I've realized I was first introduced to GTD about 2 years ago. Many times have fallen on and off the wagon with productivity and I think my OmniFocus archives prove it as well.
Luckily the past 3-4 months I've been almost at Master & Commander considering I've really committed myself to trusting my system in terms of Collecting. I've really committed to Collecting, in terms of having the iPod Touch OmniFocus system with me at most times allowing me to add any random thought and trusting my collecting system. I even have postit notes in my car, blank legal paper on any desk I have and Moleskines usually reside either in my pocket or nearby backpack. I'm not too worried about my collecting system.
With Processing I'm still fairly confident. My inbox is usually emptied within 24-48 hours, and 48 hours is when catching me on a lazy or busy day. Usually I tried to empty my inbox and process things in projects between 12-24 hours. The most interesting thing I've learned about this area is that every time I have things to process, my mind (perhaps naturally) wants to put off processing, as my subconscious somewhat tells me its too much (subconscious) work....but each and every time i'm in front of my computer processing I always think to myself that it's never as bad as I made it seem.
I'm a fan of Organizing. Perhaps this is theneat-freak within me, but organizing allows me to tweak and try new things out..which is something I naturally experiment with on an (almost) Weekly Review basis. For example, upon coming across the famous Little Rocks/Big Rocks mantra I placed a few important projects in the Big Rocks pane and rest in the Little Rocks; of course with the alignment that the little rocks fall in much more smoothly after the Big Rocks have been tackled...Again, this is just one of many experiments i'm trying within my OmniFocus system and was implemented in this week's weekly review, so hopefully this helps me better understand myself and GTD along the way. :idea:
With Review, I admit can get a bit lazy at times. Luckily (yes, luckily) about 5 months I fell off the GTD wagon, hard. My system was completely out of date. I was living my day-to-day-week-to-week live as if I had never even heard of GTD.....................& it sucked. When I finally forced myself to that Weekly Review to revamp my system back up again, I came to appreciate not only the art, but the privilege it is to have a trusted system.
Since then i've always gotten around to my Weekly Review in hopes of never going back to that feeling of uncertainty.
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With Doing...Well, this is where I need help.
Unlike my cousin who never seeks council from others, I am the complete opposite. I seek help in hopes of finding a solution. And in these terms, help towards the Doing part of GTD.
Hopefully like you, I have numerous projects and numerous actions; and numerous next actions. Currently I have 45 active projects, of which 20 are timed to start sometime appropriately within the week. 22 on hold projects and about 160 someday/maybe items.
Obviously with Doing let's focus on the active projects. From day to day I'll open my GTD OmniFocus system and tackle some important actions and other things that aren't the most important, but kinda easy to crank out.
Here is my thought process: I know my important projects are important and in all admittance understand their next actions aren't that tough to tackle...but yet, perhaps i'm afraid of success within the project? Or perhaps afraid of failure? One thing GTD has introduced to me is that simple attempting a project or NA, usually never ends in failure. Hell, I know i'd rather tackle something and "fail." Rather than not tackle something at all; that's true failure. Yet, here I am waking up in the morning going for the easy items and putting myself in a coma filled with easy next actions, rather than doing the math homework, ordering the flight ticket and hotel reservations to Japan or going jogging.
I've heard the reasons for not tackling a project or available action such as perhaps I haven't truly clarified the next action, or I haven't really the successful outcome, or am afraid of failure or success (The Now Habit by Fiore is my next read).
Look, I could drag this post out but I'm one to talk it out.
Please, I implore you...and advice is honestly, sincerely appreciated.
Luckily the past 3-4 months I've been almost at Master & Commander considering I've really committed myself to trusting my system in terms of Collecting. I've really committed to Collecting, in terms of having the iPod Touch OmniFocus system with me at most times allowing me to add any random thought and trusting my collecting system. I even have postit notes in my car, blank legal paper on any desk I have and Moleskines usually reside either in my pocket or nearby backpack. I'm not too worried about my collecting system.
With Processing I'm still fairly confident. My inbox is usually emptied within 24-48 hours, and 48 hours is when catching me on a lazy or busy day. Usually I tried to empty my inbox and process things in projects between 12-24 hours. The most interesting thing I've learned about this area is that every time I have things to process, my mind (perhaps naturally) wants to put off processing, as my subconscious somewhat tells me its too much (subconscious) work....but each and every time i'm in front of my computer processing I always think to myself that it's never as bad as I made it seem.
I'm a fan of Organizing. Perhaps this is theneat-freak within me, but organizing allows me to tweak and try new things out..which is something I naturally experiment with on an (almost) Weekly Review basis. For example, upon coming across the famous Little Rocks/Big Rocks mantra I placed a few important projects in the Big Rocks pane and rest in the Little Rocks; of course with the alignment that the little rocks fall in much more smoothly after the Big Rocks have been tackled...Again, this is just one of many experiments i'm trying within my OmniFocus system and was implemented in this week's weekly review, so hopefully this helps me better understand myself and GTD along the way. :idea:
With Review, I admit can get a bit lazy at times. Luckily (yes, luckily) about 5 months I fell off the GTD wagon, hard. My system was completely out of date. I was living my day-to-day-week-to-week live as if I had never even heard of GTD.....................& it sucked. When I finally forced myself to that Weekly Review to revamp my system back up again, I came to appreciate not only the art, but the privilege it is to have a trusted system.
Since then i've always gotten around to my Weekly Review in hopes of never going back to that feeling of uncertainty.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
With Doing...Well, this is where I need help.
Unlike my cousin who never seeks council from others, I am the complete opposite. I seek help in hopes of finding a solution. And in these terms, help towards the Doing part of GTD.
Hopefully like you, I have numerous projects and numerous actions; and numerous next actions. Currently I have 45 active projects, of which 20 are timed to start sometime appropriately within the week. 22 on hold projects and about 160 someday/maybe items.
Obviously with Doing let's focus on the active projects. From day to day I'll open my GTD OmniFocus system and tackle some important actions and other things that aren't the most important, but kinda easy to crank out.
Here is my thought process: I know my important projects are important and in all admittance understand their next actions aren't that tough to tackle...but yet, perhaps i'm afraid of success within the project? Or perhaps afraid of failure? One thing GTD has introduced to me is that simple attempting a project or NA, usually never ends in failure. Hell, I know i'd rather tackle something and "fail." Rather than not tackle something at all; that's true failure. Yet, here I am waking up in the morning going for the easy items and putting myself in a coma filled with easy next actions, rather than doing the math homework, ordering the flight ticket and hotel reservations to Japan or going jogging.
I've heard the reasons for not tackling a project or available action such as perhaps I haven't truly clarified the next action, or I haven't really the successful outcome, or am afraid of failure or success (The Now Habit by Fiore is my next read).
Look, I could drag this post out but I'm one to talk it out.
Please, I implore you...and advice is honestly, sincerely appreciated.
) I discovered that I procrastinated on next actions for the projects that I felt were not really needed. For me, I must feel the need to complete the project to make me Doing. Go through your list of projects and ask yourself if you need to complete that particular one. Do it at least for your first three projects on the list. Really means you really need. For example, if you are a millionere and you put Earn 100k till the end of the year then it is not real, it is just your wish. Remove all not real projects to someday-maybe folder for some time. Leave only real ones. Try to do them. Any difference?