David Allen Coaching Video Compilation

PeterByrom

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Hi all,

I while ago I edited together this video, of real life examples of David Allen walking people through the GTD "capture-clarify-organise" process. I added visual aids to it, because for me - starting out with GTD - I always struggled to visualise how one would track projects and actions, so I hope those graphics are useful!

Seeing these examples really helped me understand more about how to apply GTD, so I'm sharing them here for y'all! :)

 

gtdstudente

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Thank you . . . Spot-On . . . Take-Away . . . drill-down on all of those 'fake actions' on a fake 'Next Actions List(s)' . . . with laser focus on reality: one can only DO what is Actually a N E X T Actionable! If you so please, while GTD can facilitate 'navel-gazing' . . . however, it's aim is much wider than 'navel-gazing' . . . unless one aims for 'navel-gazing' . . . no judgement! What say you? Thank you.
 
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PeterByrom

Registered
Thank you . . . Spot-On . . . Take-Away . . . drill-down on all of those 'fake actions' on the Next Actions List(s) . . . with laser focus on reality: one can only DO what is Actually Actionable! If you so please, while GTD can facilitate 'navel-gazing' . . . however, it's aim is much wider than 'navel-gazing' . . . unless one aims for 'navel-gazing' . . . no judgement! What say you? Thank you.

If GTD helps you identify your next actions as soon as they show up then I’d say that’s the antithesis of navel gazing! :)
 

gtdstudente

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False dichotomy!

furthermore, every project must have a next action, but not every next action has a project.
:oops: . . . agreed . . . valid point . . . touché . . . as 'The Arnold' would say "I'll be back!" Thank you for allowing/encouraging me to 'GTD Think' :) !
 
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gtdstudente

Registered
:oops: . . . agreed . . . valid point . . . touché . . . as 'The Arnold' would say "I'll be back!" Thank you for allowing/encouraging me to 'GTD Think' :) !
Thus, how does one's know one has a bona-fide Next Action that is really a disguised multi-step . . . 'Mini-Project' that very subtle clogs-up/drags-down one's work flow? If you so please feel free to reply here or in the "How About a Deep Dive into 'Next Action(s)' ?" post/thread. Thank you
 

PeterByrom

Registered
Thus, how does one's know one has a bona-fide Next Action that is really a disguised multi-step . . . 'Mini-Project' that very subtle clogs-up/drags-down one's work flow? If you so please feel free to reply here or in the "How About a Deep Dive into 'Next Action(s)' ?" post/thread. Thank you

If you mean “how do I know when I’ve identified a real next action”, then I would say it needs to be three things:

1 - specifically describes physically what the very next activity is that you need to do. Eg not “arrange meeting” but “check June calendar dates for inviting SMT members”

2 - specifically describes visibly what you’re doing. Somebody should be able to film you doing it, from what you describe. Eg not “work on spreadsheet” but “check spreadsheet for broken formulae”.

3 - you should be able to do it in a single sitting. For example, you might think the next action is “complete application form”, but what if you can’t complete it in a single session because you might have to go away and find out some information or arrange referees first? What you could do, however, is “review application form for requirements”.

That help?
 
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Zenminimalismo

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That sounds like a fantastic resource for anyone trying to get a grip on GTD! Adding visual aids is a brilliant idea, especially for visual learners like myself who can sometimes struggle with abstract concepts without concrete examples. I remember when I first dabbled in GTD; it was a bit of a challenge to visualize how everything fits together. Resources like the one you've shared are incredibly helpful.
 

gtdstudente

Registered
If you mean “how do I know when I’ve identified a real next action”, then I would say it needs to be three things:

1 - specifically describes physically what the very next activity is that you need to do. Eg not “arrange meeting” but “check June calendar dates for inviting SMT members”

2 - specifically describes visibly what you’re doing. Somebody should be able to film you doing it, from what you describe. Eg not “work on spreadsheet” but “check spreadsheet for broken formulae”.

3 - you should be able to do it in a single sitting. For example, you might think the next action is “complete application form”, but what if you can’t complete it in a single session because you might have to go away and find out some information or arrange referees first? What you could do, however, is “review application form for requirements”.

That help?
@PeterByrom,

A mere almost three years later . . . that helps a lot

Thank you very much for your help
 
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