GTD Connect: Am I missing something?

mettlerr

Registered
Hello all

First of all, I don't want to step on anybodies toes here, it's just a question. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, or maybe it's not for me, but other people can get a lot out of it. Anyway, here comes my question:

What exactly is the value of a USD 29 per month membership in GTD Connect?

Reasons why I don't (maybe not yet) think it's good value for the money asked:
  • Webinars are not held THAT often, and the added video stream is, for the most part, not necessary to understand the material presented. Also I find that most webinars are showing up sooner or later on the public podcast channel, and can be listened to there for free, for example on the commute, or when walking the dog (as I do).
  • Access to the material otherwise only to be obtained in the shop, especially the setup guides: I don't change tools that often. As soon as I have all I need, and maybe payed the 10 USD for the guide for my tool of choice (OmniFocus in my case), why would I need constant access to the other setup guides or other support material?
  • Unfortunately for GTD connect, most graphics and diagrams are available with a simple Google Image Search, without even knowing that they exist, I found out. I had most of the graphics and diagrams way before I even knew GTD Connect exists and logged in for a trial.
  • At first I thought the forum is GTD Connect member access only, but no, the forum seems to be public.
  • Going back the archive inside GTD Connect mostly shows, that sometimes(!) newer content is somewhat "recycled" from older content. This is not a bad thing, as it means that the original explanation or instruction is brought forward into the current tool- and work-situation, instead of being out-of-touch with the world, so to speak. But then: Why would I need access to the archives? To see how the world looked like years before? And yes, I am aware, that not everything is recycled, of course. Hence why I wrote "sometimes".
  • There is plenty of video content for GTD available, even from certified GTD trainers, on YouTube. Often covering the very same topics or similar, as the videos on GTD Connect.
  • For me personally, and this is only my opinion and personal feeling, it feels a bit like "milking the cow for all it's worth", as most content is available free somewhere else, or even through official GTD channels (podcasts for example), or in case of the setup guides for a minimal fee (which I totally agree with). The GTD principle is explained and understood after spending time with it for a while, it's not changing much, other than adapting to new tools and work situations. There is no constant updating of the fundamental methods of GTD, as it is not necessary. David Allen himself said, that re-reading the book after a while will have an impact, as you will find stuff which didn't jump out on you on the first read-through of the book. But there are no fundamental or basic changes to how things are done. Help on the public forum, podcasts and YouTube videos add "bonus reviews" of the method, or explain little but important details of the GTD methodology, but I do not see the need for a USD 29 membership on top of that.
I am of course aware, that this is only my personal view, and it is influenced by the trial-period I had with GTD Connect, and not a long run of several months or years, to see if new content is showing up more frequently. It did not during my trial period.

Also, I can see the basic value of something like GTD Connect for the consumer, so to speak, but I just don't think, given my experience with the product, that the monthly price of USD 29 (even with discounts like one or two free months thrown in) is worth it.

Am I missing something? Different views?
 

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
@mettlerr thanks very much for posting this. My toes are fine. I hope many people will reply with their thoughts on this.

I perceive some things differently, and may reply more at some point, but I firmly believe in acknowledging, respecting, and learning from what the customer perceives. You have set up that opportunity for me, and I appreciate it. As a customer, I have been told that what I perceived was incorrect, without the employee or owner even pausing to ask, "How can I learn from what the customer is telling me?" I'm looking forward to how this thread unfolds.
 
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TesTeq

Registered
At first I thought the forum is GTD Connect member access only, but no, the forum seems to be public.
@mettlerr The forum has two parts: PUBLIC and GTD CONNECT. I cannot see the GTD CONNECT part when I am not logged in.
Also I find that most webinars are showing up sooner or later on the public podcast channel, and can be listened to there for free, for example on the commute, or when walking the dog (as I do).
@mettlerr I haven't seen "Slice of GTD Life" series in the public feed and there are many webinars in the GTD Connect media library that were not published outside.
 

mcogilvie

Registered
  • For me personally, and this is only my opinion and personal feeling, it feels a bit like "milking the cow for all it's worth", as most content is available free somewhere else, or even through official GTD channels (podcasts for example), or in case of the setup guides for a minimal fee (which I totally agree with). The GTD principle is explained and understood after spending time with it for a while, it's not changing much, other than adapting to new tools and work situations. There is no constant updating of the fundamental methods of GTD, as it is not necessary. David Allen himself said, that re-reading the book after a while will have an impact, as you will find stuff which didn't jump out on you on the first read-through of the book. But there are no fundamental or basic changes to how things are done. Help on the public forum, podcasts and YouTube videos add "bonus reviews" of the method, or explain little but important details of the GTD methodology, but I do not see the need for a USD 29 membership on top of that.
What you have written is largely true, but I think it is misleading. I don’t know how far along you are with gtd, or how much experience you have in the realm of personal productivity. There has long been a market for help with productivity, both for corporations and for individuals. A lot of it, frankly, has little lasting value. A fair amount of what is available consists of someone saying “I do this, so you do it too.” Some of the corporate-oriented stuff probably explains why companies fail, e.g., blatantly insincere mission statements. There are self-appointed experts who have a new program available every six months or so. Some of them sincerely believe they have found the one, true way… every six months. There does not seem to be much overall correlation between cost and value. Sometimes the secrets are $50, sometimes $500, sometimes more.

You are completely correct that the Getting Things Done book is a reliable guide to GTD. It made sense to me when I first read it, yet after many years I still go back to it, and I feel I am still improving. For most of us, getting things done is a learned skill, and not an easy one to master. It demands a lot of honesty with oneself, habitually.

David Allen and those who work with him have put a lot of effort into making a lot of content available, in a variety of forms and price points. As you point out, a lot has generously been made freely available. Nevertheless, GTD is often misunderstood and misrepresented, so the message is not getting through intact to everyone. Perhaps at this time you don’t need the extra support GTD Connect provides, and that’s fine.

By the way, how are you doing with GTD?
 

mettlerr

Registered
First, thank you for your replies so far and all your input! I appreciate it. As said, the goal of my forum entry is not to "bash" on GTD Connect at all, but to find out if my viewpoint is skewed and I am missing something important.

I think my viewpoint is also influenced highly by two things:
  • I am a bit "subscription-tired", so to speak. Nowadays, everything is (sometimes it is even the only option) available as a subscription. No subscription, no access. I find it ridiculous that there are subscriptions for text-editors(!), or that Adobe basically forces you to pay for the biggest subscription which includes all apps, just so you don't overpay if you need only some of the lesser used Adobe apps. Even some essential small tools have gone the way of subscription. If I add everything up I would want to have, I would pay a substantial sum every month, just to be able to use my favorite tools during my workday. Don't get me wrong, I am ok with paying for what I use. I use all of OmniFocus Pro, every single day, my work and private life is basically in there, so a subscriptions makes sense. BUT: I could also buy it outright, and only update if I want to, that's a possibility with apps from the Omni Group, which I use with their other apps.
  • I really like to optimize and simplify. This sounds positive, but I don't know if other people have that too: I could spend hours tinkering with my systems and tools, optimizing, changing, trying out new things, re-working it, building it up fresh, etc. etc., without getting any real work done! GTD Connect actually plays right into this sinkhole of mine. Of course the whole Internet is a giant sinkhole for stuff like this, but in GTD Connect this is highly concentrated on the GTD methodology. This point actually clashes with the one above, thankfully, so the danger to me is a bit mitigated. ;-)
Because of the above two points, I usually analyze new subscriptions and tools "to death" so to speak. I am also a passionate minimalist. It took a long time for me to jump from the macOS included Reminders app to OmniFocus, for example. I was going back and forth a lot, always taking all the task with me, until I finally made the jump. I just love this quote: "Perfection is not, if there is nothing more to add, but, if there is nothing more to remove!" I don't remember the exact wording, but this describes my mindset pretty accurately when it comes to my work and my way of doing things.

@mettlerr The forum has two parts: PUBLIC and GTD CONNECT. I cannot see the GTD CONNECT part when I am not logged in.
Interesting! I actually singed up for the forum while I was in the GTD Connect trial period, and also used the link from inside GTD connect to access the forum. But I never saw more than the three topics, 1 x ALL and 2 x PUBLIC. I must have missed something then. What other topics are there?

By the way, how are you doing with GTD?
Pretty good, I would say. I must have read Getting Things Done ("the book") around 2005 for the first time, when it still had that blue color cover. I didn't take it all in, but was fascinated by the processing graphic, which is used to process your inbox. I started to implement some of the methods in the book into my personal productivity system, but didn't fully implement everything in it. Worked pretty good for a long time.

I recently read the book again (bought it again for my iPad), and started to implement most of it fully. This coincided with my complete changeover to OmniFocus as my main task management tool. I still do "personalize" a lot of the stuff taught in the book, which I feel works better for me. I am Chief Quality Officer in an IT company, and as IT Engineer myself, and a highly process-oriented one at that, I tend to tinker with it until it has no friction for my day-to-day work.
I even bought the audiobook of the book recently, and pretend to have a "David, explain it to me again, please!" moment before I start the audio on my daily walks with my dogs. It helps to reinforce the key concepts and methods.

In conclusion, with the subscription-bias and the sinkhole-effect described above, I guess I just don't see enough value in the subscription to GTD Connect yet. I feel like I have the methodology down. There is always room for improvement, but in my opinion I think I know what needs improvement and how it has to be done. I just need to kick myself into actually doing it. Of course this may change in the future, because, who knows, right? Rolling with the punches here. ;-D

Oh, and I am reading the books David has mentioned in his Getting Things Done book as well, to deepen the understanding on topics like motivation, habits and willpower. Interesting reads, can recommend that!
 

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
Interesting! I actually singed up for the forum while I was in the GTD Connect trial period, and also used the link from inside GTD connect to access the forum. But I never saw more than the three topics, 1 x ALL and 2 x PUBLIC. I must have missed something then. What other topics are there?
@mettlerr I have just adjusted your forum account via the forum admin. Please try going to the forum home page to check whether you are seeing the GTD Connect members-only forums now.
 

mettlerr

Registered
@mettlerr I have just adjusted your forum account via the forum admin. Please try going to the forum home page to check whether you are seeing the GTD Connect members-only forums now.
I can see them now, yes! However, now it makes me wonder what exactly the purpose of the duplicated forums are. I mean the ones which are duplicates of the publicly available forums. Good ideas are split up in two forums, I will have to check both forums if it’s split up like that. Wouldn’t it be better to just give access to different topic forums, instead of duplicating them? It makes it look like ideas from the GTD Connect members are somehow superior, which I am sure is not the intended idea, of course…
 

mcogilvie

Registered
I can see them now, yes! However, now it makes me wonder what exactly the purpose of the duplicated forums are. I mean the ones which are duplicates of the publicly available forums. Good ideas are split up in two forums, I will have to check both forums if it’s split up like that. Wouldn’t it be better to just give access to different topic forums, instead of duplicating them? It makes it look like ideas from the GTD Connect members are somehow superior, which I am sure is not the intended idea, of course…
Actually, it’s the questions that are superior on the members forums, and the willingness to listen to the experiences of others, along with a basic shared familiarity with the ideas of gtd. To take an example of a very public venue, I have generally found that Reddit is pretty useless for the topics I am interested in, so it’s not worth my time. I don’t usually think about whether a given forum here is public or not. The forum software makes it easy to check what’s new, regardless of where it is. Occasionally, I have to suppress an urge to tell someone on a public forum to RTFM, and the discussions are more interesting on the non-public forums. I am sure if you have ideas for improving the forums, John Forrister would be pleased to hear them.
 

mettlerr

Registered
Actually, it’s the questions that are superior on the members forums
I must say, in my personal opinion, I couldn’t disagree more with this one statement. Just by paying the GTD Connect fee and posting in the non-public section of the forum does not automatically make the question superior. I could agree with, that on a non-public forum, the questions are more focused, you get less spam, and mostly only people who are invested in the topic. But even the last part of this is debatable in my opinion, as this is not Reddit, but a forum specifically for GTD, so you would mostly get people who are interested in the topic, at the very least.

If one wants to keep chatter or spam out, then it’s usually better to not offer a public section at all, although you might miss interesting topics from people who are not willing to pay a fee, just to have access to the non-public section of a forum, whatever else they might get with that fee.
 

sholden

Registered
I am a member of GTD Connect for: (1) Forums (learning, sharing, connecting); (2) Access to the set-up guides [this helps me as a GTD trainer at my work]; (3) the backlog of material; and (4) the ongoing new content. I pay out of my own pocket. I personally get a ton of value in it from multiple levels but maybe most importantly it keeps me engaged in on going productivity/life training.
 

mettlerr

Registered
I am a member of GTD Connect for: (1) Forums (learning, sharing, connecting); (2) Access to the set-up guides [this helps me as a GTD trainer at my work]; (3) the backlog of material; and (4) the ongoing new content. I pay out of my own pocket. I personally get a ton of value in it from multiple levels but maybe most importantly it keeps me engaged in on going productivity/life training.
Thank you for your input and sharing your reasons for using GTD Connect. I am curious: Would you say you would be less successful as a GTD practitioner, if you would not have access to GTD Connect?
 

sholden

Registered
Would you say you would be less successful as a GTD practitioner, if you would not have access to GTD Connect?
I've been part of the form since 2004. I would guess -- John could tell me -- at least half of that was a paid member. I would say my success with GTD is around continuous learning and GTD Connect is part of that. There are some other awesome resources that might cost less money (or no money like https://sholden.typepad.com/weblog/2019/12/recommended-refreshers-on-getting-things-done-gtd.html) but I am a happy customer and I get value out of paying. I also pay by the year which I believe lowers the "monthly" cost. I have also found that when I pay for something I usually have more skin in the game. Which is true for my engagements on the forum, in thinking | studying | engaging about GTD, and becoming an instructor at my work via Vital Smarts.
 

mettlerr

Registered
I have also found that when I pay for something I usually have more skin in the game.
This is a good point, which I think is also true for me. But it also means that I very carefully weigh any additional subscription I get, and the possible benefit of getting "all in", so to speak. Hence my post in this forum.
 

davegarner

Registered
Hey, @mettlerr I asked myself the same questions a little while ago before I resubscribed. I am in Australia and the exchange rate can make the monthly costs prohibitive. This time around however the value I am getting is so worth it. Firstly, the ability to ask questions and receive responses quickly is huge. I consider the folks who have also subscribed to GTD Connect are, by virtue of their subscriptions, the most dedicated and thoughtful folks on GTD. I don't consider myself an expert in GTD but have the desire to improve, and the insights that the forums provide, in my view, are superior to the broader information I can Google. I also like having anything I could need to understand is all in one place.
 

Ger80C

Registered
Hello @mettlerr, you may want to take a closer look at the back catalogue of audio and video material. I do not think that most content is available for free on the official podcast after some time. There have been occasions where newer content from Connect has been shared in the general podcast feed, but as far as I recon this was always a shortened version of the original content. Moreover, I really like the older episodes in the back catalogue, there is some gold to be mined there, and timeless episodes can be found there. I am sure if you are interested some recommendations will be readily available in the (members ;-) ) forum.

Oh, and: Welcome :)
 

Shady Waxwing

Registered
There's a surprising amount of free content that David Allen Co and their partners provide. This "official" free content is high in quality. There is also a ton of unofficial free content that others put out that is low quality. By low I mean that it claims to be about GTD but teaches bad practices, like not keeping the next actions lists restricted to next actions, mixing actions with reference, not differentiating projects and actions, and more. That bad advice leads people I've talked with to think GTD doesn't work or that they have failed at it. I recommend they try the official free content, and go for GTD Connect if they really want to improve.

The content in GTD Connect is superb. Nowhere else will you find the quality or quantity, for anyone from beginner to advanced. I have plateaued several times and found material in GTD Connect that shows me the next level.
 

DenaDahilig

Registered
Subscription burn out is definitely a thing!

I curse Adobe every month! Then I mix some audio or edit a video or create a 20-page pdf in the first couple of days... and suddenly the month is paid for.

Productivity is hard to quantify though:
"Did you get more done?"
"Yes!"
"How much more?"
"Ummmmmm... a lot...?"

I support connect because it gave me ninja productivity skills.

And I can point to one defining moment: I produced a festival for 5,000+ special needs children and their teachers/caregivers at Disney Concert Hall in L.A. (both inside and outside, closing city streets) in SIX WEEKS. It's a whole crazy story, but the bottom line is GTD gave me A) The confidence to say yes to something I had never done B) The structure to navigate multiple stakeholders with dizzying needs and C) The flexibility to make up systems as needed on the fly... that's when I knew everything I ever paid or will pay to Connect was worth every dime.

Without all of the audio and video content I never would have had such a deep understanding of the system. And listening to how others use their ninja-GTD skills showed me other options and ways to streamline my systems. The conversations are interesting, yes, but I think the true value is in the ongoing curated content by coaches and staff.

Just my 2 cents... you'll know if it's right for you. "Take what's useful" as Bruce Lee was fond of saying. And good luck!

Dena
 

mettlerr

Registered
Thank you all for your inputs, I'm glad to get different points of view from you all. That was and is the general idea of my post, to see if I am missing something. Everybody is taking different things out of the material available in GTD Connect, and everybody is different, and it's very interesting finding out what you guys do with it.
Moreover, I really like the older episodes in the back catalogue, there is some gold to be mined there, and timeless episodes can be found there.
That is true, saw some of them when I had the trial period. There was some material which was available in a newer version, so I didn't watch the older versions, only skimmed what was available. It may very well be that the older version contains ideas and material not covered in the more current version of a video.
There is also a ton of unofficial free content that others put out that is low quality. By low I mean that it claims to be about GTD but teaches bad practices, like not keeping the next actions lists restricted to next actions, mixing actions with reference, not differentiating projects and actions, and more.
I saw a lot of that too on my travels through the Internet, yeah, and a lot of quick-fixes which only take part of GTD, and out of context, which in itself are not really helpful or effective. I really feel that you at least should read (or listen to) the book. Everything you need to know is in there, in proper order and context. And here is where my personal opinion about GTD Connect comes in: Once I read and understood the book, implemented it, tweaked the methodology, re-visited the book to see if you're still on track, I didn't feel like I need to deepen anything or change anything fundamental anymore. The basic concept stayed the same all this time.

Of course there is value in different viewpoints and opinions, how things are done differently by other people, lots of good ideas out there, but for the time being, it's not something I feel the need of paying USD 29 a month for. Which does not mean, that I will never re-evaluate this and become a member after all at a later date, or when my needs in that regard change.
Without all of the audio and video content I never would have had such a deep understanding of the system. And listening to how others use their ninja-GTD skills showed me other options and ways to streamline my systems. The conversations are interesting, yes, but I think the true value is in the ongoing curated content by coaches and staff.
Building on that, yes, I think "streamline the system" is a good topic. I do that too, but I tend to do that based on my personal opinions and situations almost exclusively, without external input. And this is maybe why I can't take out the same benefits from GTD Connect than many of its current members. I do value other's takes on things, and different perspectives. But I usually do not modify my method of working because another person is doing it differently. Maybe I just streamline differently than other people, who knows...
 

cfoley

Registered
I think my viewpoint is also influenced highly by two things:
  • I am a bit "subscription-tired", so to speak. Nowadays, everything is (sometimes it is even the only option) available as a subscription. No subscription, no access. I find it ridiculous that there are subscriptions for text-editors(!), or that Adobe basically forces you to pay for the biggest subscription which includes all apps, just so you don't overpay if you need only some of the lesser used Adobe apps. Even some essential small tools have gone the way of subscription. If I add everything up I would want to have, I would pay a substantial sum every month, just to be able to use my favorite tools during my workday. Don't get me wrong, I am ok with paying for what I use. I use all of OmniFocus Pro, every single day, my work and private life is basically in there, so a subscriptions makes sense. BUT: I could also buy it outright, and only update if I want to, that's a possibility with apps from the Omni Group, which I use with their other apps.

I used to feel overwhelmed by subscriptions too. The thing that helped me was the realisation that subscriptions are not in perpetuity. They can be cancelled, resubscribed, upgraded and downgraded.

We all only have so much attention to give so I find that this is a natural limit to the number of services that I can use. As my interests and time commitments evolve, I subscribe and unsubscribe from subscription services.

  • Instead of three TV-streaming subscriptions, I have none. If I do want to watch a show, I'll take out a subscription and cancel it when I am done.

  • I had a Zoom subscription during the pandemic so that I could have lengthy, uninterrupted chats. Now that most of this has moved to in-person meetups, I have cancelled that subscription. Again, I have given myself permission to reactivate it if I need it. In fact I did this for one month, for a single meeting a while ago.

  • In your Adobe example, I would opt for the cheaper subscription. I bet that Adobe would let me upgrade if I wanted to use some of the other apps.
 

mettlerr

Registered
I used to feel overwhelmed by subscriptions too. The thing that helped me was the realisation that subscriptions are not in perpetuity. They can be cancelled, resubscribed, upgraded and downgraded.

We all only have so much attention to give so I find that this is a natural limit to the number of services that I can use. As my interests and time commitments evolve, I subscribe and unsubscribe from subscription services.

  • Instead of three TV-streaming subscriptions, I have none. If I do want to watch a show, I'll take out a subscription and cancel it when I am done.

  • I had a Zoom subscription during the pandemic so that I could have lengthy, uninterrupted chats. Now that most of this has moved to in-person meetups, I have cancelled that subscription. Again, I have given myself permission to reactivate it if I need it. In fact I did this for one month, for a single meeting a while ago.

  • In your Adobe example, I would opt for the cheaper subscription. I bet that Adobe would let me upgrade if I wanted to use some of the other apps.
Interesting.... While I do know that subscriptions can be added and removed at-will usually, I never really bothered to think that way. As I like to simplify things, and, if I can, not bother thinking about it once I have handled something, I tend to only have subscriptions I know I will use, and keep them at a minimum where possible.

A bit more dynamic management with subscriptions could be beneficial, indeed. Will see what I can make out of that! Thanks!
 
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