Today's answers & thoughts
Hi, today I'll be more complete and respond to the individual postings.
First, let me clarify how I've started using GTD (and yes, I'm clear that my implementation is incomplete! I need to go through Chs 4-6 again in implementation mode).
Paper workflow (My e-mail is similar but all electronic, using Mac Mail):
1. Anything I think of I write on a piece of scratch paper. I use the backsides of misprinted or obsolete A4 printouts cut into quarters -- I have piles of these in strategic places; they're always kept handy.
2. The slip goes into my inbox.
3. When I process, I date the slip and figure out what it is.
3a. If it is a project, --3a1. I write the title on my project list & also at the top of the slip. --3a2. I decide on the next action for the project and write that on the slip. --3a3. I then put the slip into a context pile in my Action folder, grouped with a title card and a binder or paper clip. These piles are portable (they go in a coat pocket if need be).
3b. If it is an idea, or project support or reference material, I file it.
3c. If it is doable in under 2 minutes, I do it. (Area for improvement: I've been underestimating time and doing things that take too long, prolonging my processing sessions)
3d. If it is can be solved with a single action, I clarify what this is on the slip and put it into the appropriate context pile in my Action folder, or, if it needs to be done on a certain day, transcribe it into iCal (Mac datebook app).
3E. NEW PROCEDURE STARTING NOW: If it is a project or action I don't have time to sanely introduce into my schedule this week, the slip goes into an appropriate subcategory of my new Someday/Maybe empire.
3f. If it's to Read/Review, not for action, it goes to my "Read/Review" folder.
4. NEW ATTITUDE ON OLD PROCESS: -- Now I'm going to shut out the world and ABSOLUTELY "CRANK" -- My
Weekly and Project Review will at this point just be to look at each scrap of paper (and e-mail) in "Action" "Read/Review" and "Someday/Maybe", and go over my Projects List. I will update, cross out, trash, calendarize and add new scraps as appropriate, and I WILL NOT TAKE ANY ACTION OF >2MINS!
5. (Later) Once I get my systems up and running, I will implement all the different levels/altitudes of review.
6. Action-in-context time. (Woefully lacking so far, too much time dealing with input. But hopefully with the improvements in my processes described I will now have more, or even enough!) When I finish an action, the paper slip goes to the recycle bin or the e-mail gets deleted or filed for reference. If the action is part of a project, I cross out the action I've finished, determine the next action, write it on the slip, and consign it to the proper context pile in my Action folder.
Mac/E-mail additional note:
I have just upgraded to Leopard and now, instead of just filing an e-mail in the electronic "@Action" etc. folder, which did not allow me to specify what the next action was attached to the e-mail, I am now starting to create a Note in Mail stating the next action, name of the Project if applicable, and linking to the e-mail, so it's very similar to my paper slips + a direct link to project support material (the original e-mail). Once this process is completed, during my reviews, I will only review the Notes in my e-mail folders and not the e-mails themselves. I will open the e-mails (project support materials) only when I am in Action mode.
Responses to posts:
cctraderx - Effectively I wasn't taking action based on my "next action" slips of paper, I was spending all my time on collecting, processing and organizing. Now I think I will do better. I don't want to create a list of my Action items as this "double-entry" (paper slip and list) would add a lot of time and bureaucracy to my system. Re the tools, I am trying to get the basics of my system going on paper before going for the electronic tools. I am very interested in OmniFocus, someday I will sync that with an iPhone, but for the short term I will see what I can do with my iPod classic (to upload iCal data) and old Palm (ditto). This plus the context piles I can fit in a coat pocket will keep me mobile, I think.
clango - Thanks for the perspective. Perhaps I need to integrate a 10-20,000 foot review sooner rather than later to determine my priorities, i.e. what stays in "Action" and what goes into "Someday/Maybe".
kewms (Katherine) - Thanks for the ref back to Ch. 6, I am going to go thru Chs. 4-6 again with a fine tooth comb, implementing as I go. As far as my actions, yes they are (sadly, oy!) all immediately doable. While I would love to get them all done in the short term, I can see they won't so I am going to institute triage using my new Someday/Maybe area. Thanks for the great advice, "don't shoot the messenger, fix the underlying problem"!
Oogiem - Thanks for making me realize I'm not the only one who ever had "teething problems" with the system. As above, for the moment I'm going to try to stick to the slips of paper and avoid too many redundant lists. I'm sure that some of my initial ones consigned to an Action-Context pile are less than crystal clear on the NA, but most are. I will really look out for that and move to be clear and hard as a diamond about NAs during my weekly review.
Gardener - Thank you SO MUCH for this fantastic post! So specific and helpful. I am intrigued by OmniFocus and an almost paperless system, since I am very happy with digital tools. I just want a mobile solution that is not based on printing out lists all the time, truly instantly mobile, and I'm not willing to invest in a monthly iPhone contract right now. I hope I will be able to work towards a system like yours and rely on iCal sync with either my old Palm or my iPod (no possibility of input there
) to meet my "on the hoof" needs. I will use your post as a future road map as I go more electronic. Thanks for clarifying that I REALLY need to shovel a bunch of stuff into Someday/Maybe categories like "On Hold", "Not this week" etc. Your "no more than one screen of Actions" rule is great, I will try to implement something similar both on paper and electronically. That should keep me sane! :-D I will focus on keeping my visible workload manageable, as you say.
dschaffner (Don) - Thanks for the link to zenhabits.net, that looks like some very interesting stuff to review and integrate into my system.
JohnV474 - Thanks, and to answer your question, well, perhaps my mind is hyperactive, but my stuff is all immediately doable as I've said, and yes, most of it needs to head for "Someday/Maybe." I haven't actually got to much of my "pie in the sky" type of things yet, just because up to now I lacked the structure to deal with them (now no longer the case). This is all stuff I really want to do soon, even if practically I can't. This is just my nature, I think, and I hope this system will allow me to keep my highest priority things moving forward powerfully, and keep the other million things bubbling in the background. I have actually enjoyed writing down all the littlest things as well as the big ones, now that I'm clearer on how to deal with the volume of stuff I've produced, I think the enjoyment will pick up again! I like your 3x5 card system, and I do something similar with my A6 papers (great minds think alike?!). Like Claudio, I'm curious about your 3-ring binder and how you make it portable.
OK, everyone. Thanks for some great advice, and please, anyone who has additional advice on dealing with overwhelming numbers of NAs, different to what we've discussed here, or who just wants to give an overview of their own particular way of doing the GTD workflow, please go ahead. This is a great discussion and I think it's valuable for all newbies. Cheers.
Dave