GTD in 10 "Moves" - The New Approach in "The GTD Workbook"

OMG! Dare we suggest a new approach to teaching GTD? What are your thoughts?

“The GTD Workbook” is in development and will be published by Penguin. We are using a different approach to learning and implementing GTD: We are teaching the methodology that you know and love via 15 specific procedures that David named “moves.” The term is comparable to yoga "postures," or tennis "strokes," or martial arts "moves."

The benefit of breaking the methodology down into specific chunks of "doing" is that it allows new users to learn GTD one specific activity at a time.

We want to show you these moves, and get your comments. Are you game?

FYI - I am the co-author with David Allen of this new book. I have been associated with David and his company for over 10 years, and have been a GTD fan since the book first came out.

Thank you!
 
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Email to: brandonhall.gtdworkbook@gmail.com
 

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The Moves of GTD

You can copy this post, and past it into an email or doc.
Send your comments to:
brandonhall.gtdworkbook@gmail.com


Thank you!


For the upcoming book, The GTD Workbook, we are using a different approach to learning and implementing GTD: the GTD methodology is taught via 15 specific procedures that David named “moves.” The term is comparable to yoga postures, or tennis strokes, ormartial arts moves.
The benefit of breaking the methodology down into specific chunks is that it allows new users to learn GTD one specific activity at a time.
Below is the list of GTD moves. What do you think about them? Please be as direct as you can be. You will not hurt our feelings!! We want this to be the best workbook possible.

Here are the questions.

1.What do you think of the NAME of each move? (How could it be improved?)

2.Are these moves that you see as both the necessaryand sufficientones? (Please suggest any additional moves.)

3.What do you think of this idea of teaching GTD via a list of specific activities (in addition to all the excellent current ways)?

4.Would you like to be included in additional surveys re tests of The GTD Workbook?


Provide your comments in whatever way is most convenient for you.
You can copy and edit this doc, and email it back to:
If you edit this doc in MS Word, please turn on ‘Track Changes’, if you care to.
Your input will help make The GTD Workbookmore useful. Thank you.


The Moves of GTD - May 6, 2018 - The GTD Workbook

— CAPTURING —

Move #1 Capture All of Your Incoming Paper & Stuff
into One In-Tray
Move #2 Capture Next Actions and Ideas as They Occur, Especially in Meetings and Conversations.
Move #3 Capture Your Thoughts & Ideas with a Mind Sweep Regularly. (Or do you prefer: "Capture What’s on Your Mind with a Mind Sweep Regularly."

— CLARIFYING —

Move #4: Use the 2-Minute Rule
Move #5: Get Your In-Tray to Empty Every Day or So.
Move #6: Get Your Emails to Zero Every Day or So

— ORGANIZING —

Move #7 Keep Track of Your Next Actions on One List.
Move #8 Keep Track of Your Projects on One List
Move #9 Use These Folders to Organize

—REFLECTING —

Move #10 Do Your Weekly Review. Every Week. Maybe Forever.

— ENGAGING —

Move #11 Use these Guidelines to Decide What To Do Right Now

— HANDLING BACKLOG —
Note: Moves for handling backlog are included because it seems to be a key issue for those new to implementing GTD. (And for those whose system goes off the rails for a time.) The “In One Hour” will be explained when you see the step-by-step for each move. It is accurate given the recommended step-by-step, and is purposely used so that handling backlog can be seen as a do-able task.

Move #12 Contain and Move Any Email Backlog – In One Hour.
Move #13 Contain and Move Any Paper Backlog – In One Hour.

— GETTING PROJECTS UNDER CONTROL—

Move #14 Launch Projects with the Natural Planning Model

— THE PATH OF GTD MASTERY—

Move #15 Continue to Learn About and Develop Your GTD Practice

* The book is to be published by Penguin in late 2018 or early 2019. David Allen is senior author, as the inventor of the methodology, and much of the text is drawn from his Getting Things Done book. I am Brandon Hall, Ph.D., the second author, contributing the behavioral and workbook elements. The manuscript is due to the publisher Aug 1, 2018, and the first draft is complete.
brandonhall.gtdworkbook@gmail.com
 

JacDee

Registered
  • It appears that the horizons of focus are missing from the 15 moves.
  • I would consider using the word “plays”rather than moves. Together they become the GTD playbook.
  • And yes I would be interested in additional surveys.
 

TesTeq

Registered
I like plays too- I will do a survey and will try it on a couple of new young and unititiated people in our practice.
What would "play" mean? "Move" is like "step". We say "next move", "next step" or "next action". But I've never heard "next play".
 
  • It appears that the horizons of focus are missing from the 15 moves.
  • I would consider using the word “plays”rather than moves. Together they become the GTD playbook.
  • And yes I would be interested in additional surveys.
JacDee,
* Good catch re The Horizons of Focus. They are included in the intro chapter, where we cover Perspective and Control, Horizons of Focus, Mind Like Water, and Your Productive Experience.

* I love "Playbook"! (Who needs more work??)
In researching other workbooks from best-selling authors, I came across one called a playbook - a really good one - by Christiane Northrup, M.D. For this book, however, the die is cast. But thanks for the push in that direction!

* I will post the next survey here.
Thank for your comments!
 
I like moves, steps, and plays, so this isn't a vote for any particular term. But here's a "play" reference in the GTD Connect Document Library. It's David Allen's one-page article called "The Play of the Day."
https://gtdconnect.com/white-papers/white-papers-download.php?id=202

John,
Thanks for pointing out this article. Yes, David talks about “the play you are making” and refers to “being in the game.” I got caught up in the piece. He continues, “As any performance race driver will tell you, coasting is the most dangerous behavior. You have to stay involved... You must play. You have to get in the game you’re in.”

This reminds of the “In the Arena” speech by Theodore Roosevelt, which I included below. I cringed at the focus on "the “man who” and had to include the woman who" with ( )s.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man (or woman) who points out how the strong man (or woman) stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man (or woman!) who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself (or herself) in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he (or she) fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his (or her) place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
 

vaughan76

Registered
I clicked on the above link, but when I clicked on the “IMG” link to view the gtd dominoes, what came up was a photo of David Allen and his quote “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” Is that the intended web page for each IMG link? Is that photo your gtd dominoes?

That usually happens when the thread is old and the links don’t work anymore.
 
I would appreciate any thoughts re the (under development) Table of Contents for The GTD Workbook!

GETTING STARTED
·Perspective and Control
·Horizons of Focus
·Mind Like Water
·Your Productive Experience
·Self-Assessment: You at Work
·Introduction to The Five Steps of Getting Things Done
·Introduction to Your Workbook
·Your Progress Tracking Chart


THE HOW TO’S OF GTD
Step 1: Capturing—Corral Your “Stuff”
Chapter 1 – How to Capture
Step 2: Clarifying —Get Your “In” to Empty
Chapter 2 – How to Clarify
Step 3: Organizing —Set Up the Right Buckets for Your Stuff
Chapter 3 – How to Organize
Step 4: Reviewing —Keep Your System Working Smoothly
Chapter 4 – How to Review
Step 5: Engaging —Decide What To Do Right Now
Chapter 5 – How to Engage
How To Disappear Your Backlog
Chapter 6: How to Resolve Any Email or Paper Backlog
How To Your Launch Projects Effectively

Chapter 7 – How to Launch and View Your Projects —the Natural Way

YOUR PATH TO GTD MASTERY
Chapter 8 – How to Pursue GTD Mastery
 
Do you see anything missing from the proposed table of contents for the GTD Workbook? Any improvements to the titles of chapters? We want the content to be seen as accessible, direct, and practical.
 
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