause the next time you look at your projects). If your projects aren't part of a plan to get you to your goals, then you are going to feel it; you can't neglect the 30,000 and 40,000 K view of what you are doing.

The tools, in my opinion, work to capture the 10K and 20K. Completing the tasks, the "do," is how you achieve at 30-50K.

 

[cwoodgold]

You might like the chart I posted (5th post in "defining goals in vision" thread).
After reading "Making it All Work" I had a clearer idea of what the Horizons of Focus
are, and made the chart to express my understanding.

 

[ArcCaster]

I participated in a discussion about this when I was a GTD connect member (currently, I am not). What we tried to capture was the question that each of the levels asks. I can't remember the answers, but it made sense at the time. Will somebody who is a member of both forums re-post this here?

Thanks,
Rob

 

[Barb]

I'll chime in

Hi, ArcCaster..miss you over in Connect

Here are the definitions:

10,000: Projects
20,000: Areas of Focus and responsibility
30,000: Goals and Objectives (next 12-24 months)
40,000: Vision: Long-term outcomes and ideal scenarios/goals
50,000: Purpose and Core Values - why am I doing this?

Hope this helps.