Try something new for 30 days

K

kelstarrising

Kelly | GTD expert
Hello Friends!

I hope you are all happy and thriving in your GTD practices.

I saw this great TEDTalk video and thought it would make a great 30-day Challenge for you guys.

http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days (only 3 min long)

The idea is to pick one thing (or a few if you're feeling ambitious) that you want to focus on changing over the next 30 days. You could pick something to start or stop doing. I'm going to pick not using my smart phone during meals, to stay conscious and present with eating---and not random surfing.

If you want something GTD related, some ideas for daily practices could be:

--Inbox zero (or whatever number is a good target for you)
--Mind Sweep
--Cleaning something out
--Acknowledging at least one thing a day you're doing better than before with GTD
--Walking/stretching at least once an hour to take a break from your desk
etc.

You know I'm a fan of microscopic steps versus big sweeping changes. This is your game--so pick something where you can come out winning. Don't make it harder on yourself than you need to.

I'll check in periodically and let you know how mine is going. Please do the same. I'd love to hear from y'all!

BTW--life is good for me since heading out into the great unknown. Have done lots of travel (family trips, Nicaraguan surfing camp, London next week), and am now a photographer for our local paper. Still totally passionate about GTD and my systems--just have a whole lot less to process!

-Kelly
 
vbampton

vbampton

Administrator
Kelly!!!!! We missed you! I'm so pleased to hear your new life is working out well for you.

Love the challenge idea. I'm going for 3 things:

1. Empty my OmniFocus inbox every day. I hate processing that inbox!
2. Scan and file any incoming papers daily. I tend to let them pile up for 6 weeks at a time and I really must get out of that habit.
3. Take a photo of William (my older dog) every day. He's getting old now (14) and Charlie's taken his limelight for the last couple of years.

This might be a fun challenge to run more often!
 
Barb

Barb

Registered
Wonderful to have you check in here with us, Kelly! So glad to hear you're doing well. :)
 
A

ArcCaster

Registered
Kelly, glad you are doing well. I have tried your suggestion in the past and like it -- one of my microsteps was an extraordinarily simple 'look at the sky every day' :)
 
K

kelstarrising

Kelly | GTD expert
Great to hear from you all!

OF user--thanks for the tip about Beeminder. Nice that they pull data from something like FitBit, which I use.
 
TesTeq

TesTeq

Registered
kelstarrising said:
Nice that they pull data from something like FitBit, which I use.
Click to expand...

My wife uses FitBit but she synchronizes it with her eyes only! She's satisfied when she reaches her daily goals. No need to keep any records - just a pure satisfaction "at a glance". ;-)
 
enyonam

enyonam

Registered
Lovely to hear from you Kelly! I wish I was able to make it to the seminar in London next week but alas my schedule simply wouldn't comport! Great to see you online :)
 
jmsmall

jmsmall

Registered
Found a good bit of habit tracking software, free, called irunurun.com. You pick up to 7 things to track and it has a nice easy interface. Like it, although since I'm on vacation I'm not tracking as well as when I'm home and working. It would be easy to put weekly review, processing, review lists, etc. in as goals.

Also found a nice thing through the Duke Patient Safety project. It's called something like 3 good things. Each day, preferably in the evening, you write down three things that were good that day, what you had to do with it happening, and the emotion you felt. They have all kinds of data that the 3 things project makes us crazy healthcare workers more resilient, happier, more able to do our jobs. Seems way too simple.
 
John Forrister

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
A

ArcCaster

Registered
John, yes; it does work for everyone. It is an expansion of 'gratitude', which works whether you had anything to do with the good things happening or not :)
 
A

ArcCaster

Registered
jmsmall said:
Seems way too simple.
Click to expand...

Can't remember the exact quote, so I just googled "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich".

From LitCharts.com: "Shukhov goes to bed that night feeling fully content. His day had been a lucky one; he'd procured himself food, worked hard and enjoyed it, bought tobacco, and smuggled a piece of metal back into the camp. He'd fallen ill that morning, but had overcome it."

Probably better in context :)
 
SiobhanBR

SiobhanBR

Registered
ArcCaster said:
Can't remember the exact quote, so I just googled "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich".
Click to expand...

I haven't read this in a very long time - I think I may go find it! Thanks for this.
 
K

kelstarrising

Kelly | GTD expert
OK... I have to admit that I stopped doing my 30-day challenge of no electronics during meals. I wasn't getting much out of it to keep it up. Good experiment though!
 
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