A first post to the group..suffering from the GTD bug

L

LondonCalling

0
Dear GTDers,

As a relative newcomer to GTD I felt compelled to write my first post to the forum due to the rather strange affect it has had on me. I first read GTD about 8 months ago- thought it was great and immediately implemented about 50% of it which gradually reduced to about 10% by x-mas. I then innocently picked the book up again during the x-mas period (thinking about new year resolutions etc) and have been ‘obsessed’ every since. GTD is constantly on my mind and I’ve been waking real early - 4/5 am. I was up at 4.30am yesterday preparing a consultation paper for next week. My job is busy, like most others I suppose and a few of my large projects have some important deadlines in January but this feels very different to being ‘stressed out’. I worked in psychiatry for years before going into senior management in the NHS public sector so I know abnormal mental health. I have some symptoms of depression (e.g. early morning waking) but I’m just TOO DAMN HAPPY!! It’s more like being in ‘flow’ most of the time- I think I’m excited by the fact that I really feel on top of things at the moment for the first time in ages and I’ve managed to keep it up for two weeks!!!- As a guy, thats not bad as new years resolutions go. I think DA is right about how different the book can be second time around (Ok, hands up... I read it for the third time last week)

Anyway, I’m probably about 70% implemented- but as you can imagine I still haven’t got the ‘review’ in place- that is going to need practice- I just end up working on one or two projects rather than reviewing. I scrapped my old filing system (or more like ‘filling’ system) and did it the GTD way with a label machine-what a difference. My filing cabinets dont have this metal mechanism that David Allen refers to in order to keep the files in place but I found a really effective substitute- a large metal book end (5 star book end- the L shaped kind that slip under the files to keep them in place)- so, no more hanging files for me- apart from my tickler files.

I am hoping that my sleep pattern returns to normal through the therapeutic use of the GDT forum which I will hopefully post to once in a while. I really enjoy reading the posts and especially the descriptions of each individual’s systems and interpretations/embellishments of GTD.

My very best to you all.

LondonCalling
 
too cool

Dear LondonCalling,
That is just too cool. I am really happy for you. For those of you who have been following my after-holiday crack-up, I too am back on track and getting psyched. Today has been a great GTD day. I was stuck, overwhelmed, and spinning, but with the forum's great help, I hve spun way way out of the ditch.
Trish:D
 
Good for both of you!

Hi, LondonCalling, nice to hear that you're so excited about it all. Cool alias, too: one of the damn finest albums of the millenium, that was.

And Trish, so glad you've got your wheels back where they oughta be.

Me, well, I'm still kinda blocked, but not as bad as I was. I'm getting there, I think. Hope springs eternal...
 
Londoncalling and Trish-
Great to hear from you both. Keep us posted on the hang-ups as well as the progress. It helps to hear how others overcome the difficulties. Keep it up!
Darla
 
As you do

Thanks everyone. The two biggest changes so far have been that I only use 30% of the filing cabinet space that I use to! And I'm feeling on top of my projects. I realised yesterday what I used to do. I almost seemed to wait until someone said 'so what's happening with the so and so project'- I would then say its all under control (as you do), feel very uneasy and race back to my office to see what I had forgotten!

LC
 
LondonCalling;45055 said:
Dear GTDers,
Anyway, I’m probably about 70% implemented- but as you can imagine I still haven’t got the ‘review’ in place- that is going to need practice- I just end up working on one or two projects rather than reviewing.
Click to expand...

I would recommend that you concentrate on getting your review done this week. I really believe that the weekly review is the secret to sticking with the system. It is normal in a hectic week to fall behind a little on processing and have some things stzck up or fall through the cracks. But the weekly review gets you back on track, fills the holes in, catches things that have been missed, etc. You may not be at 100% yet, but if you want to stick with it, I would move the review to the top of your priorities.
 
Thanks Jeff. I've blocked out every friday afternoon for two hours which is usually a quiet time for me and I wrote out yesterday exactly what I'd review each friday. I feel much clearer about what I need to be doing and I always make sure to clear my desk and intrays at the end of day which is definately a new behaviour for me. In terms of review- I need to make sure I stick tio the 2 minute rule or I can end up 'reviewing' one project for best part of an hour. Needs discipline and repetition to get better at it I suppose- just like everything else.

Thanks again.

LC
 
My widgets go all which ways

Trish;45064 said:
So unstuffed, what's the problem? what's hanging you up?
Trish:confused:
Click to expand...

Hi Trish,

I'm having some hiccoughs with the doing stage, and because of that, with the review stage. But I got a whole lot done today (during your night, heh heh heh), and very useful work too, in terms of stuff that will make me some money (because I'm a bit skint, having started a business a few months ago).

I've also got a daily checklist, which is helping me to see some behaviours that hadn't reached my consciousness yet. It's very instructive to find out what you're doing, so you can then work out why and try to stop it.

And my review day is tomorrow, so with any luck I'll throw myself face-first into my trays and rummage around, and come out all shiny and enthusiastic. :)
 
Free Template somewhere on this site

LondonCalling;45095 said:
Thanks Jeff. I've blocked out every friday afternoon for two hours which is usually a quiet time for me and I wrote out yesterday exactly what I'd review each friday. I feel much clearer about what I need to be doing and I always make sure to clear my desk and intrays at the end of day which is definately a new behaviour for me. In terms of review- I need to make sure I stick tio the 2 minute rule or I can end up 'reviewing' one project for best part of an hour. Needs discipline and repetition to get better at it I suppose- just like everything else.

Thanks again.

LC
Click to expand...

Just as an aside, I know there's also a free template/checklist somewhere on this site of what DA covers in his Weekly review. I've been using it for almost a year now and it has largely worked for me. As I approach the 1-year mark on GTD, I'll probably review this and see if there are opportunities for improvement.
 
I remember when I started and I pretty much grabbed any free PDF I could find :) Some have been more use than others, but there's nothing I haven't used at least once.
 
Hello LondonCalling. It's great to see someone else in my line of work getting fired up by GTD. I'm a paediatrician and an NHS Manager in the East End of London, and I have to say that even without managing to implement GTD fully, GTD has revolutionised my life:D My head of service has commented on how organised my office looks, and for the last two holidays I've gone away with an empty inbox (including e-mails) and knowing exactly where I am with my NA list.

I'll look forward to hearing how you get on and maybe exchanging ideas on implementing GTD in NHS management.

Ruth
 
Ruth,

I do wonder what my colleagues would think of GTD if I tried to explain it- I guess it would depend on how good a salesman I am. I put the GTD flowchart up in my new office today and my PA said 'what's that for?' I told her my new years resolution was to be more organised than she is- which made her laugh! (she is incredibly well organised)

I must have changed about half a dozen parts to my system today- when it calms down I'll give you a run through.

Best wishes,

North LC
 
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