What GTD products would you find useful?

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
We are considering what new GTD products we may develop, and are very interested in your ideas. Is there some aspect of your GTD practice where a video or audio program, a PDF, or some other product would be supportive? Another way of asking that is, do you struggle with some part of implementing GTD where some product might remove that friction?

In our last team meeting we joked about making a David Allen bobblehead. Please know that we welcome all suggestions, no matter how crazy or humorous.
 

ivanjay205

Registered
A few things come to me:
  1. A guide, training, or book, around sharing the system with others. I have quite a few in my office that are always amazed at how organized and disciplined I am, and want to do the same. they are not quite ready for a coach, nor are they ready to read the book. But they need a primer, a way to get loosely involved in the system and realize there is something here.
  2. I had mentioned this in another post and I know you saw the idea but more specifics on the engage side. I would love to read about real life stories and examples of how different disciplines handle different things
  3. A modernized view on contexts. I, like so many others, are less contextual based now. Home, office, computer, mobile, all start to blend except for the physical aspects of it. I can do nearly anything on my ipad I can do on my computer.
  4. Printed reference material. I like to keep a printed chart of the GTD process, natural planning model, etc. at my desk. Would be nice to have a nice set of printed material or digital material for that purpose.
  5. I know this one will not happen as the complexity involved is crazy but I would LOVE to see an email client built around GTD methodolgy. That would be incredible.
  6. As much as I love David Allen and GTD, not quite sure a David Allen bobblehead is going to make it to my desk or my colleagues will request a lot of explaining from me lol
 

Ger80C

Registered
+1 for the bobblehead.

Maybe also a DA action figure (with one arm longer than the other, from schlepping around the time/design for years), complete with a set consisting of a dark alley, four people jumping you, and a boat to pull up the rear guard from. Also, an action figure of Fred with his telephone, waiting to be called.
;-)

more (serious) ideas to come
Have a good weekend everyone.
 
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Josh Mitchell

Registered
John, are there existing topics you are considering that we might be able to vote on? Here are a few initial thoughts:
  • The recent webinar on "Let's Talk About Contexts" in a "work anywhere" world was helpful
  • Discovering new inputs (slack, social media, texts, etc) and getting them into your trusted inbox (I almost wanted to call them multiple inboxes)
  • Project Support teaching - when you're in the engage/do stage, what are the best habits to keep/organize the work, place the bookmark, and be kind to your future self
 

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
Thanks, and please keep the ideas coming. Except you, @Ger80C. For you I have checked the box on the forum admin that's labeled "Discourage." Truly, there is such a setting. The text next to the checkbox says, "Discouraged users are subjected to annoying random delays and failures in system behavior." I'm kidding of course. I value @Ger80C for his sense of humor and other great qualities.
 

dtj

Registered
Not necessarily DaveCo, but *somebody*. I'd love for some glue software between strategic and tactical software. In my case, i'd love software that would take OmniFocus items, perhaps specific tags or due dated items, and put it into say 2Do or Reminders, into a specific list (having previously cleared it) for tactical use. Extra credit for it communicating checked off items back to OmniFocus. It can be a background task, or something that user runs.
 

pgarth

Registered
We are considering what new GTD products we may develop, and are very interested in your ideas. Is there some aspect of your GTD practice where a video or audio program, a PDF, or some other product would be supportive? Another way of asking that is, do you struggle with some part of implementing GTD where some product might remove that friction?

In our last team meeting we joked about making a David Allen bobblehead. Please know that we welcome all suggestions, no matter how crazy or humorous.
High level response: Some means of tracking "locations" of my project and action support.

Over the years, I've amassed a bunch of tools/resources that allow me to place data/material/information/ideas etc. Some tools are better designed for different formats - Full text; PDF's, Word, Excel; MInd Maps; written stuff I scanned and uploaded; audio I recorded to myself; links to web-sites, etc.

Folders on my mac; Folders in OneDrive; Folders in G-Drive; paper stuff; audio stuff - on phone; pictures - on phone and other places I've uploaded.

OneDrive at work but also my own OneDrive -- Some projects have bled over between personal and work.

In other words -- tracking what I call "Locators".

One thought I had was to enter a section called "Locators" into the top part of a defined Project - within "Project and Action Support" that is my central Locators GoTo. Theoretically, I would go to Locators and be reminded where I actually placed the variety of Project support material.

I can't tell you the number of times I've been "saved" by going into "Downloads" and finding something I needed, but that's not sustainable.

If I had a DavidCo Product that helped with my agreement of where I placed support material (typically electronic, but also paper), that would be awesome.
 

Jim

GTD Ninja
Some ideas that come to mind:
  • A GTD version of Brain Toss. Optionally, it asks you once an hour: What is on your mind? or What do you want to capture right now?
  • A physical 2 minute timer/stopwatch
  • Gather the checklists of all of the staff and publish them in a PDF
  • A Weekly Review checklist printed on an index card—sell them in a stack of 52
 

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
  • A physical 2 minute timer/stopwatch
Fun ideas, Jim! There are two-minute hourglasses available, just not GTD branded. Years ago Davidco had a two-minute digital timer, a small executable file that ran on Windows. At the end of two minutes, the countdown timer changed to ask, "What is your next action?"

I just installed and ran it successfully on Windows 10. I have not tested it on Windows 11. If anyone reading this wants it, email connect@davidco.com and we'll send you the small 358KB file.
 

mickdodge

Registered
A GTD temporary tattoo kit that maybe says "Capture, Engage, Next Action?" aligned vertically that would fit on the back of your hand. They have some temporary tattoo kits now that last 3 to 10 days! I could re-apply at my weekly review. ;)

Or even a GTD rubber wrist band or imprinted pencil/pen with the same. Something always within my visual field to remind me to capture my thoughts and keep engaging in my next actions.

Maybe a GTD cheat sheet that compresses the Methodology Guides into a single laminated double-sided letter/A4 size sheet? Maybe a cheat sheet for each of the set up guides for someone who just wants a quick visual reference?
 

FocusGuy

Registered
2 ideas comes to my mind
i love practical tools. i don t know if it already exists....
1. a video of David Allen showing in real life step by step explaining Gtd (control + horizons) and his tool eg what he wanted, how he made it and how use his own system. Would be like a practical and real case for people working at home. We could see David working, explaining and applying step by step gtd during one day for exemple. Like a film from the morning until the end of the day. Could be a series of videos we could watch and apply. The video would be adapted to modern time and practical. A clear summary of Gtd and a testimony of his own experience, for the future we could refer when we have a doubt about something.
2. There are many little tiny habits and practice with gtd would be nice having a step by step reference guide for people knowing GTD, a using guide (control + horizon) with only but summary and picture + Good habits + advices.
eg collect tools, do this, not that + questions.
process etc...
= Gtd part 2 : a new book ?
 
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Oogiem

Registered
Is there some aspect of your GTD practice where a video or audio program, a PDF, or some other product would be supportive?
Make a new improved notetaker wallet. Use cheap spiral bound pads in std sizes. The business nd other card sneed tobe side by side so the take less space and the wallet doesn't get too thick.

I have a design that works and will give it to you if you make them.
 

Michelle Rodrigues

GTD Connect
Some ideas:

1. Videos of the tools implementation. We already have it in pdf format, but maybe in video it would be easier to understand and implement.

2. Video about the implementation of Clarify with Organize, really putting everything in its place, especially the issue of Projects and Next Actions. It would be much easier for the participants to understand.
 

Philb

Registered
Make a new improved notetaker wallet. Use cheap spiral bound pads in std sizes. The business nd other card sneed tobe side by side so the take less space and the wallet doesn't get too thick.

I have a design that works and will give it to you if you make them.
+1 for the notetaker wallet. David released a video a few days ago talking about capturing thoughts and how he uses his notetaker wallet. I hope this makes a return to the GTD catalog in 2023. I liked the ballistic nylon version.
 

René Lie

Certified GTD Trainer
Gather the checklists of all of the staff and publish them in a PDF
If you use Office 365 and everyone store their checklists on designated spaces on the cloud, this should be doable with Power Automate. There are videos on YouTube which describe how to set it up. I have successfully set up a flow that takes a Forms entry, fills the answers into a document tamplate in Word, converts it to PDF, places it as an attachment in an email and sendes it to two specified recipients!
 

René Lie

Certified GTD Trainer
1. a video of David Allen showing in real life step by step explaining Gtd (control + horizons) and his tool eg what he wanted, how he made it and how use his own system. Would be like a practical and real case for people working at home. We could see David working, explaining and applying step by step gtd during one day for exemple. Like a film from the morning until the end of the day. Could be a series of videos we could watch and apply. The video would be adapted to modern time and practical. A clear summary of Gtd and a testimony of his own experience, for the future we could refer when we have a doubt about something.
This is actually very well shown in the new Crucial Learning course. Maybe those videos could be made available for GTD Connect members?
 
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