Thinking about nuking my system and starting over

[ellobogrande]

I've practiced GTD for a long time. At one time I might have considered myself black belt. GTD was exciting to me for over a decade.

However, in the past two years, my system has become an inventory of work that I'm not passionate about, not sure I'm committed to doing anymore or flat out don't want to do. I've not had an effective weekly review in a long time. The loss of the benefits that I used to get from a weekly review discourage me from even doing one.

In the past two years my mental health has also deteriorated. I'm getting help for that, but I've lost my drive, my passion and my desire to do pretty much anything. My system reflects that and I feel like crap when I look at it.

I'm considering a full-blown reset of my GTD system--just delete everything except for my calendar, see what crawls back up into my head and build a new inventory of work from there. It's a drastic move that I'm not sure I should do. Maybe I should transfer the projects and actions that will have very real consequences if they don't get done (e.g., taxes) and get rid of the rest first.

Has anyone else done this? I'd like to learn from someone else before I do something that I may end up regretting.

Thanks and have a pleasant weekend.

 

[Tom_Hagen]

It is difficult to correctly diagnose your situation from a distance, but you probably got burnout or maybe even the beginning of depression. Instead of deleting everything - perhaps a good idea would be to move non-essential matters to the maybe/someday category. If it's burnout - a shorter or longer break should help you bounce back from the bottom. If you are depressed - you need specialist advice.

 

[ivanjay205]

First off I want to commend you for putting this out there, and most importantly for the bravery in acknowledging and addressing your mental health challenges. That is a difficult thing to do. I would assume that this is all connected. I am not trying to say the mental health challenge is caused by the GTD system but in general it is a disconnect for you.

I recently had something similar at a MUCH simpler scale. I was disengaged with my system and felt it was not helping me. I did a complete reset of my contexts and higher levels of horizon which completely reshaped my system and my engaged. I am now super engaged.

My recommendation would be to plan some time when you can really do a DEEP review. Do not yet engage with the weekly review. First capture any visible things that are cluttering your mind just to clear the deck. Once done start with the higher horizons. What is your purpose and principles? Who are you and what are you trying to do in life. From there outline your vision, goals, areas of focus, etc. By starting there you will present yourself with what you should be doing.

That will take some time and you will need to be in an environment where you can really reflect on things. And give it space and time. When that is done give it a day, whenever I do that my mind starts to open up and the ideas pour in. That is why I wait another day. On day 2 look at that list and start going through your system. I dont know what you use.... But you could either start a new system and move old stuff into it or just modify your old. I would modify my old but that's me.

Setup your new areas of focus and go through every next action and get them into the appropriate place.

Once that is done you should have a MUCH clearer picture. I also now make part of my weekly review to look at my system to see if something does not work. I limit myself (takes a lot of discipline lol) to one tweak a week. This way I dont throw my system into chaos.

Would love to hear how it goes if you do it? I do a deep review like this 2x a year and it is fantastic. I do it every July and December.

 

[schmeggahead]

I'm considering a full-blown reset of my GTD system--just delete everything except for my calendar, see what crawls back up into my head and build a new inventory of work from there.

I have done this to varying degrees many times. My strategy? My whole system becomes reference, so I don't delete it, I leave it accessible to mine for work already completed on things I realize I needed.

Rebuilding the wagon as you go can be very satisfying and somewhat unbalancing.

At one time I might have considered myself black belt.

Rebuilding your system with all the experience you've had will be rewarding as you apply that expertise to your whole system, rather than retrofitting. As David has said, being a blackbelt is not about being perfectly on your game, it's knowing how to get back to your best.

In the past two years my mental health has also deteriorated. I'm getting help for that

As I work with my current practitioners, I discuss what I am doing with my GTD system with them. They have been helpful in providing guidance as to where my GTD practice could help and where there could be pitfalls. Every one of them has indicated that the processes of GTD are healthy and mental health supporting.

but I've lost my drive, my passion and my desire to do pretty much anything. My system reflects that and I feel like crap when I look at it.

I will relay the advice given to my after I fractured C5 (thanks @kelstarrising):

• Be Kind to Yourself
• Acknowledge whatever you can do with no judgement
• Start small, so small you can't lose
• Repeat

just delete everything except for my calendar,

I would retain Next Actions with due dates and any tickler items (and/or tickler files) because they will pop up when you need them.

I feel like crap when I look at it.

This is the most important reason to revamp your system. If I were in your situation, the only project I would have on my plate would be something where done looks like this:

I create a GTD system that excites me to use and empowers me to grow and brings me joy.​

My next action: go to a beautiful place, with a great view and bring my favorite pen, writing paper and blotter, and write with that statement at the top of the page.

Here's to your improvement,
Clayton.

"Perfect your beingness by going slowly through the routine of your life until you have it mastered. Do the ordinary things that make up your life. Learn to do those things to the point of mastery. You'll find great satisfaction in them. Conduct your life from a place of quiet, calm loving. Get it perfected so that the routine of your life does not distract you or disturb you and so you can maintain a state of loving in everything you do. Then you can expand the scope of your activity, moving your loving heart out to others in a natural, ordinary way. Then you are just present with people, loving them. Living your life in an ordinary way can be the most tremendous service to your fellow man." – John-Roger

 

[John Forrister]

I'm considering a full-blown reset of my GTD system--just delete everything except for my calendar, see what crawls back up into my head and build a new inventory of work from there.

It's a viable option. And I suggest waiting to consider what you might still trust.

What stands out for me is that you said, "except for my calendar." That says you still have some degree of trust in that part of your system. Perhaps a look at your other lists could yield some deletes and some saves, based on your current areas of focus.

Are there other parts of your system that you would not delete, possibly because you still trust that you have invested useful thinking and clarifying into them?

Your current system may be more easily repaired than replaced. Please tell us how it goes.

 

[dtj]

A nuking and paving is good every once in a while, IMHO. I've found that going through my lists is best done when I am in a foul mood and inclined to be ruthless and more honest, and less aspirational, with myself. Maybe put literally everything into someday/maybe, and only pull back stuff that you have a chance in hell of every doing. Leave the stuff there for some period of time, and then bankrupt the someday/maybe part. It'll actually probably feel really good. Or if you are inclined to try some new software, wholesale move to it and leave the other stuff fallow, while you adopt the new stuff.

 

[Oogiem]

just delete everything except for my calendar, see what crawls back up into my head and build a new inventory of work from there

My suggestion would be to just start a new system from scratch but DON'T delete the old one.

Treat it like backlog or someday/maybe.

Before you start I would spend at least a bit of time thinking about and then writing down what didn't work on the old system, what you expect to gain from a new one and and think aboout why your work in the system now no longer is something you really want to do.

For me, I'd pull out my quarterly questions that have me evaluating my areas of focus, looking at my personal purpose and beliefs and then build from there. Ideally you could get away fom your normal environment to do that review. I've never managed that but changing the location witihin the house where I do it gives me a different perspective. You also might look for inspiration searching for things like personal retreats or quarterly reviews and see what you find.

Build back slowly and don't rush it. eventually you will either have converted all your old stuff into a new system or deleted it. In any case by startign top down you wil be better prepared to work the system effectively again.

 

[ellobogrande]

Thanks to everyone for taking some time out of their busy days to lend a hand. Here's what I did and what I discovered.

First, I backed up my system. Then I took several hours last Saturday to groom it. I did a weekly review in reverse order, ditching many stale items from Someday/Maybe first, then moving most of my current projects to Someday/Maybe, and finally clearing my action lists. I was pretty ruthless in purging because I knew I had a backup that I could reference in case I tossed something I needed. None of that has crawled back up into my head so far. I also purchased a new app from the Microsoft store to remove some resistance to working with Google Tasks on a desktop computer. That shored up my system pretty well. It also proved to me what I believe I already knew.

My system isn't the problem; my engagement with it is. I tend to become obsessed with grooming my backlog instead of actually doing work when I feel uncertain, want to avoid work or engaging with the higher horizons of focus, which I never really been comfortable or successful in doing. I did the Franklin-Covey system before GTD, but I don't like goals, I can't seem to visualize a positive future (especially now) and I've never been able to create a personal mission statement that really stuck with me. I've never really risen above the 20,000 ft altitude (coincidentally, the actual altitude where one passes out without supplemental oxygen) in my practice of GTD.

With the deterioration of my mental health I've found it difficult to focus, even on clearly defined actions. My mind can't seem to pick one action and focus on it. That's a topic for my therapist; I've added it to the @Agendas list for my next session. When I've gotten my mental faculties back under control and I'm better working the lower horizons, I'll engage with those higher horizons. Maybe in the process of healing that will happen on its own.

Many thanks again for your time and support.

 

[dtj]

Thanks to everyone for taking some time out of their busy days to lend a hand. Here's what I did and what I discovered.

First, I backed up my system. Then I took several hours last Saturday to groom it. I did a weekly review in reverse order, ditching many stale items from Someday/Maybe first, then moving most of my current projects to Someday/Maybe, and finally clearing my action lists. I was pretty ruthless in purging because I knew I had a backup that I could reference in case I tossed something I needed. None of that has crawled back up into my head so far. I also purchased a new app from the Microsoft store to remove some resistance to working with Google Tasks on a desktop computer. That shored up my system pretty well. It also proved to me what I believe I already knew.

My system isn't the problem; my engagement with it is. I tend to become obsessed with grooming my backlog instead of actually doing work when I feel uncertain, want to avoid work or engaging with the higher horizons of focus, which I never really been comfortable or successful in doing. I did the Franklin-Covey system before GTD, but I don't like goals, I can't seem to visualize a positive future (especially now) and I've never been able to create a personal mission statement that really stuck with me. I've never really risen above the 20,000 ft altitude (coincidentally, the actual altitude where one passes out without supplemental oxygen) in my practice of GTD.

With the deterioration of my mental health I've found it difficult to focus, even on clearly defined actions. My mind can't seem to pick one action and focus on it. That's a topic for my therapist; I've added it to the @Agendas list for my next session. When I've gotten my mental faculties back under control and I'm better working the lower horizons, I'll engage with those higher horizons. Maybe in the process of healing that will happen on its own.

Many thanks again for your time and support.

You might consider negotiating with yourself some parameters of the balance of "fiddling" vs "doing". Like you have to get atleast one (or more) thing done before giving yourself time to fiddle or "curate". My wife, when faced with long amount of work (ie. putting away 400 xmas ornaments), says things like "just 10 things. just 10 things", and doesn't do anything else until atleast 10 things are done. Often it's many more than 10, but just getting the ball rolling with 10.

If you're using a tagging system, you might start adding simple duration guesses, like "@short" or "@long", to give you something to guide the "just one thing, just one thing" choices. Or energy, "@low_energy" or "@braindead".