Did I understand the "Horizons of Focus" correctly?

mettlerr

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Hi All! First time poster here.

Whenever I am trying to better understand something, it helps if I have a graphic or drawing of some kind. Based on the graphic I made, did I understand the "Horizons of Focus" correctly?
 

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mcogilvie

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I think you are heading in the right direction. I would be careful not to have too many buzzwords at each level. What does alignment mean that purpose and principles don’t cover? Ideal scenes and treasure maps are tools which you may find helpful, but they are just tools. I’m not sure what a lifestyle checklist is either. Personally, I think the GTD methodology goes all the way up to level 5, and doesn’t stop at projects, so I wouldn’t have the dashed box. But all of the higher horizons have a large degree of flexibility and personal preference in how they are done, so do what works for you (and don’t do what doesn’t, no matter how appealing the structure may seem). Just so you know: in US English at least, “family planning” is associated with contraception and pregnancy.
 
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mettlerr

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Thank you for your input. Yeah, a bit of simplification on each level would be good, and the "family planning" is the wrong word then, will have to change that.

About the dashed box and the GTD methodology: I would argue, that the things outside the dashed box have INPUT into the GTD methodology items inside the dashed box, but are not contained in it. Didn't David Allen write in his book that GTD is not specifically made for stuff like finding meaning and purpose, and that there are countless books and methods for that available (maybe even used the word "guru", if I remember correctly)?
 

mcogilvie

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Thank you for your input. Yeah, a bit of simplification on each level would be good, and the "family planning" is the wrong word then, will have to change that.

About the dashed box and the GTD methodology: I would argue, that the things outside the dashed box have INPUT into the GTD methodology items inside the dashed box, but are not contained in it. Didn't David Allen write in his book that GTD is not specifically made for stuff like finding meaning and purpose, and that there are countless books and methods for that available (maybe even used the word "guru", if I remember correctly)?
Yes, David Allen is carefully agnostic about how each person finds meaning, purpose, and so forth. He does focus on process, however, and how these higher horizons of focus interact with each other, and with projects and next actions. That’s why, for example, I think ideal scenes and treasure maps are tools of discovery outside of GTD which might or might not inform our purpose, principles, vision and so on. Use them to discover the content of your various levels, or not. David Allen is describing what he thinks is the minimal whole-life system for handling everything: births, deaths, war, peace, the whole enchilada. I’ve tried a lot of things, and collected my share of t-shirts, but I have found only GTD to be consistently useful across everything In my life. I hope you find it as useful as I have.
 

Murray

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I’ve tried a lot of things, and collected my share of t-shirts, but I have found only GTD to be consistently useful across everything In my life. I hope you find it as useful as I have.
That's such an evocative way of putting it, and resonates for me with instances where I may not have literally bought a shirt but bought into something for a while.
 

Murray

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Hi All! First time poster here.

Whenever I am trying to better understand something, it helps if I have a graphic or drawing of some kind. Based on the graphic I made, did I understand the "Horizons of Focus" correctly?
Welcome... You're certainly providing some value with your first post! (I haven't posted much myself but have been more active recently with replying to other's threads.)

I love the visual elements you have used to illustrate the Horizons model, including the icons and the overall design which feels dynamic and expansive - a good context for thinking about these bigger picture issues.

I agree with mcogilvie that GTD methodology embraces all 5 levels so the dashed line is confusing from my perspective, at least labelled as it is now. But I'm sure most people here would agree that if it has meaning for you and supports your process, then you should be guided by that before anything else.

Great work!
 

mettlerr

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Thanks for your inputs all! In my line of work I am using various tools for the various "horizons", from gantt-chart software to project-management and incident-management apps and methods. In my opinion they are what is often used in the horizons above ground, but (next) actions trickle down to ground level (hence the arrow in the middle) into the GTD methodology to manage and process them on this level.

But as the higher horizons have their own tools and methods on how those ideas are handled, I chose to mark-off, so to speak, which part David Allen's book specifically takes care of in the first place. I do know that the GTD methodology can be used on those higher horizons as well, but I think it depends on your line of work or personal situation on how those ideas and projects manifest themselves before they trickle down to the (GTD-)ground level.

Also, of course, there is no right or wrong, as we are and work all differently! But glad that I got the gist of it and at least arrived at the correct conclusions.

Thanks again!
 
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