Stump the GTD system ---

R

roakleyca

0
Here's how I know my system isn't complete ---- I have a huge resistence to writing things down and putting them in my inbox. Why? I'm afraid I may stump my system. I'm afraid that what I have set up is either too complex, or two simple.

For this reason, I would love to have a telecoaching session....but there is no way I am affording that anytime soon.

So....perhaps this forum could help me. What I am looking for is some real situations that come up. A soft of "what would you do with this...."

There are lots of stuff about GTD system setup, but not enough, IMHO, about specific "stuff" that people get and where it would go.

So let's build a library of examples. Perhaps we can call it "Stump the GTD System"

I wish I could remember an example to start us off......when I think of one, I will write it down and post it. (c:

Ryan
 
...of particular examples.

For example, if you wanted to paint your kitchen how would you handle this using GTD?

I think it's a pretty good idea!
 
I get it too. When you find yourself stumped, it's probably good to use it as an example. It may also stump others. Or others may have figured out 'this one' already.

I don't have one handy right now, but I'll post if I do.
 
roakleyca;64565 said:
Here's how I know my system isn't complete ---- I have a huge resistence to writing things down and putting them in my inbox. Why? I'm afraid I may stump my system. I'm afraid that what I have set up is either too complex, or two simple.
Click to expand...

The only way to optimize your system is to use it. Take real situations from your life. Put them in your system. Tweak as needed. Repeat.

Katherine
 
Test_John;64585 said:
...of particular examples.

For example, if you wanted to paint your kitchen how would you handle this using GTD?

I think it's a pretty good idea!
Click to expand...

@Spouse Discuss kitchen painting project. What color do we want? Decide time frame and budget.
@Home Measure kitchen wall area.
@Errand Paint store: look at color chips. Get samples. Estimate amount of paint needed and cost.
@Home Look at paint samples in kitchen. Decide color.

Only the first of these is an actual Next Action, and would go on the appropriate list. The others are future actions, and go in the project plan if you believe one is necessary. Obviously the kitchen isn't actually painted at the end of this list of actions, but that's okay. There's plenty of time to do more planning later on.

Katherine
 
Well, I am glad you all understood what I was trying to get at. I can get a bit long winded sometimes.

It's funny --- I just signed up for the trail of GTD Connect and one of the first things I saw was the audio series titled "What the heck to I do with..."

That's it!

That's what I am looking for. I hope to listen to it tonight and tomorrow and see what kind of examples are used.

It's funny how I have the anxiety of setting up the complete GTD system because I don't actually believe it can hold ALL my stuff....but yet, I can't think of an example of a piece of "stuff" that would actually be difficult to handle in your typical GTD system.

hmm
 
OK, maybe I've got one.

How does GTD work if you want to "bookmark" where you've left off on a project or N/A.

If you don't find a good way to externalize that bookmark, then your brain will have to keep that marker in it's head.

Example....you're organizing a whole bunch of photos. You are in the zone, but your called to supper and know that you won't be able to come back to the project for until the next weekend. What do you do?
 
roakleyca;64610 said:
Example....you're organizing a whole bunch of photos. You are in the zone, but your called to supper and know that you won't be able to come back to the project for until the next weekend. What do you do?
Click to expand...

This is the same whether you are sorting photos or some other item, and whether the objects are digital or physical. Create an "unsorted" file. Move from that file to whatever categories you set up. You can be interrupted at any point without losing what you've done so far. If you like, you can use the same method to break a large category down into subcategories.

So, when you're interrupted for dinner, make an NA that says "sort 2008 dog photos" to remind you where you were.

Katherine
 
Thanks for the clarification, folks! I think I get it now.

roakleyca;64610 said:
How does GTD work if you want to "bookmark" where you've left off on a project or N/A.
Click to expand...

The N/A is the bookmark of where you've left off on a Project. If you go to work on a N/A and discover it's now out-of-date, then you need to look at the Project to decide what the Next Action is.
 
Bookmarking

roakleyca;64610 said:
OK, maybe I've got one.

How does GTD work if you want to "bookmark" where you've left off on a project or N/A.

If you don't find a good way to externalize that bookmark, then your brain will have to keep that marker in it's head.

Example....you're organizing a whole bunch of photos. You are in the zone, but your called to supper and know that you won't be able to come back to the project for until the next weekend. What do you do?
Click to expand...

It depends on the situation. If you complete an action, you need to record the next action (the next action is all you need later to remind you). But in your example the action is not complete ("Organize Photos"). So, the next action is still "Organize Photos". You need to leave the photos in a state that allows you to continue later. Presumably you have a stack of unorganized photos and an collection of organized photos. Put the organized photos away where they should normally be stored (so that parts done). The remaining photos are what you will work on later to complete the next action.
 
In my case, I'd slap some object between the organized and unorganized photos, and make a note of that on my next action.

Project: Organize photos.
Next Action: Resume organizing photos. (Note: Organized are in envelopes in bottom of box. Unorganized are above the Fine Gardening magazine.)

If I knew in advance that this was a multi-session task, I'd design it that way, probably putting the photos in labelled manila folders, or something of the sort.

Gardener
 
roakleyca;64610 said:
Example....you're organizing a whole bunch of photos. You are in the zone, but your called to supper and know that you won't be able to come back to the project for until the next weekend. What do you do?
Click to expand...

That one's easy for me because I do lots of scrapbooks so I am always sorting pictures. I had many boxes of pictures to sort. My sorted pictures are in groups by decade first, then by year. When I am sorting I have a powersort box from Creative Memories for sorted pictures and whatever larger box of unsorted ones I am working on. To stop I just close the powersort box, put it on top of the unsorted pictures and return the larger box to my photo storage area. I personally first did a sort of all pictures into decades into its own power sort box. Now I am taking each decade and sorting by year and also by scrapbook. So I start with a powersort box for say the 1960s. Then sort into each year then pull out for say, a scrapbook on an event.

The NA is not done so it just stays on my list of @inside by myself, until I get to it again.

I have lots of next actions that may stay on my list for week, months sometimes years as it takes that long to finish them.
 
I think leaving an NA on your list too long, will make many people go numb to it, because you get the feeling you're not 'getting it done'. I'd probably make it a project and split into many tasks, each of which would take a couple of hours or so, so I'd know that every few days I can tick one NA off.

When I study for my exams, I have to learn the same course for 5 days straight or so and simply having one NA that I'm working on for 5 days, is just too demotivating. I just split by chapter, so I can tick off multiple NA's a day.

But then again, that's just me. If you don't need to do that and feel fine about it, so much the better :-) (because admittedly, it is a bore to enter 35 NA's, one for each chapter, though it pays off in motivation afterward)

~ RoninTDK
 
RoninTDK;64701 said:
I think leaving an NA on your list too long, will make many people go numb to it, because you get the feeling you're not 'getting it done'. I'd probably make it a project and split into many tasks, each of which would take a couple of hours or so, so I'd know that every few days I can tick one NA off.
Click to expand...

I know I am in the minority with projects that span decades and lifetimes and NAs that span months and years. I do have to watch that I don't get numb but I've also found that not having all next actions listed has resulted in me missing opportunities to move very long timeframe projects along.

I have a problem in general with putting lots of the same NA on my list. If the action is not multiple steps the fact it takes a long time is irrelevant to me.

I'm currently working on adapting and adding appropriate contexts so I can deal with the list more easily. I'm also getting used to seeing a huge long list, and the SW I use, LifeBalance, makes it obvious which tasks are critical to my overall areas of focus and goals and I can easily see if I'm spending too much time in one area or another. NAs are color coded so if I know that I need to work more on one area I can pick those actions out very easily.
 
Ok...I'll walk through a project I have coming up in the springtime. Does this help?

Project: Install a fence in the backyard
Next actions (don't forget - one at a time - I'm just creating all of them at once for my example)
- @ computer: Read through prices and how-tos on the web to get a price estimate
- @ phone: Talk to side/back neighbors & ask if it is ok and what they want to do with their fences
- @ phone: Call town clerk to request a survey/marker done on the backyard (note: this is done, this N/A is just for the example)
--- At this point I add "waiting for marked yard" on my "Waiting for" list
- @ home: Take measurements of yard and draw it up
- @ home: Take down current fence along one side of the yard
--- At this point I add a scheduled action to throw away the fencing on bulk garbage day
- @ computer: Print out directions on putting up a fence
- @ errands: Rent hole-digger, consult with sales people, order fence materials and concrete (I realize this is multiple actions, but they'll all take place during the same visit. You could put these on an Agenda list too.)
--- Waiting for fence materials
- @ phone: Call in favors to help put up the fence
- @ home: Double-check to ensure tools are available and in good condition
- @ errands: Buy beer and food for friends that help
- I would schedule actually putting up the fence, because other people are involved.

This particular project didn't really require any pre-planning, but for more complex projects (especially at work) I will sometimes have an extra page in my planner for notes on future next-actions, emails to send out, etc. I imagine if you're leading a very complex project, you would have a formalized project plan in place that would further help you determine your next actions.

Make sense?
 
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