@TimBourne
Hi, Tim.
Continuing our conversation:
right things like checking notifications ?
That is probably a good example of the non-essential.
can be cancelled ? like what
Email subscriptions that are not important to you could be cancelled.
you have complete it? but may take some time
I think you are right. Things may take some time to complete.
But how much time?
You are breaking large things into very small and simple things
You are completing only one very small and simple thing.
This will take less time than doing a large thing.
For instance, let's say you want to learn to draw.
What would be one very small and simple thing to do first?
One thing that came to my mind is to search the web and ask "what tools are needed to learn to draw?"
So the first thing I did, without really realizing it, was to ask myself "What might help me learn to draw?"
That could be called "brainstorming." I was asking my own mind what might be a good place to start.
This brainstorming took me only a few seconds. It was so fast that I did not even realize I was doing it.
Then I did the another very small simple physical thing next.
I entered my question into my browser's search engine.
I asked: "What tools are needed to learn to draw?"
This took me about a minute or less. This is not a lot of time.
I found lots of videos on the web about tools for learning to draw.
I completed this small thing. You can complete small things, too.
I'm sure you have done things like this many, many times. You know how to do it.
But sometimes we need to learn to slow down, so we can get clear in our thinking
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im not sure possible have nothing that comes to mind?
I think you are saying that you are not sure it is possible to have nothing come to mind.
Would that be what you mean?
I imagine that there is a lot of variability between people in our quietness of mind.
People can be very different. I acknowledge and honor the way you are right now.
Since things keep coming to your mind, how do you know when to stop your mind sweep?
In a mind sweep, we notice whatever has our attention that is
not the way we want it to be.
Then we write that down. Many things may come to our mind. We write them all down.
I suggested that you set a timer and stop doing your mind sweep when the timer rings.
However, that is just one possibility. Instead, you could stop when you feel like stopping.
The important thing is to do a mind sweep regularly, so you develop a habit or routine.
You could choose a good time and do your mind sweep daily at the same time of day.
This will help you get things troubling you off your mind, so your mind can be calmer.
Starting a trusted GTD system will help you
keep all this troubling "stuff" off your mind.
Otherwise, your mind will not trust you to remember, and it will start worrying again.
So it is very important to develop a trusted GTD system that you like well enough to use.
With regular mind sweeps and a GTD practice, your mind may become more quiescent.
Many people seem to have this experience, but I realize that this cannot be guaranteed.
David Allen says it's best when you capture to write only one item on a sheet of paper.
The items you capture during your mind sweep need to be put into your GTD INBOX
It need not be fancy. It could be an old cardboard box. You just need to know where it is.
The best place for your GTD INBOX is near your desk where you usually do your work.
Many people now are using digital systems with a digital GTD INBOX for captured items.
Do whatever you like best that works for you. It may take time to work out the best tool.
You may have other inboxes for other incoming things each day. David Allen tells us to
have as few inboxes as possible, and as many inboxes as we need, but no more, since
simplicity is best.
Here are some things that might be coming into your life. Such things usually need to go
into an inbox for processing.
1. Your ideas
2. Postal mail and bills
3. Delivered packages
4. Phone messages
5. Email
6. Other digital input
7. Input brought home from your job
8. Receipts from shopping on physical errands
9. Library materials to return or flyers to read
10. Objects, such as dead batteries to replace
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Once we have captured all of our "stuff" in our GTD INBOX, our "stuff" needs to be processed.
Processing our "stuff" means applying the GTD Workflow Process shown on Pages 37 and 40 of
the updated GTD book to all the "stuff" in our GTD INBOX.
This process will populate our GTD Lists. This is usually done at the Weekly Review, but it can also
be done at any other time.
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ACTIVE GTD LISTS
Calendar
Next Actions
Waiting For
Agendas
Projects List
---------------
Action Support
Project Files
Project Support
Tickler Folders
Things to Read
INACTIVE GTD LISTS
Reference
Subject Files
Checklists
Routines
Habits
SOPs
Lists
Someday Maybe
HORIZONS OF FOCUS
Ground Current Actions
Horizon 1 Current Projects
Horizon 2 Areas of Focus and Accountabilities
Horizon 3 Goals
Horizon 4 Vision
Horizon 5 Purpose and Principles
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As you mentioned, things may take time, especially at first when we are learning them.
Think of building your GTD system as a process, like building a new home for yourself.
It can be a very big undertaking, so it is important to decide where it makes sense to start.
It will not work to build the roof before building the foundation, so you will need a plan.
For GTD, you could study David Allen's books and look into many other GTD resources.
You have done a lot of this. You have developed a general idea about what is involved.
Tools, supplies, equipment, and furniture are important to provide basic functionality.
If you need these things, get them first, if possible, since they will support your work.
If you cannot get what you need, you can try to adapt your system to fit your needs.
For instance, right now I am using a dish drainer to hold certain kinds of Project files.
For instance, one person created a Lazy Suzan using two round cake pans with marbles.
The upper cake pan turned around easily while sitting on marbles in the lower cake pan.
Many things can be "re-purposed" like this to substitute temporarily for other things.
Supplies like this can be purchased at low cost at discount stores or garage/yard sales.
In general, when you have something to do, it helps to separate it into very small parts.
When things to do are small, they are generally much less confusing and overwhelming.
When things to do are small, they are generally much easier, faster, and more fun.
It's very important to experiment, since that's how we learn and grow and find cool things.
For instance, you tried Asana. I have the impression that you did not care much for it.
If you don't like Asana, try something else. You might like the next thing.
It is important to like and enjoy your system, so you will want to keep using it.
Look at how happy
@René Lie is since he quit Asana and tried Notion:
"I recently set up a GTD system in Notion after years of using Asana, and I am very happy with it."
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maybe - like the format which food dude shared, have the format set up in way pages he has
is a repeating idea which I have had (since had this idea for a while, maybe thought or dwelled on it multiple times over past 5 months ? since first made that thread
This is very interesting, Tim. I can feel your excitement about this.
Can you re-post the format food dude shared - or a link to it?
I would like to take another look at it to see what interests you so much.
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Aside from a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.*
Bye for now. Take care!
Emily
*From the "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann
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