Goal, Projects, Sub Projects

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

Guest
I have been working through some higher altitude goals and have my goals pretty much laid out now. I just need to know how to fit them into my GTD system. DA calls a project 'any outcome that will take less than 12 months and that has more than one next action'. I get that, I think that my problem is that I find it hard to sit large projects e.g. Start new business alongside 'Paint door'. Especially as I see the benefits of visualising/reading and rewriting goals every day. It feels as though 'start business' should be at the goals level. (or is the goals level 1 year +?). Has anyone else been through this and have any advice? The beauty of GTD is that it is simple in approach and I dont really want to confuse things.

Maybe I have just been reading to many goal-setting books lately. I guess projects are just goals really.
 
I think "starting a new business" is too general to be a GTD project. And it tells nothing about the real goal - why are you starting a new business. I think it is a Focus Area where you should define the real GTD projects and successful outcomes.
TesTeq
 
goals etc

I think I have worked it out. My problem is the NA list and projects list is where the real work is done in GTD. i have been trying to complete a similar working list to the projects list at the goals/visions level. This just confuses things - I think that DA intends for 30k+ lists of goals to be triggers for projects NOT a step by step system for project implementation and NAs. So, I am going to list all my longer term goals at those levels but also make them real by putting them on my projects list and defining sub projects to acheive them

This seems OK to me even though david says that the projects list is for 12 months or less. For me 'buy my ideal home within 5 years' is a project as real as any other - it just takes longer to acheive.
 
Planning process

What follows is a dialogue that I use with my clients when I'm doing team work. It may help ...

"OK Guy's hope isn't a strategy ... So, tell me ...

What progress do you want to have made in three years time?

This generally leads into a visionary conversation which tends to be up in the air inspiring and non-practical! but good stuff non the less.

Then I continue with, now tell me ...

What are 3-5 specific 3-year results that would indicate that you’re achieving this vision?

And what about 3-5 specific 1-year goals that would be aligned with each of your 3-year results? (that gives us 9 - 25 goals)

And now a specific 90-day milestone for each 1-year goal that – when you have reached it – will show you that you’re closer to achieving your 3-year results?

And, finally they name at least 2 concurrent projects (project = multiple next actions) for next 90 days, for each goal, that will help them reach each milestone?

then, finally .. finally define a list of the specific next action that will move each project forward? Allocate these to roles / people."

This approach works with functional groups - but not all in one day!!!! We usually get people back every 90 days or so to review progress, sharpen up and do the next 90 days milestones (Quarterly review).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top