Are you a visual-not GTD but useful to know

[ScottL]

A professional organized (thanks Sylvia) I used to work with had a classification of people as either visual or camouflage:

http://www.tamethechaos.com/site/selfeval.cfm

It is helpful to know which type you are e.g. I am a visual which means if I can't see something it effectively does not exist. So e.g. I am not the most natural person to use a PDA, I've never used a tickler system since I know it would not work well for me, my work area at home has no drawers (except the filing cabinet) and I actually took the doors off of a home closet at one point to some benefit.

***I can put something out of sight if their will be an inner prompt to look for it*** e.g. I need underwear and it is in the closed closet, I need paper and I know I keep supplies in the bottom drawer. But unless a visual develops a strong habit e.g. OK every morning I will check the tickler file, OK every morning and throughout the day I will check my PDA, it would not work, or at least not be an easy fit.

 

[carrdwight]

Coaching Focus at TametheChaos?

Greetings,

Would you be interested in sharing your experience with TametheChaos? I just looked at their Web Site and it looks interesting. Are they familiar with GTD principles?

Thanks,
Dwight...

 

[madalu]

It is helpful to know which type you are e.g. I am a visual which means if I can't see something it effectively does not exist. So e.g. I am not the most natural person to use a PDA, I've never used a tickler system since I know it would not work well for me, my work area at home has no drawers (except the filing cabinet) and I actually took the doors off of a home closet at one point to some benefit.

Interesting post. Would it be correct to say the visual = "out of sight, out of mind"? In that case, GTD might actually be a good fit for visual people. If you have the habit of checking your lists regularly, then you don't need to worry about "seeing" everything. In some ways, GTD is based on the principle "out of sight, out of mind"; it says that that state is a good one to be in.

I try to combine the best of both worlds. I keep my projects and actions on index cards (one project per card, organized by context according to the current action). That way, when I'm working at a desk, I can spread out the index cards and see all my projects at once.

 

[ScottL]

Interesting post. Would it be correct to say the visual = "out of sight, out of mind"? .

Yes.

In that case, GTD might actually be a good fit for visual people. If you have the habit of checking your lists regularly, then you don't need to worry about "seeing" everything.

If you're visual then paper will be MORE NATURAL to work with then PDA (where everything is out of sight). One can be a visual and train oneself to work with PDA and train oneself to check daily a tickler file, but it goes against the grain somewhat.

I"m a visual and have trained myslef to work with PDA. I knew the tickler would never work (bad enough there is one out of site place I need to check daily) so I do a GTD no no and use reminders on the calendar instead of tickler file.

 

[ScottL]

Greetings,

Would you be interested in sharing your experience with TametheChaos? I just looked at their Web Site and it looks interesting. Are they familiar with GTD principles?

Thanks,
Dwight...

I don't remember any of her other beliefs (though it is possible I've assimilated them since I did work with her). She is aware of GTD but does not follow it.

 

[mcogilvie]

While it is important to understand how one reacts to visual cues (or even non-visual environmental cues), it's possible to focus too much on that aspect of our personalities. By the standards of the website, I am very "visual" too. Certainly I seem to do best with GTD tools that put information up front. However, there is a false dichotomy between "everything out" and "everything in." Neither style is inherently effective. As David Allen says "Some people have nothing very well organized, and some people have nothing, very well organized." The middle way is often best.

 

[ScottL]

The middle way is often best.

I am not advocating one of the other as being most efficient, optimal, etc. but realizing that is how I am built. I am a strong visual. I know that if I ever put something in a drawer I will never see it again unless either A. I have a checklist (written or mental) which says "look in this drawer" every day or B. I'm looking for widget A and I remember it is in the drawer.

It is important to know the way one is wired, not because one cannot work some other way i.e. I can and have constructed a habit to check my PDA many times throughout the day, but because it is EASIER to work the way you are wired. Putting it another way, the way that works with my natural biases is best unless there is a good reason for doing things another way as doing things a way which goes against my biases requires more energy to implement and keep implemented. Least that is my experience. YMMV.

 

[mcogilvie]

I am not advocating one of the other as being most efficient, optimal, etc. but realizing that is how I am built. I am a strong visual. I know that if I ever put something in a drawer I will never see it again unless either A. I have a checklist (written or mental) which says "look in this drawer" every day or B. I'm looking for widget A and I remember it is in the drawer.

I don't think this is very different from anyone else. What's the alternative? What I think David was saying and what I said is that neither the all-in or all-out style is necessarily effective or ineffective.