GTD-Q, perspective stories

[BjornLjunggren]

I've scored at Perspective 1 and Control 4 at the GTD-Q two times in a row. I'm having total control but not so much perspective.

I'm interested in hearing stories and ideas on how to move from Control to perspective from the GTD Connect members. I'm sure you have a lot of inspiring experiences!

Life is good


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[klpneely]

a different GTD-Q

I'm scoring the opposite right now- 3 or 4 on Perspective, and 1 on control. My GTD sense is that control comes from capture and doing the work of next actions. Perspective comes from taking the time to look at the higher horizons and do the reviews. I'd fallen off the wagon of GTD entirely, and am just getting restarted. I did that by looking at my horizons first, and then I'm slowly capturing the projects and actions. At the moment, though, I don't trust my system and I'm horribly behind. Thus the lack of control.

I'll bet from your score that you're the opposite- you have a trusted system, and you're working it regularly. But, perhaps you're not taking the time to look at why you're doing the things you're doing, and how they facilitate your long term goals. I'd suggest taking a day, if you can, to really work through the higher levels- I'm pretty sure there are guided exercises you can download on GTD Connect.

 

[lake]

The same story !

Hello , Bjorn.
A few months ago I had the same story. I was pretty good with control ( collecting, processing, doing )
But I had problems with perspective , especially with making "trusted choices" and being confident that I should be doing exaclty this thing and not another.
I tryed to start from 50000 feet ( mission and purpose ) and to do epitaph exercise or "wheel of life" , but it didn't work out well.
What did work out was a way bottom -> up , from "sea level" to 30 000 fit , to goals.

First I took a look at my lists of next actions and asked myself :

Can I group them? How some of the actions are connected?

After the fact that you have a group of some actions, and you understand why
they go together you should try to find the answer to the following question:

What is the logical ending of this? What I want to get in the end of this sequence of actions?

And you will get a project.

It is key point - you always should have possibility to mark a project as "done".
If you can not - it is an area of responsibility ( 20 000 feet ).

For me it was a great breakthrough, when I realized that my "learn French" is
an area of responsibility, and in order to organize my next actions I should start the projects,
for example "Finish a grammar book".

Because you can mark them as "done" , projects still give you measurable, visible results , like next actions.
At the same time this results start to be meaningful.

After you group your projects by meaning you will get a list of areas of responsibility, such as
"have a friends" , "be in a good shape" , "maintain happy family relationships".
On this level you gain more meaning ( because areas of responsibility should reflect your values) ,
but lose sense of tangible results.
Because on this level you can not answer the questions:
How successful I want to be in having friends ( being in a good shape, ...) ?

You should go to upper level ( 30 000 ) in order to answer this questions, and then you will get your list of goals:
1. I want to have network of 50 friends ( according to some criteria )
2. I will run a marathon
3. I will have 3 kids and happy wife

For the moment I got to this level, but I hope I will continue my way up

Hope it'll help ,
Andrii

P.S Sorry for my russian english

 

[enyonam]

Horizons of Focus

Like Andrii, Creating my Horizons of Focus helped me with this. And more specifically, using my horizons of focus during Do to prioritise what I work on really kicked it into gear.

 

[Oogiem]

Exercises for Defining Perspective

I'm interested in hearing stories and ideas on how to move from Control to perspective from the GTD Connect members. I'm sure you have a lot of inspiring experiences!

I came at GTD from Covey so had a sense of higher levels before figuring out how to do them. But at this equinox change I also review a bunch of higher levels because fall for me is the start of more time inside to reflect and evaluate.

Here are a couple of exercises I try to do once a year or every couple of years. They all tend to give you perspective. From experience the best way to do these is to pick one, set aside some time, I usually try for about 30 minutes, and just think and write notes or brainstorm the topic. Then put it away for at least a week. Then do another session. trying to refine into the most important points. Put away for another week or 2 and finally a last session where you actually try to complete the task. Do a few each year or so or as many as you think are important. Maybe even one a month for a while.

The time away and relative short intense bursts of activity are critical to getting them done in a way that actually works to provide the perspective you seek. Also, for me at least, doing these exercises right before I go to bed, then allowing an extra 5-10 minutes the next morning also reveals much. My subconscious and dreams often work on the problems while I sleep. I try to get maybe 2-3 done a year and all done in the span of 5 years to keep in perspective. I also keep my previous incarnations in a history file that I review AFTER I've done this particular version. One key point DO NOT look at past versions BEFORE you start this one.

The exercises:

1. Write your obituary in 2 forms. The short one that goes into the big daily paper that has a word limit and the long one that goes into your local small paper or is read at your funeral or memorial ceremony. Think what you want to be remembered by. Spend some time reading both forms of obituaries first so you cover all the important parts. What do people seem to be proud of? What do you want to be proud of when you go? Who have you left behind? What do they do? (Most important if you have children.)

2. Write a list of what you love to do. Put everything into it from mundane stuff like sleeping in late to the most esoteric. This one can usually be done in 2 sessions. One to write & one to review.

3. Write a list of what you hate to do. As above it usually takes 2 sessions but no more.

4. Write an essay on this quote from Armand Hammer "Wealth is not something you acquire, it's something you create. Just think of something that most people would consider impossible and go do it." What impossible things would you like to see done in this world? How would you define wealth? hint: wealth does not equal money although money helps ;-)

5. What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Hint: Think on the impossible things exercise for suggestions.

6. If you were diagnosed with a disease that gave you 6 months to live what would you do and why? (This one often takes me 4-5 sessions to complete)

7. Write down what scares you the most and then next session write down how to mitigate that problem. I use this poem by Frank Herbert to end this session:
"Fear is the Mind Killer
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration
I will face my fear
I will permit it to pass over me and through me
And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear's path
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing
Only I will remain"

8. Friends and enemies: Write a list of 10 honest enemies and 10 dishonest friends you have now. Decide what to do once you've identified them. Why did you have dishonest friends? What makes an enemy honest?

9. What mental molds have you created? Based on this quote from Jack Addington "By setting goals we create a mold into which the energy of life flows.
When we set small goals we provide small molds.
Our great goals provide great molds.
The substance of life has been called mind stuff.
Mind stuff flows into our mental molds."

10. You are not your parents/children. Make a list of things your parents or grandparents did or do that you do not want to do. Reflect on how you will be the change you desire to see in the world. List the things you do and don't want your children to do. Based on this quote from Stephen Covey "A tendency that's run in your family for generations can stop with you. You are a transition person - a link between past & future."

Maybe one of these ideas will spark your own explorations?

 

[vbampton]

Oooooooh Oogie, thanks for those questions! I think they'll be added to my year-end review checklist.

 

[TesTeq]

Why bother? Execute the necessary ending!

3. Write a list of what you hate to do. As above it usually takes 2 sessions but no more.

8. Friends and enemies: Write a list of 10 honest enemies and 10 dishonest friends you have now. Decide what to do once you've identified them. Why did you have dishonest friends? What makes an enemy honest?

I've just read "Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward" by Henry Cloud and I think it contains the proper and effective ideas for dealing with things that you hate to do, honest enemies and dishonest friends.

 

[nick_ross]

Just at the right time...

"Exercises for Defining Perspective"

Oogie - there's a very good reason lots of people look forward to your posts - this one is truly excellent.

And very timely - with the addition to my family and the first 2 weeks under our belts, it's time to re-evaluate these higher levels - and I've been wondering how best to do this.

I will be setting some time aside to give these a go.

Many thanks

N.

 

[laurac]

Another thought...

Hi Bjorn,

I've been contemplating the invitation your opened up in this post for a little while now, asking myself, "How do I get perspective, anyway?"

Here's one simple thing that has really helped me: each month when I do my monthly review, I read David's article "Stalking the Wild Projects." (That's posted under Public Articles in the Document Library.)

I've been doing this practice for almost three years now, and it always really supports me in taking a more elevated view of what really has my attention and typically results in a mindsweep of the higher levels.

Really applaud you for asking this question - there's been so much great food for thought in this thread!

Onward and upward.

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[S-Tolland]

Bjorn's post prompted me to do the GTD-Q myself; I was surprised to find that I hadn't done this since March - time passes swiftly! I think it would be very useful to do the GTD-Q each month so I'll be adding it to my monthly checkist to cover it when I review my areas of focus.

I scored 2 for control and 3 for perspective so found myself, for the first time, in the visionary/crazymaker quadrant. I normally score higher for control so I was a little surprised at first, but when I thought about it more carefully, I am having to work very hard at the moment to juggle a lot of balls and control both my personal and professional lists. My GTD-Q score reflects the fact that I am feeling the pressure as so many projects emerge, both of my own making, but also from my work colleagues and bosses. My weekly review has been key in keeping perspective and making sure that the pressure doesn't get too great. I shall be interested to see where I score at the same time next month, by which time I am hoping that I will be feeling more in control.

Thank you to LauraC for reminding me of the "Stalking the Wild Projects" paper; I haven't read it for a while but will definitely be looking it up.