I'm Sorry but I had a Victory

jerendeb

jerendeb

Registered
I have been a loyal FAN of this methodology & feel like a real rat here...but I downloaded & have tried the Franklin Covey Plan Plus v. 2.0 Free Trial with no apparent difficulty & what makes matters difficult is that I got more done today using this software ( I am an old 7 Habits fan since 1990!!!!!!). So I am using Outlook 2003, PlanPlus 2.0 & GTD 2.45 and find I like prioritizing my Tasks as well as calendarizing my daily must achievement next actions. For What Its Worth. :oops: :D
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Daily plan and prioritizing

I am glad that you had a victory! Now, with that said, I don't think you need to apologize. Everyone has different degrees of how they wish to plan their weeks and days. I make a weekly action plan following my weekly review and I also create a daily action plan. The key point for me is that they are PLANS and may have to be modified based on constant changing input and priorities. This is at the heart of GTD, at least I think. I also prioritize, but not a rigid A,B,C system because so many things can't be so neatly packaged this way, at least in my experiences. There is no doubt that there are things that will be more important than others, and that one's focus should be on them. But to ignore the magnitude of other issues and people you work with is laying the foundation for disaster in the long run. Sure, there may be five new work items that show up at your door, and they may be more your colleague's priorities than yours, but if you are too rigid (I'm not saying drop what you are doing now) and label so many of these as "B" or "C" items, and you only work on your "A" items, you won't be much of a team player and it might, just might, come back to haunt you...

Just my thoughts. There is nothing wrong with adding the level of structure to your day that makes you the most efficient. Many people thrive on immense levels of structure (actually, I am one of them!). Just don't be too upset if your best plans get torpedoed throught the day. Some days -- this never happens. Other days -- oh boy! :shock:

Best to all,
Lonsgtreet
 
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jay ghee

Guest
Hi! I've never given up Covey & love GTD for the handling of daily the volume of to do's.

Q. What's GTD 2.45
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Victory

I have used GTD for about eight months and have reverted back to a paper based system with the Covey values and roles based planning methodology. I find I am more centered on what I need to achieve on a daily and longer term basis. I also find having the paper planner has made it easier to capture ideas and thoughts on the go. GTD is great but it never made me feel completely in control of my course in life wholistically and not just at work.
 
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ext555

Registered
Ah but GTD isn't just for work life -- you should have a total life to-do list not just work items--as far as next actions lists they can be sorted by context or role (whichever works best for you)

Davidco strongly recommends sorting by context but there's been plenty of examples on this board of people who don't move much from their office so context isn't really as important for them.

Paper does work better for some people and the best planner I know of is the company that David use to train for-- Time Design. www.timedesign.com

This planner will make you feel very in control of your schedule -your daily tasks and your long term outcomes if used properly .
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Using Franklin Covey and GTD

I am using a combination of Franklin Covey and GTD

I really like the daily and weekly planning system from FC - focusing on What Matters Most.

Once I have planned the week and then the day I don't have to worry about the 500 over tasks on my lists.

GTD is so far working for because I can move projects along by defining clear outcomes and creating Next Actions. I realize that many tasks were uncompleted because there were too many decisions to make before acting.

Regards software, I have had terrible problems with Franklin Covey, Plan Plus 1.05 never quite worked, had to reinstall all the time and Planner 8.1 had synching problems with my Palm.

I am now just using Palm desktop. I task categories for NEXT ACTION, PROJECT, WAITING FOR, MAYBE.

I use the Franklin Covey planning system by following the What Matters Most system, using values, roles, missions etc. I really find the focusing on roles is really important. Prior to using that system I would only plan work activities and my family and recreation time used to just unfold without much direction.

In parting I'll give one example of how GTD worked for me. I had a reminder in my FC software for about 3 weeks to get my car serviced. When I applied GTD I realized that I really don't like getting it serviced because I lose time during the day dropping it off and picking it up etc. I realized the next action was for me to decide when was the most convenient day and time to drop it off. Only then was I able to take the next action to call the dealer and ask if I get it serviced at that time.

I am starting to move along a lot of stuck projects like this just because I am making the decision of what to do next before adding the item to a list or calendar.

Good luck everyone and thank you for your contributions.

Guy
 
Longstreet

Longstreet

Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
Roles versus context categories for next actions

Here is the struggle again that I also have with basing my next actions on context versus the Covey approach of roles. I have gone back and forth with this and cannot determine which is best. There are advantages of the context mode, particularly with things like errands and calls. However, the other suggested contexts don't work well with me -- @computer, @office, etc. I am thinking again about sorting my next actions by roles and perhaps keeping the errands and calls categories since these do work for me. Sorting by roles forces one to balance your various areas of focus more, I think.

I would enjoy responses from others on this important topic. :D

Regards,
Longstreet
 
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andmor

Guest
I have been doing GtD for a while - I no longer feel the need to categorize my Action Items by Context. I automatically think Context when I look at my list and try to figure out what my next working session will look like (whether it be 15 mins or 4 hrs). I do keep Errands separate from the other Action Items. I also try to keep the Current List manageable - I don't see the point of putting things on my ASAP list that have no chance of being done before the next Weekly Review.

I find roles interesting for planning but irrelevant for Review/Selecting on the fly, so they just get in the way in my Action Lists.

Andrew
 
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