Any Questions for David?

[Dave Edwards]

I’m going to be recording another interview with David Allen soon. I always like to include questions from Connect members. I think David likes them too. So if you have any questions, post below, or if you prefer, email me at daveedwards@outlook.com.

Dave

 

[zedd]

My @work context list is very long, so I'll sometimes select a batch of around 2 hours' worth of the next actions I'm most anxious about do no other work from context lists until the batch of next actions is complete. (I usually complete batch items from easiest to hardest.) I seem to recall reading in one of David's books that he doesn't recommend making "to-do today" lists, but I think the exception that proves the rule here is that my next actions batches are small enough that the next actions in the batch stay highly salient to me until the batch is done.

Am I violating GTD best practice? Should I be dividing my @work context into subdivisions (e.g. a "deep work with my headphones on from after lunch to 3 p.m." context) so there are few enough items in each context that I can easily spot the next action with the highest ROI? Do I need to be moving more projects into someday-maybe in order to make my next actions lists easier to evaluate? Should I be reviewing my next actions lists more frequently so that I'm always primed to select the optimal next action? Should I just suck it up and consider the decision fatigue from selecting next actions one at a time as the price of getting good at selecting next actions?

 

[Dave Edwards]

My @work context list is very long, so I'll sometimes select a batch of around 2 hours' worth of the next actions I'm most anxious about do no other work from context lists until the batch of next actions is complete. (I usually complete batch items from easiest to hardest.) I seem to recall reading in one of David's books that he doesn't recommend making "to-do today" lists, but I think the exception that proves the rule here is that my next actions batches are small enough that the next actions in the batch stay highly salient to me until the batch is done.

Am I violating GTD best practice? Should I be dividing my @work context into subdivisions (e.g. a "deep work with my headphones on from after lunch to 3 p.m." context) so there are few enough items in each context that I can easily spot the next action with the highest ROI? Do I need to be moving more projects into someday-maybe in order to make my next actions lists easier to evaluate? Should I be reviewing my next actions lists more frequently so that I'm always primed to select the optimal next action? Should I just suck it up and consider the decision fatigue from selecting next actions one at a time as the price of getting good at selecting next actions?

Thanks! I will put it on my list.

 

[PeterByrom]

I’m unclear as to when an email should go into an “@action support” folder. (Note that I’m already aware of the distinction between this kind of folder and the “@action” folder, in that I’m not using it to do any reminding).

I have a convenient setup where I can copy the URL of an email in my browser (I’m using gmail) and paste it into the notes section of a next action in the lists of my GTD system.

This means that, if @action support is defined as “material you need to have on hand to help you perform a specific defined next action”, then it would seem I’d never need an @action support folder in my emails in the first place (I could always just link directly to the email from the next action).

However, what about emails that I know I will need to reply to a little further down the line (Eg I need to perform some next actions first, to get the answer to reply with) or emails that I sense that in general I may need to refer to again shortly. Should those still live in an @action support folder, even though they’re associated with future actions or possible future actions, rather than specific next actions? Doesn’t this start to blur with the concept of project support?

 

[Longstreet]

Hi Dave,

If you look, there is a thread where once we again we discussed whether time blocking was compatible with GTD. There is an attitude in some that it is not. I know this is wrong and have corresponded with David on this in the past. But I think David Allen needs to come out forcefully yet again and clearly state that it is okay to block time on your calendar for important projects, goals, etc. This is NOT in conflict with GTD as I have learned and studied it for many years now. Please ask David to comment at length on this yet again.

 

[Ridwan]

Hi Dave,

My question would be regarding Clarify & Organise. I tend to do these two steps simultaneously and end up taking a lot of time & dreading the "clarify & ogranise" steps. Could these two steps be done separately? If yes, how can I catch myself from falling into that trap? Hope this makes sense.

 

[John Forrister]

My question would be regarding Clarify & Organise. I tend to do these two steps simultaneously and end up taking a lot of time & dreading the "clarify & ogranise" steps. Could these two steps be done separately? If yes, how can I catch myself from falling into that trap? Hope this makes sense.

Ridwan, you're probably too smart. Clarify and organize are separate steps. Your mind can jump to organizing, thinking it's being helpful. I highly recommend using the Clarifying diagram (page 8 of the GTD Methodology Guides). It will give your smart mind a sequence of questions that require you to finish clarifying before you organize. Maybe that will help ease the dread.

 

[René Lie]

I’m unclear as to when an email should go into an “@action support” folder. (Note that I’m already aware of the distinction between this kind of folder and the “@action” folder, in that I’m not using it to do any reminding).

I have a convenient setup where I can copy the URL of an email in my browser (I’m using gmail) and paste it into the notes section of a next action in the lists of my GTD system.

This means that, if @action support is defined as “material you need to have on hand to help you perform a specific defined next action”, then it would seem I’d never need an @action support folder in my emails in the first place (I could always just link directly to the email from the next action).

However, what about emails that I know I will need to reply to a little further down the line (Eg I need to perform some next actions first, to get the answer to reply with) or emails that I sense that in general I may need to refer to again shortly. Should those still live in an @action support folder, even though they’re associated with future actions or possible future actions, rather than specific next actions? Doesn’t this start to blur with the concept of project support?

I second this - I've been pondering on the exact same thing for a while...