ElleExtreme
Registered
I'm trying to work on my General Reference System and am facing some problems...
Just for background, I run a digitally centered system, and want to minimize physical material as much as possible. The limited referencing of physical material that I have to do is causing me problems, however.
What I am wondering basically is how you guys approach physical things that *aren't* documents or similar. Like, I've searched the book for a mention of this, since I might have missed it when I first read the book, but I have failed to find anything. Which maybe wouldn't be surprising considering the book is still very obviously mainly meant for business execs. and the like, but, if it is in fact neglected it seems like quite a severe oversight.
So in the book David himself gives the example of capturing a flashlight that needs having its batteries replaced. Say, for example, that you don't have the right kind of batteries at home. Then you obviously need create a (minor) project, basically;
And my second question is implied above; Where do you even put stuff like the Flashlight in question? Like, I guess you wouldn't mash it into a folder in your A-Z reference. For me, these kind of physical items just get put on my desk, awaiting action. Which definitely doesn't seem to be in the spirit of GTD. What I'd need, I think, is a system of boxes. Boxes of all kinds of sizes, with internal dividers as well, to be able to handle the quite massive size difference that exists for things that aren't too large to reasonably be integrated into my system in question (those kinds of items I'd just have to make a physical note of, and then put the note in the system, I suppose).
I'd just like to elaborate on how I'm thinking this system would look.
I'd be very thankful for some help from you veterans out there!
Best Regards-
ElleExtreme
Just for background, I run a digitally centered system, and want to minimize physical material as much as possible. The limited referencing of physical material that I have to do is causing me problems, however.
What I am wondering basically is how you guys approach physical things that *aren't* documents or similar. Like, I've searched the book for a mention of this, since I might have missed it when I first read the book, but I have failed to find anything. Which maybe wouldn't be surprising considering the book is still very obviously mainly meant for business execs. and the like, but, if it is in fact neglected it seems like quite a severe oversight.
So in the book David himself gives the example of capturing a flashlight that needs having its batteries replaced. Say, for example, that you don't have the right kind of batteries at home. Then you obviously need create a (minor) project, basically;
- When @Store, buy batteries
- When @Home, replace batteries
And my second question is implied above; Where do you even put stuff like the Flashlight in question? Like, I guess you wouldn't mash it into a folder in your A-Z reference. For me, these kind of physical items just get put on my desk, awaiting action. Which definitely doesn't seem to be in the spirit of GTD. What I'd need, I think, is a system of boxes. Boxes of all kinds of sizes, with internal dividers as well, to be able to handle the quite massive size difference that exists for things that aren't too large to reasonably be integrated into my system in question (those kinds of items I'd just have to make a physical note of, and then put the note in the system, I suppose).
I'd just like to elaborate on how I'm thinking this system would look.
- I'd have a General Reference system for nonactionable yet somewhat bulky objects, that complements the physical A-Z filing system. These objects do not fit appropriately into some kind of organization I already have in the house (this is of course consistent with what David says of the GenRef; that it simply applies to that which doesn't fit elsewhere. I'd be a bit crazy to put my socks in the GenRef instead of in the wardrobe)
- I'd have Project Support for these kinds of bulky things
- Finally I'd have what I'd like to call "Next Action Artifacts". In my above example, that would be the Flashlight itself, once the preceding actions of the project have been completed. I keep all my NAs in Todoist. Hence, I don't subscribe to Davids philosophy of having things represent actions in and of themselves (I think there are a couple of problems with this). So I will have a digital task relating to a physical object. These Next Action Artifacts would probably be a kind of separate system from the GenRef and ProSup, where objects become promoted when they become NAs, and where they are more readily available.
I'd be very thankful for some help from you veterans out there!
Best Regards-
ElleExtreme
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