Processing vs Planning Prioritizing

[debbieg]

I am attempting to use GTD by following the book. I have the processing piece of my in boxes-paper and email working fine and have my files set up.

I seem to be struggling with the planning and prioritizing. Right now I feel like a have a bunch of lists.

When do you plan and prioritize ?

How do you ensure that you have allocated time for priorities?

Do your next actions have dates assigned to them and if not, how do you ensure that things don't fall through the cracks? If yes, do you have to do a project plan with dates before you can move an item to the call, pc, or action list?

Where can I find info on the ZEN concept?

I feel like I'm missing something with this approach.

 

[kewms]

When do you plan and prioritize ?

How do you ensure that you have allocated time for priorities?

Weekly review.

Do your next actions have dates assigned to them and if not, how do you ensure that things don't fall through the cracks? If yes, do you have to do a project plan with dates before you can move an item to the call, pc, or action list?

Generally no, they don't have dates. Exceptions go on my calendar. The weekly review is my primary tool for making sure things haven't gotten lost, combined with aggressive list pruning to make sure the pile is a reasonable size.

Katherine

 

[Jon Walthour]

I am attempting to use GTD by following the book. I have the processing piece of my in boxes-paper and email working fine and have my files set up.

I seem to be struggling with the planning and prioritizing. Right now I feel like a have a bunch of lists.

When do you plan and prioritize ?

How do you ensure that you have allocated time for priorities?

Do your next actions have dates assigned to them and if not, how do you ensure that things don't fall through the cracks? If yes, do you have to do a project plan with dates before you can move an item to the call, pc, or action list?

Where can I find info on the ZEN concept?

I feel like I'm missing something with this approach.

It seems to me like you are on the right track and just need to take the next step. You say you've Collected everything up into inbox, Processed them and Organized them into actionable and non-actionable areas (lists, reference, etc.). Seems the next step for you to take in the 5 phases of workflow management is "Review". Getting into the habit of a good weekly review will help you get a handle on your priorities, keep things from falling through the cracks and give a sense of the whole of your things to do so that "a bunch of lists" can become a tool to productivity.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the ZEN concept." Can you please elaborate?

 

[Roger]

Right now I feel like a have a bunch of lists.

That's good! That's pretty much the system right there.

When do you plan and prioritize? How do you ensure that you have allocated time for priorities?

I'm not entirely sure I understand exactly what you're asking here; there's a lot of different ways I could interpret it. In some sense you're always planning and prioritizing through every phase, but that might not be what you mean.

Do your next actions have dates assigned to them and if not, how do you ensure that things don't fall through the cracks?

Sometimes they'll have associated dates, sometimes not. Plugging all the cracks is somewhat a function of Review, but it's also a function of the entire system.

If yes, do you have to do a project plan with dates before you can move an item to the call, pc, or action list?

In the general sense, no; project planning is covered in Chapter 10 and might answer some of your questions around the topic.

I feel like I'm missing something with this approach.

Feel free to hit us with an example from your life, and we'll walk through it together.

 

[TesTeq]

Assigning a date is not enough.

Do your next actions have dates assigned to them and if not, how do you ensure that things don't fall through the cracks?

Assigning a date does not prohibit the action to fall through the cracks. The key point is to review your lists as often as it is needed and do the actions.