The advantages of having two systems

[Ariadne Marques]

This where NirvanaHQ distinguished itself for me. Nirvana uses "areas" to filter and sort all your actions, projects, and reference items. I have two (2) areas: work and personal. But since they are in the same "system" (i.e., Nirvana) I can easily move back and forth between the two.

I agree with @mickdodge : the "Areas" feature in Nirvana works well for me. I can switch between work and personal very quickly with a keyboard shortcut, and the Inbox is unified, making it easier to capture.
I tried having separate MS To-Do accounts, and one of the things that bothered me a lot was switching from one account to another to capture stuff. It created a mental barrier for me, because I didn't want to capture a personal item inside my work account (or vise versa).

 

[mksilk2]

the "Areas" feature in Nirvana works well for me. I can switch between work and personal very quickly with a keyboard shortcut, and the Inbox is unified, making it easier to capture

I use the areas feature in Nirvana to classify my projects/actions into my Areas of Focus

 

[Baz]

Based on this thread I have switched back to having both my personal and work projects and next action lists together in my work MS To Do.

I’m already noticing less friction with things like the weekly review where I’m not having to do (what feels like) two of them due to having two separate list managers.

Although I don’t distinguish between work and personal next actions, I’ve separated my project lists as that makes it easier when I’m discussing my workflow with my team at work.

I suspect I’ll see even more of a benefit when I return to work next week after five months of family leave as I’ll spend most of time in front of the MS ToDo desktop app.

 

[TesTeq]

Based on this thread I have switched back to having both my personal and work projects and next action lists together in my work MS To Do.

@Baz Certainly there's less friction in maintaining one system than two. But remember: unless you're business owner your work MS To Do is not yours but your employer's. So don't put there Projects like "New job found".

 

[Baz]

@Baz Certainly there's less friction in maintaining one system than two. But remember: unless you're business owner your work MS To Do is not yours but your employer's. So don't put there Projects like "New job found".

Ha!

The lack of privacy is the biggest drawback in my situation.

However if the scenario you describe occurs I will use thinly veiled euphemisms such as “deploy parachute” or “scorch earth.”

 

[Zenminimalismo]

I use one main system but "tag" or "label" stuff as personal or professional. That way, I have the clarity I need but without the extra maintenance. For those overlapping projects, maybe use a unique tag like "hybrid" or something.

 

[FocusGuy]

As I have things and omnifocus I thought and love both of them, I thought I could use Omnifocus for my work and Things as personal GTD system. If I were on pc I could use Todoist for professional system and Nirvana as personal system.
Anyway There is an holistic way about using GTD. What I mean here is that at a certain point you need to review your personal and professional engagement with a bird eyes. Our lives are implicated in personal and professional life. So I try to make it easy without wondering is it personal or is it professional ?
About working in a company I understand you perfectly. Years ago I was in a big company and it was a very competitive environnement. There was some very confidential information I could not share or be revealed. I could not trust certain people, sadly. If I were again in this situation I think I would try to find a system Which could manage my personal and professional life.
- Something like todoist or nirvana could make this on a pc environnement (online system. Only you can access to it)
- Or may be I could use an iPad for my own system Taking note, using GTD with omnifocus (more professional) or things, if it is not too complicated. Then I would use my corporate tools for communication but my real personal and professional system would be on the iPad.
An iPad is today like a paper note book. You can have it on your side everytime. You can save datas online so if you loose it you buy another one and restore your datas. No problem in meetings it is commonly accepted. there is a pencil and you can collect stuff anywhere. Then back at home you can work on your computer and make a 15 mn daily review for updating your daily informations. Make it simple. Make it efficient : that's my credo !

 

[radioman]

I can't have my personal projects show up at work. I simply can't afford it. I'd rather die than have my colleagues know what projects I am engaged in my personal life. I work in a very competitive field, IT, and to summarize, it's complicated. One system, although it would give a much needed clarity of mind and easier to maintain, no, no thanks.

I was wondering how it really works for those who manage to juggle two systems, as it's not recommended in the book, and it seems to me that it adds to the workload of people like me who are already super stressed and it begins to falter over time, or the personal system is neglected or not managed properly.

To add up, when I started to process I do noticed that some projects do overlap and would be beneficial both at home and at work, so... even though I would have a clearly defined separation work-personal, some projects do not respect this dynamic and they might as well be considered both personal and professional. I have a handful of those.

I consider, I might be overthinking, or I built walls around me and cornered myself, but I got myself stuck and I see no way out of me implementing GTD in my life this way.

When I was working, I, too, had to keep my personal and work systems as separate as I could, for a number of reasons.

My work day was pretty much during day shift on weekdays, so my personal Android smart phone calendar had very little on it for those hours. About the only time that I wanted to show duplicate appointments was when I had to leave work for a personal appointment, e.g., a doctor's visit. I needed to show that on my Outlook work calendar so that I (and anyone looking at my work calendar) would know that I will be out of the office at that time.

The only other "work thing" that I can think of that was on my smart phone was an encrypted set of passwords to my various work accounts (along with all of my personal ones) in an Android app.

For backup purposes, I regularly synced my personal data in various apps on my Android phone with my personal PC laptop. My work information was backed up automatically by whatever IT processes that my employer had in place on the network.

In spite of all of this "separateness," there was almost no duplication of information. In situations like this, I always like to cite the old saying: "A man with one watch knows what time it is; a man with two is never sure." So, each data record resided in only one place (that was backed up somewhere, via sync'ing or otherwise), but the whole set of data happened to reside in 2 places, namely work and personal devices.

I hope this helps.

Joe

 

[Kerrilynn]

Pondering on what Clayton (@schmeggahead ) says, this comes to me:
A carpenter would never have only one tool in his toolbox, because one tool can't be used for all tasks. Likewise, there is no one tool that can make up your whole GTD system. Myself, I use Asana for tasks and projects, and Notion for higher horizons, checklists and all kinds of notes. Email lives in its own ecosystem, and Google Drive takes care of reference.

Following this thought, two separate list managers can make up a whole system. If I had to do this, I would be especially careful about choosing capture tools that I could bring with me anywhere and capture thoughts as they appear (you know, you don't always have your best thoughts about work when you're at work...) without compromising security measures.

And remember: "I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans" (William Blake - I believe it was in "Ready for anything" that David Allen used this quote)

 

[Shady Waxwing]

If I had to separate work and personal for company policy or software reasons I would do it. But it's not how I think about my commitments. They're all just part of my life. I happy that I get to keep just one system.

 

[ColdKeeper]

If you are all Apple, Drafts has a desktop app with a configurable keyboard shortcut for quick entry window, several iPhone widget choices, an excellent watch app and iPad app. There is a thriving community developing actions to send text to just about any other application.

‎Drafts

‎Drafts is where text starts. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere! Drafts turns text into action with almost limitless possibilities – it’s a quick notebook, handy editor, and writing automation tool, all in one. Capture all of your text in Drafts and send it to other apps without...

apps.apple.com

‎Drafts

‎Drafts is where text starts. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere! Drafts turns text into action with almost limitless possibilities – it’s a quick notebook, handy editor, and writing automation tool, all in one. Capture all of your text in Drafts and send it to other apps without...

apps.apple.com

Hope this helps,
Clayton

With the right tool, things go faster.

I am a big fan of Drafts. I use it for everything and then decide what to do with later when I am processing the Drafts inbox

 

[GTDChemist]

One solution indeed as @gtdstudente pointed is to have a paper system for the personal GTD. I haven't had considered that... It's worth noting I am using Workflowy, which is an outline tool similar to Dynalist, and the problem arised when I tried to have both systems in Workflowy given that in this tool, switching accounts is not very practical and it has no feature to hide or protect some sections other than use a filter #hashtag which can be easily disabled.

I totally agree, I should expect results in my systems according to the effort I put in maintaining them. If other people ended up neglecting one system in detriment to the other, I shouldn't try to mirror their experiences and focus on building my own.

@René Lie yes, that would be viable, I can create two outlines, one branching to the work projects and the other to the personal projects. The problem is Workflowy has a zoom feature which can make everything visible within a few clicks.

It hasn't occurred to me I could bring another device with me at work, for my personal tasks... I think I will go with this idea, since I would like to have everything sync in my Worfklowy accounts.

Thanks @Baz for your input!

Here is the link @Baz mentioned in case someone is interested. I am familiar with this episode. I researched it before asking.

I really would like a GTD system at work with minimal interference so I could show some parts of it to my boss or to other people, not that it would happen often, I also lock my computer when I leave so probably it wouldn't be so problematic to have one system, the thing my work is hectic and sometimes I leave in a hurry or have to show my screen to other IT technicians through remote access and give them total access to my computer, that's why I don't feel so safe having my personal projects there.

I have two accounts in Worflowy and I shared links from one to another, this gives me a reasonable amount of peace since my personal projects won't show in the search bar. This method limits Workflowy's function but it's worth a try... If this doesn't work, I'll bring a second device to work and problem solved.

If you have had experiences with two systems please share below so others can benefit in the future. I'll keep watching the thread.

Cheers!

I have no further wisdom to add to this thread. I just wanted to chime in and say, as a fellow Workflowyer, I love it as a GTD tool! It is so simple and stays out of your way, but can do complex things if you want it to. I used to have my entire system in there, but I moved to Todoist for the integrations. I still use it as my reference tool, notetaker, and archive.

Best wishes. I hope things calm down for you and you integrate your two systems in a way that is harmonious.

Cheers,
Stephen

 

[Baz]

Based on this thread I have switched back to having both my personal and work projects and next action lists together in my work MS To Do.

I’m already noticing less friction with things like the weekly review where I’m not having to do (what feels like) two of them due to having two separate list managers.

Although I don’t distinguish between work and personal next actions, I’ve separated my project lists as that makes it easier when I’m discussing my workflow with my team at work.

I suspect I’ll see even more of a benefit when I return to work next week after five months of family leave as I’ll spend most of time in front of the MS ToDo desktop app.

Since posting this I've lost count of the number of times I've switched between having a single list manager (my work accounts for MS To Do) and separate list managers for work and personal (work account for MS To Do and one of iOS Reminders or Tick Tick).

I seem to stick with one option for a week or so before feeling the urge to switch to the one because something has come up that I don't like, the most recent one being not wanting to have a project for a family member's health matter in my work account for MS To Do.

I've been doing GTD for almost two years and one list manager was never a conundrum for me until I had five months of paternity leave earlier this year after the birth of my second child. Thanks to GTD I did a great handover before finishing up and I didn't want to be seeing work related projects and next actions while I was off for an extended period (because work and personal were in MS To Do on my work account).

Re-reading this thread again has helped. I need to heed my own advice in post no. 4 about trade offs. I've tried both ways umpteen times and neither way is perfect or ever will be.

I reminded of a quote I read recently by the Economist Thomas Soweel who said "there are no solutions, only trade offs".

Unless of course I win the lottery and no longer have to work!

 

[cfoley]

not wanting to have a project for a family member's health matter in my work account

This sort of thing was part of my motivation to move to paper. I want to be able to include the most personal and sensitive things in my system, fearlessly without worrying about digital security.

I hope your family member is doing well.

 

[dtj]

If you consider the size, complexity, and velocity of each of your work and personal systems needs. For instance, if one of your systems doesn't have many projects or actions, and doesn't change much, you might consider using an analog system. Maybe use different tools for different scales, going from like taskpaper, all the way to something like Asana. If your system has like 5 projects and 50-100 actions, why get all wound around something clever and overly complex.

 

[jamesbrown8791]

This is a big GTD/Organising topic for me, I have changed between having multiple to do lists and notes apps for work and personal, and combining them into 1 to do list and notes app over the years, chopping and changing every now on then. Being the start of the new year I have fell into the procrastination trap of trying new tools! Decided today as we use Office 365 at work that simple is best, stick to Microsoft To Do and OneNote for work stuff as already use Outlook and Teams, as the simplest solution is sometimes the best! I would not feel comfortable putting personal stuff on what is a work system, so I will use a separate todolist and notes app, or maybe even an all in one but I am not sure a good one exists! The search continues... On a side note, with my new year app hunt I have been surprised at the number of apps using AI, being a luddite I am not keen on using one where you cannot switch it off!

 

[dtj]

This is a big GTD/Organising topic for me, I have changed between having multiple to do lists and notes apps for work and personal, and combining them into 1 to do list and notes app over the years, chopping and changing every now on then. Being the start of the new year I have fell into the procrastination trap of trying new tools! Decided today as we use Office 365 at work that simple is best, stick to Microsoft To Do and OneNote for work stuff as already use Outlook and Teams, as the simplest solution is sometimes the best! I would not feel comfortable putting personal stuff on what is a work system, so I will use a separate todolist and notes app, or maybe even an all in one but I am not sure a good one exists! The search continues... On a side note, with my new year app hunt I have been surprised at the number of apps using AI, being a luddite I am not keen on using one where you cannot switch it off!

You shouldn't feel bad taking some time to "sharpen the saw".

I agree that mixing personal stuff into work resources is "submarvelous". I'm skeptical of the AI stuff as well, and anything that I can think of as value from AI is just simple good intuitive functionality. Like imagine have two future physical meetings that are 125 miles apart, and seperated by 30 mins. That issue would be good to be warned about. Hell, i'm even constantly fighting with Fantastical's entry parsing algorithm, like if I enter "Work at home", I don't want it to put in a "Work" item, with "home" as the location of the entry. I should go look and see what the purported AI features are.

 

[jamesbrown8791]

You shouldn't feel bad taking some time to "sharpen the saw".

I agree that mixing personal stuff into work resources is "submarvelous". I'm skeptical of the AI stuff as well, and anything that I can think of as value from AI is just simple good intuitive functionality. Like imagine have two future physical meetings that are 125 miles apart, and seperated by 30 mins. That issue would be good to be warned about. Hell, i'm even constantly fighting with Fantastical's entry parsing algorithm, like if I enter "Work at home", I don't want it to put in a "Work" item, with "home" as the location of the entry. I should go look and see what the purported AI features are.

Thankyou DTJ, that is a good point not to feel bad about 'sharpening the saw!' I could time it better admittedly, when I work seven days a week in January! I have had yet another change of direction today out of the blue. I have always had resistance to digital notes apps and most to do list apps but have ploughed on, thinking that it is a matter of finding the right tool/s after solving the one system or work and personal decision.

Then today, I asked a different question, usually I would ask:
Should I use a combined system or work and personal system?
Should I use paper, digital or hybrid?
And finally, which tools and apps?

Instead today I asked:
What works?
What has no resistance?
For me that is paper, email, PC documents/Onedrive/Dropbox, spreadsheets (for work, finances and tracking habits etc), todoist (for collection, calendar and on the move lists) and Microsoft To Do (For some reason this works for me for work tasks, seems simple, reliable and keeps completed tasks).

I have got rid of everything else... Digital notes apps and the endless to do lists that I have looked at over the years.

Early days obviously but I have a system in mind - Just need to learn how to GTD on paper for personal stuff!

 

[dtj]

It might needlessly complexify things for you, but I look at my systems on a 'strategic' and 'tactical' level. I do my planning in like Omnifocus (or a mindmap) and my executing (aka "tactical") mostly on paper. The tactical system is basically dayglo green 3x5 cards that represent the limited things that I want to get done in the days or week ahead. Scribbled on at the beginning, thrown out at the end. Going analog at the low level just resonates with me and avoids the attractive hazard of seeing other stuff that I could add to the list, just because my focus items are adjacent to things out of this time scope. I also LOVE scratching things off lists, so theres a very visceral reward to getting sh*t done.

 

[jamesbrown8791]

It might needlessly complexify things for you, but I look at my systems on a 'strategic' and 'tactical' level. I do my planning in like Omnifocus (or a mindmap) and my executing (aka "tactical") mostly on paper. The tactical system is basically dayglo green 3x5 cards that represent the limited things that I want to get done in the days or week ahead. Scribbled on at the beginning, thrown out at the end. Going analog at the low level just resonates with me and avoids the attractive hazard of seeing other stuff that I could add to the list, just because my focus items are adjacent to things out of this time scope. I also LOVE scratching things off lists, so theres a very visceral reward to getting sh*t done.

That's an interesting viewpoint thanks DTJ. Perhaps my brain was not interested in anything it perceives as complicated at this stage as I am not organised at the ground floor/tactical level. So when I have this lower level in a good place, with simple apps and paper, I can experiment from a solid base with what has given me resistance before, and see if it works for me. And yes crossing out/ticking stuff off on paper is something I missed with going digital only!