anti failure implementation of GTD

Had another meetup. Read a couple more pages. I dump most of the thoughts into my inbox. Tried to set a appointment into my software, but the reminder was at the exact time that the meeting was on. fail. that hurts. Also implemented GTD for work activities, to be specific: the waiting for concept.
 
@Oogiem yes I've changed the software now to appropriate alert times.

Currently read till Three Models for Making Action Choices

I liked:
Review whatever lists, overviews, and orientation maps you need to, as often as you need to, to get their contents off your mind

Applying this idea also in my work environment has been great. I believe my development team has been stress free for about 80% of the week. There's only "stress" when we 1. review the project and 2. set next actions.
 
Okay the weekly review is not working. Searching in the ebook if there was a section ahead of where I am. And there is actually a section about it!

Weird. This weekly review thing is like the key to trusting the system.

Will skip some pages to get my weekly review handled.

New system:
Dump & Swing > Daily Review

Old system:
Dump Dump Dump > DO? > Dump Dump Dump Dump Dump Dump Dump > DO? > Review (aaaah too much to review, I'll just review my most important project & other "stuff")
 
Started reading:

“The real trick to ensuring the trustworthiness of the whole organization system lies in regularly refreshing your thinking and your system from a more elevated perspective. That’s impossible to do, however, if your lists fall too far behind your reality. You won’t be able to fool yourself about this: if your system is out of date, your brain will be forced to fully engage again at the lower level of remembering.
This is perhaps the biggest challenge of all. Once you’ve tasted what it’s like to have a clear head and feel in control of everything that’s going on, can you do what you need to do to maintain that as an operational standard? The many years I’ve spent researching and implementing this methodology with countless people have proved to me that the magic key to the sustainability of the process is the Weekly Review.”

hmm weird that it is this far in the book... I guess most people drop off with the whole concept of GTD before they even get to this page. Attention span is so short for the majority of people...
 
This is why I suggested you read the entire book first, and then try to implement the system. GTD consists of a number of practices that work together to help one achieve a "mind like water." If you subtract a piece, the rest of it falls apart pretty quickly. If you're going to try to implement the whole system, rather than just picking up a few tips and tricks, I suggest it would be better to forego your desire for instant gratification.
 
bcmyers2112 said:
This is why I suggested you read the entire book first, and then try to implement the system. GTD consists of a number of practices that work together to help one achieve a "mind like water." If you subtract a piece, the rest of it falls apart pretty quickly. If you're going to try to implement the whole system, rather than just picking up a few tips and tricks, I suggest it would be better to forego your desire for instant gratification.
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I agree. Please read the entire book FIRST. Then start working with your system. We will be glad to help you.
 
bcmyers2112 said:
This is why I suggested you read the entire book first, and then try to implement the system.
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@bcool : And YES. For me it wasn't like reading "The Martian" or "The Da Vinci Code". More like "Design Patterns in Ruby". And probably nobody can fully comprehend the completness of the GTD methodology after one reading and one month of implementation. Just be patient and read carefully.
 
bcool said:
@bcmyers2112 I implement as I go. I need to see results fast.
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I will be frank. If you pick and choose chapters from the book without reading the whole thing first, the only fast results you see will be constant failure.

Ask any good cook or chef - they will tell you that the safest knife in the kitchen is the sharpest one. It's the one that has been honed so finely it gives you meticulous control. Despite it's incredibly sharp edge, it is stable and predictable in your hand.

This is your GTD. You must make sure your method is sharp and honed. You cannot have a reliable system if you haven't put in the work to learn the system in the first place. It may seem counter-intuitive to put down the task lists until you've completely read the book, but trust me. What you think is time spent being productive is actually time wasted half-attempting productivity and failing. Stop working, read the book in a day or two, and then approach your work again. This is actually the faster and most productive method, even if it means a few days of "not working." You are working. But instead of attempting tasks and failing at them, you're preparing yourself to gain time in the future by doing your tasks efficiently from the get-go.

Close your computer/phone/whatever. Open the book. Read. Take notes. Use these diddlies to mark the most important passages. Once you've finished the book, copy those passages out and stick them in your system so you can see them every day (using paper? Put them on Post-Its or a sheet in the front of your notebook. Digital? Star the tasks at the top). Do what you've gotta do to see them every day until they're instinctual. Build your system, starting simple. Add your events to your calendar. Think about each item as you add it, deciding whether it's a task, project, reference material, or trash. Process every single thing you have to deal with.

Then, and only then, start working on completing tasks.

You must put in the work beforehand, or you will just waste time doing things poorly, which you'll have to go back and fix later. Trust me - I have been there and totally done that. It suuuuucks.
 
chirmer said:
I will be frank. If you pick and choose chapters from the book without reading the whole thing first, the only fast results you see will be constant failure.

Ask any good cook or chef - they will tell you that the safest knife in the kitchen is the sharpest one. It's the one that has been honed so finely it gives you meticulous control. Despite it's incredibly sharp edge, it is stable and predictable in your hand.

This is your GTD. You must make sure your method is sharp and honed. You cannot have a reliable system if you haven't put in the work to learn the system in the first place. It may seem counter-intuitive to put down the task lists until you've completely read the book, but trust me. What you think is time spent being productive is actually time wasted half-attempting productivity and failing. Stop working, read the book in a day or two, and then approach your work again. This is actually the faster and most productive method, even if it means a few days of "not working." You are working. But instead of attempting tasks and failing at them, you're preparing yourself to gain time in the future by doing your tasks efficiently from the get-go.

Close your computer/phone/whatever. Open the book. Read. Take notes. Use these diddlies to mark the most important passages. Once you've finished the book, copy those passages out and stick them in your system so you can see them every day (using paper? Put them on Post-Its or a sheet in the front of your notebook. Digital? Star the tasks at the top). Do what you've gotta do to see them every day until they're instinctual. Build your system, starting simple. Add your events to your calendar. Think about each item as you add it, deciding whether it's a task, project, reference material, or trash. Process every single thing you have to deal with.

Then, and only then, start working on completing tasks.

You must put in the work beforehand, or you will just waste time doing things poorly, which you'll have to go back and fix later. Trust me - I have been there and totally done that. It suuuuucks.
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What a great response! It could not have been said better. Cheers, @chirmer! :D
 
chirmer said:
I will be frank. If you pick and choose chapters from the book without reading the whole thing first, the only fast results you see will be constant failure.

Ask any good cook or chef - they will tell you that the safest knife in the kitchen is the sharpest one. It's the one that has been honed so finely it gives you meticulous control. Despite it's incredibly sharp edge, it is stable and predictable in your hand.

This is your GTD. You must make sure your method is sharp and honed. You cannot have a reliable system if you haven't put in the work to learn the system in the first place. It may seem counter-intuitive to put down the task lists until you've completely read the book, but trust me. What you think is time spent being productive is actually time wasted half-attempting productivity and failing. Stop working, read the book in a day or two, and then approach your work again. This is actually the faster and most productive method, even if it means a few days of "not working." You are working. But instead of attempting tasks and failing at them, you're preparing yourself to gain time in the future by doing your tasks efficiently from the get-go.

Close your computer/phone/whatever. Open the book. Read. Take notes. Use these diddlies to mark the most important passages. Once you've finished the book, copy those passages out and stick them in your system so you can see them every day (using paper? Put them on Post-Its or a sheet in the front of your notebook. Digital? Star the tasks at the top). Do what you've gotta do to see them every day until they're instinctual. Build your system, starting simple. Add your events to your calendar. Think about each item as you add it, deciding whether it's a task, project, reference material, or trash. Process every single thing you have to deal with.

Then, and only then, start working on completing tasks.

You must put in the work beforehand, or you will just waste time doing things poorly, which you'll have to go back and fix later. Trust me - I have been there and totally done that. It suuuuucks.
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@chirmer, exactly! Couldn't agree more. GTD isn't about getting things done quickly, it's about developing new habits. :-)
 
I'd been wondering about whether to try being as blunt as @chirmer. I held back. But she made the point very well.

Some things lend themselves to a desire for instant gratification. Adopting a full GTD practice is not one of them. You can benefit from the experience of people who have been there, or you can learn the hard way. Learning the hard way is... well, a lot harder.

If that seems harsh, bear in mind that a number of people will be willing to help you if you choose to do the hard work. And you may count me among them. I actually want to see you succeed, not fail
 
bcmyers2112 said:
If that seems harsh, bear in mind that a number of people will be willing to help you if you choose to do the hard work. And you may count me among them. I actually want to see you succeed, not fail
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Absolutely, one of the great things about this community is its members' willingness to help others. Speaking as someone that has fallen off the wagon multiple times, the folks I've met here have been invaluable - a group of expert mentors and masterminds whom I don't thank often enough. Please know that we all want to see you succeed.
 
I just read the reflect pages in the book. I cleaned everyday a bit of the whole software I use. I was actually more worried than I should have been. Cleaning feels good. I start to trust the system a bit more :) Or at least the primary software I use. The macbook I work on and the software I use for referencing is still a mess. But knowing I cleaned the first system, I'm sure the rest will follow.

I enjoyed reading all of the replies here in the topic. I won't reply to each individual, but I really want to thank you so far :). I'm really just like all of the others of GTD new people. I want instant gratification.

Enough talking, I'll delay the vanity work for the real work. I'll read the whole book first.
 
Besides putting everything (feels too much?) that gets on my mind during the week in the IN boxes I've setup, I'm doing the daily / weekly review with e.ggtimer.com/10min

Just looking at the hard landscape to see what's upcoming and emptying the IN box.

Almost finished with making a personal summary of the book.

Going to evaluate the software I use as well in the upcoming period. I need shortcuts to process stuff better and faster. If it's not possible, going to evaluate a whole bunch of software things.
 
Why does it feel like capturing everything is "too much"? Is it taking too much time, or is there another issue?

Also, when you say you're putting everything that "gets on [your] mind" into your inboxes "during the week," are you only processing on a weekly basis? I ask because the recommendation is to clear out your inboxes as often as possible. At least once daily is a good rule of thumb.

As for software, if the application you're using is inefficient or otherwise getting in your way that may be a good reason to change. But be wary of the temptation to believe that software will solve your problems. If your GTD practices are sound, lots of software options can work effectively; if your execution of the practices is flawed, no software can help you.

What application are you using, BTW? And how are you using it?
 
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