Simple is Good: Does anyone just use Word

[Anonymous]

I have been very low-tech, using notecards and grouping them as per their next action. I do find myself just writing notes to myself in a Word Document and now I wonder if I couldn't just have a one-page control page in Word. Does anyone do anything that simple? I could be refining the page while I work and just print out the page to carry with me during the time I am off the computer.

If you have a simple system I'd love to hear how you organize it. Do you make Columns? Do you list goals separately?

Juno

 

[me_brown1110]

Using Word

At the office, I tried using just Word to keep ALL my lists, separated by headings, and then using the Document Map feature to quickly zoom among them. (One could also use the cross-reference feature to create hyperlinks amongst the headings.) Also allowed me to print stuff out.

But I could not stick with it, don't know why. I just resisted it. I preferred writing things down on the post-its or scraps or my work journal.

What did work for me later was to keep my master list of work projects handwritten. I then created a Word document with about 6 boxes which I created using Word's line-drawing tool. I labeled each box with a context (Waiting For, Call, Email, etc.), and then wrote in each box the next action for each active project. I highlighted each item as I performed it, and then printed out a new sheet when the old one filled up. Was continually tweaking how much space to devote to each context box.

So I basically used Word to create a simple form to support my GTD at work.

At home, I use my clie and the Palm Desktop, which serves my simpler personal needs.

mike

 

[Anonymous]

Believe it or not David Allen uses word. In the GTD book he states that he uses Word outlining. Check the book out.
George :wink:

 

[Jason Womack]

Great outlining/thinking/planning ideas

Believe it or not David Allen uses word. In the GTD book he states that he uses Word outlining. Check the book out.
George :wink:

In David's book, I refer many clients to pages 219-221.

Three great pages on "distributed cognition" and why that's so important (and...what to do about it).

 

[Anonymous]

Great input, all

I thank you for the idea of the document map, as I have never used that feature before - I have a more refined list page now, and I think I am closer to what will work really well. Right now it is Next Steps under my Contexts, so I have an efficient list in any context. Next I want to figure out how to link the Next Steps to their Specific Goal. Probably the first list will be the actual list of Outcomes, then below will be the contexts. I find I can see it all better than with the notecards.

Though there was something I liked about the note cards, too.

When I read GTD it was a library copy - need to check it out again I see! It would be so fun to "look over everyone's shoulder" just to see how everyone interprets this process. I guess it will always change.

Juno