Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
Thanks, John. But I always interpreted that as a meeting with your team members to discuss the project - not an appointment with yourself.
Power Use of Your Calendar
- Thread starter John Forrister
- Start date
Hello. In Making It All Work, when explaining the factors that comes into play when deciding on the next action to do, David Allen suggest the idea of time blocking :
Another good example is the weekly review for which David Allen recommends to block out time for it.
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Oogiem
0
Getting Things Done Kindle edition
here's a couple more
pg 87 Setting Aside Time "I recommend that you create a block of time to initialize thei process and prepare a workstation with the appropriate space, furniture and tools."
on managing deep work type projects, EXACTLY the type of thing you use your time segements for
pg 238 "give yourself a block of time, ideally between one and three hours, to handle as much of the vertical thinking about each project as you can."
Making it All Work Kindle edition
pg 2883
"Obviously , based upon al the other prioritizing factors, you may need to create specific structures and block out sufficient time slots for the important actions that require them."
pg 3405
"Realizing, as you look through your calendar while considering what's changes in the last few days, that you had now better block out two hours for yourself in the coming week so that you can finish drafting a document on time, is the kind of "aha!" moment that can help prevent a loss of control."
here's a couple more
pg 87 Setting Aside Time "I recommend that you create a block of time to initialize thei process and prepare a workstation with the appropriate space, furniture and tools."
on managing deep work type projects, EXACTLY the type of thing you use your time segements for
pg 238 "give yourself a block of time, ideally between one and three hours, to handle as much of the vertical thinking about each project as you can."
Making it All Work Kindle edition
pg 2883
"Obviously , based upon al the other prioritizing factors, you may need to create specific structures and block out sufficient time slots for the important actions that require them."
pg 3405
"Realizing, as you look through your calendar while considering what's changes in the last few days, that you had now better block out two hours for yourself in the coming week so that you can finish drafting a document on time, is the kind of "aha!" moment that can help prevent a loss of control."
Jodie E. Francis
GTD Novice
This is the crux of it for me. Whenever I stop blocking time on my calendar/making appointments with myself to focus on the important-but-not-urgent, I fall into 'latest & loudest' processing, my projects stagnate, and my sense of overwhelm rises. A weekly review & accompanying pause for creative thinking & planning brings me back to focus on these projects, but to actually get the work done I need the calendar reminder in the moment. It's a reminder that my 'forward-planning self' has left for my 'in the moment self' about my big picture projects & goals.
And yes, I have credible work and personal commitments that pop up and cause regular renegotiating of my time blocks. If I can approach those renegotiations without judgement I keep moving ahead.
What a great discussion- thanks everyone!
I can only encourage you to interpret to your advantage, rather than in any way that leads you to think you are not practicing GTD effectively. And effectively is going to be different for all of us. Speaking from experience, effectively also changes over time, as my areas of focus change.
I can say amen to that. There is a part of me, sort of a hamster on a wheel, that still believes that if work fast on latest and loudest I can catch up. But as David Allen says, "There is no catching up, there is only catching on." So I need to have the part of me that catches on do some planning.
Here's a real-life example. How many times do I need to get an email with the same question about a web page before I change the content on the page to answer the question and not get more emails about it? The hamster me doesn't even think of that. Luckily the part of me that catches on looks back at my Sent folder to see if there are any patterns.
Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
This has indeed been a great discussion! Thanks to everyone for contributing. I dearly love all of you and this community. We all are walking on the same journey even though we have many differences in the roads we take. One thing we do have in common is that we have realized that David Allen's teachings and GTD are the bedrock in our work and lives. I would not have been able to reach where I am professionally without embracing the many principles of GTD. And...as I have said before....GTD rocks! 
Jared Caron
Nursing leader; GTD enthusiast
I seem to recall some additional homage to this in the book, though I'll admit I didn't pick up on it until a 2nd or 3rd read-through.
It seems to me that time-blocking or scheduled tasks are a more advanced GTD move. For beginners, I think there may be more pitfalls of trying to use the calendar as a to-do list and "refrigerator magnet syndrome," particularly for people who are already overloaded.
Once you've got the fundamentals down and have a better understanding of what belongs on your calendar, I think this approach can be an elegant and sophisticated application of the GTD principles.
But I'm a time blocker... so what do I know
Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
Bravo, Jared! I agree - thanks for sharing!I seem to recall some additional homage to this in the book, though I'll admit I didn't pick up on it until a 2nd or 3rd read-through.
It seems to me that time-blocking or scheduled tasks are a more advanced GTD move. For beginners, I think there may be more pitfalls of trying to use the calendar as a to-do list and "refrigerator magnet syndrome," particularly for people who are already overloaded.
Once you've got the fundamentals down and have a better understanding of what belongs on your calendar, I think this approach can be an elegant and sophisticated application of the GTD principles.
But I'm a time blocker... so what do I know
Yes, I do too. I think DA used to time block writing the book (!) after a while, if I remember correctly. Somewhere he shares that, don't know where though.
seedgrumble
Registered
How do I view the article without buying the membership, "Power use of the calendar"? Posting the link in this forum is not much of a help if only a select few can actually view it.
Well, it's nicely stashed away in the "What's new in GTDConnect" forum. I know that unless I someday sign up and pay, I'm not going to be able to follow links in that forum.
If there was an article you were keen to read, you could always use the free 14 day guest pass. I would wait for a time where you will have some free time to have a look around Connect. I have been a member for a while and am still making my way through the enormous podcast back catalogue.
Bill Myers
Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute
I'm just seeing this thread now as it was originally posted before I became a GTD Connect member. So I know I'm reviving a years-old debate. But I have a question -- and not a rhetorical one. Why in the world would I want to convince you to stop doing something that works for you. Why is this a debate? I'm genuinely confused.
Yeah, I know I'm a guy who has often expressed super-strong opinions about what is or isn't GTD or how to do something. But... things change. So do people.
Anyway, @Longstreet, at some points in my life I've used time-blocking, and at other points I haven't. Do you want to convince me I should use it? What if not time-blocking is what works for me?
I'm honestly not trying to be a jerk here. I'm not saying this should or shouldn't be a debate. But I don't understand why it is. Maybe someone can help me out here.
As for me, I like what @John Forrister said earlier in this thread about the lack of explicit support for time-blocking in GTD literature. There's a lot of things in GTD we can interpret to our best advantage. That's a cool way to look at it. I think I may re-read the book with that thought in the front of my mind.
Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
it is not a debate and everyone can of course do what works for them. Period. End of "debate".
Bill Myers
Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute
Uhm, wow. OK. It was your challenge to everyone, not mine. As far as it not being a "debate," I've seen people argue about this idea, pro and con, on and off for quite a while. I dunno, to me it all looks very much like a debate. YMMV.
I guess I was asking because over time I've seen multiple posts from you where you've articulated a challenge relative to your work, explained in a pretty reasonable way how time-blocking addresses it, and it seems to work really, really well for you. Moreover you've made a pretty good case for why people in similar circumstances might benefit from it.
On the other hand, there are people who have explained why they don't do it, and in their circumstances that seems to make sense too.
And it seems to me that both approaches are pretty consistent with GTD. Yet I see some people arguing (not necessarily you, but others) that *everyone* should be doing it, and some arguing that *no one* should be doing it.
So when you asked people to convince you otherwise (and granted, I realize this was back in 2021, but it's not like this hasn't popped up before or since), I was wondering why. Because, like I said, what you're doing sounds like a really good solution to an issue you've faced.
But apparently somehow I've offended you. I apologize. I guess I'll steer clear of you regarding this topic. I regret expressing support for someone doing what works for them. If telling you that you that you've done a good job explaining why this works for you and is consistent with GTD principles, I regret that too. I better not tell you I think it makes a positive contribution to the forum (I do think that, but I guess I shouldn't say it). That might really upset you.
Bill Myers
Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute
@John Forrister, @Longstreet's reaction notwithstanding, I do not regret saying I think your suggestion that we can interpret GTD to our advantage is wonderful. Truly, it cleared up a huge roadblock for me. Seriously, I am going to re-read the book with that in mind. I have a feeling it will be a much different experience doing so.
Longstreet
Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases
I am not in the least "upset". I was simply in this thread trying to understand why the entire concept of time blocking is not "taught" in the context of GTD whereas coaches clearly tell you that it is fine. All that is "taught" is deciding moment to moment what to do. As a professor and scientist, this seemed illogical to me that time blocking would not be a part of deciding on what you would do in the week ahead. That is all. But there is a wide range of thought on this here and on other forums. And that is why I said there is no "debate". One does what works best for them.
Bill Myers
Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute
I want to apologize to @Longstreet and frankly to anyone else who saw my second-to-last post. I knew I was letting irritation get the better of me, yet I posted what I did anyway. I regret that.
I guess I can see where my query to @Longstreet -- where I asked why in the world I would try to convince him of something -- came off as flip, argumentative, etc. I said it wasn't rhetorical, but it really was. While this subject has been argued about at length in other threads, this thread was more friendly discussion than argument. At least until I got involved.
What I wish I had written was this: I've seen this debate pop up from time to time. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of it. Either someone will argue that time-blocking isn't consistent with GTD, and someone will feel the need to defend why it is. Or someone will assert "what gets scheduled gets done," and someone else will feel the need to counter with examples where that isn't the case for them.
What I'm getting at is that @Longstreet faces a particular challenge in his role: certain work that requires lengthy periods of focused, uninterrupted concentration; and lots of people trying to grab time on his calendar. So he blocks out time to for that sort of work. Because he knows he'll need it.
I don't have that challenge. My last job was in sales, and I rarely had tasks that required much more than 30 minutes. And management was pretty good about not saddling us with unnecessary internal meetings because they wanted us to maximize our time on sales activities. But you can bet if I ever end up in a role with similar challeges -- I don't foresee it, but who knows what the future might bring -- I would steal @Longstreet's idea. And it's not something I'd've thought to do if I hadn't heard it from him.
I did do time-blocking in my last job, but for somewhat different purposes. I had to make a certain number of cold calls every day in order to uncover enough sales opportunities to have a shot at making my quota. Most of the meetings I was involved in were ones I was setting with prospects and clients. Still, I didn't want to have to try to remember that I'd set aside 1 pm - 3 pm for cold calls and shouldn't schedule anything else. Time blocking protected my time and -- kept things off my mind. The goal of GTD.
Maybe an even better, more concise way to put it would be: I wouldn't try to convince @Longstreet he's wrong. He convinced me he's right. For some people, in some circumstances, he's got a good solution.
I guess I can see where my query to @Longstreet -- where I asked why in the world I would try to convince him of something -- came off as flip, argumentative, etc. I said it wasn't rhetorical, but it really was. While this subject has been argued about at length in other threads, this thread was more friendly discussion than argument. At least until I got involved.
What I wish I had written was this: I've seen this debate pop up from time to time. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of it. Either someone will argue that time-blocking isn't consistent with GTD, and someone will feel the need to defend why it is. Or someone will assert "what gets scheduled gets done," and someone else will feel the need to counter with examples where that isn't the case for them.
What I'm getting at is that @Longstreet faces a particular challenge in his role: certain work that requires lengthy periods of focused, uninterrupted concentration; and lots of people trying to grab time on his calendar. So he blocks out time to for that sort of work. Because he knows he'll need it.
I don't have that challenge. My last job was in sales, and I rarely had tasks that required much more than 30 minutes. And management was pretty good about not saddling us with unnecessary internal meetings because they wanted us to maximize our time on sales activities. But you can bet if I ever end up in a role with similar challeges -- I don't foresee it, but who knows what the future might bring -- I would steal @Longstreet's idea. And it's not something I'd've thought to do if I hadn't heard it from him.
I did do time-blocking in my last job, but for somewhat different purposes. I had to make a certain number of cold calls every day in order to uncover enough sales opportunities to have a shot at making my quota. Most of the meetings I was involved in were ones I was setting with prospects and clients. Still, I didn't want to have to try to remember that I'd set aside 1 pm - 3 pm for cold calls and shouldn't schedule anything else. Time blocking protected my time and -- kept things off my mind. The goal of GTD.
Maybe an even better, more concise way to put it would be: I wouldn't try to convince @Longstreet he's wrong. He convinced me he's right. For some people, in some circumstances, he's got a good solution.
Bill Myers
Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute
Fair enough. I guess when you asked people to "convince you otherwise," it brought to mind some brouhahas. But you're right, this wasn't one of them.
Also, see my apology above.
Maybe you could submit a chapter to David Allen for consideration in the next edition of GTD, should there be one. You could insist on royalties. Because I gave you the idea, I should get a cut. Just 35% off the top. I'm a reasonable person.