Using GTD at home - anyone willing to share your system please?

[stagasaurus]

I've been using GTD for seven months now. I feel like my work system is going really well. I do my weekly review religiously, I'm using my lists, and most importantly, I know where I am. I don't forget things anymore. I am aware what's coming up and what I need to do about it.

But I'm still struggling at home. I keep falling off the wagon. I think this is a psychological barrier, not a problem with the system. I do have an inbox and lists at home but I'm not consistent at all with using them.

My work do not allow any personal "stuff" in the office. You have to tick a box every time you open up a webpage that says you agree not to use the computer for personal use. If they thought I was doing a review of personal tasks at my desk, I would be disciplined. I don't particularly object to this, just want to make it clear that combining my system at work and home is impossible.

So when I am at work, I work for them. I'm happy enough with that. This makes it very clear, I go in for however many hours and do the best job I can. And while I'm at work, I might have the odd conversation with a colleague about their weekend but otherwise I am there to work, and I work hard.

At home it's not as clear cut as that. I have tasks I need to do, but I also feel I should spend some time with my husband, catching up with family and friends, relaxing etc. The systems I've tried so far have ended up with me feeling burnt out and rebellious. But if I'm not working on moving forward I feel lazy and unproductive. I have 40,000 foot vision and down and tasks related to those but I also need to keep on top of laundry, cook dinner and do my share to keep the house presentable and not falling apart. I also have some commitments I really enjoy a couple of evenings a week. I have five hours between getting home and going to bed when I'm not going out somewhere. I'm struggling with fitting in all the mundane tasks that keep your life running smoothly and the things that will give most benefit in the long run. If I only have half an hour left before bed should I check my personal emails or do yoga or write 500 words of my novel? All seem important. And while it seems like there are always better things to do than washing the windows, I have to do it sometime or I won't see out of them.

I'd be really, really interested to hear how other people use GTD outside of work. How do you know when to work from your lists and when to call it a night and just watch television with your spouse? How is your system set up? How much do you fit in routine tasks into your GTD system. Is cleaning the kitchen floor on your tickler file or do you just do it?

 

[nick_ross]

Don't worry - you are not alone!

I struggle with the same challenges - although I have a bit more flexibility re doing things at work.

The way I generally try to keep up with 'home' tasks is to try to knock a few off each weekend - as after getting home, putting the kids to bed and having dinner, I'm normally too tired to work on anything during the week

Bear in mind that one of the benefits of listing your personal tasks - and assuming you trust your system - you know they're in your lists, so you can be comfortable with knowing what you're not doing.

 

[TesTeq]

I do have an inbox and lists at home but I'm not consistent at all with using them.

I sometimes think:

Is life about a consistent GTD practice (emptying your inbox, managing your lists and religiously attending the Weekly Review church) or is it about just living?

 

[Folke]

Most of what I actually do is not on my lists in the first place. I believe David Allen calls these things "work as it shows up" - in other words, impulses, interruptions etc. This goes for both office and home. I basically just write down things that somehow bother me - things I am afraid to forget or would be extremely angry if I forgot. So I often do not write down stuff like "fix dinner" or "read novel" etc.

And I treat the lists as - as somebody aptly phrased it - menus; in other words as "options" that I may consider doing. Of course, appointments and very urgent/important things on the lists do tend to get done promptly, but I generally treat impulses and interruptions as just as relevant to consider as my listed actions. If an impulse seems important but I do not want to deal with it now I put it on the list instead. I do check my lists several times a day, and I love reviewing them, so each listed action definitely gets considered often enough (and I check some more often than others, to reduce reading time).

 

[stagasaurus]

Thanks for the responses. I agree, I wouldn't bother to put cook dinner on a next actions list, so I suppose that's the equivalent of answering an phone call at work. It's something that needs to happen and you just do it but it still takes up time in your day.

I think it is definitely a psychological barrier I've built up. I'm just trying to find a way of running the system that will make my personal life feel organised but not regimented. Would still love to hear about anyone's personal life GTD routines if you are willing to share. Do you spend a certain amount of time doing tasks and then call it a day or do you just play it by ear?

 

[Folke]

Well, in my case I generally do not block out time for anything. I just keep going until I sleep. Always the same procedure, but what I do differs. If I feel like watching a movie or reading a book, then that is what I do. And if I need to get something work-related ready by morning, or if I feel extremely enthused about some work, I can stay up until the wee hours to make good progress. So it is quite simple, and I believe it evens out over time; we all need to both get something useful "produced" and have a good bit of fun and winding down. If it's been to much work for a period of time then we probably compensate by working less for a while. And even if this compensation perhaps does not always happen entirely automatically (by gut feeling) then it is usually easy enough to see in retrospect that I have spent too much or too little time in certain areas, and to make a more deliberate adjustment.

 

[Longstreet]

I sometimes think:

Is life about a consistent GTD practice (emptying your inbox, managing your lists and religiously attending the Weekly Review church) or is it about just living?

I agree! Don't get so caught up about maintaing a system of lists that you forget to just live.

 

[Bill Myers]

stagasaurus: While I agree with other forum members that you needn't worry about tasks that are on cruise control like "empty the trash" -- you know to do that when the trash can is full -- not everything in our personal lives can be put on cruise control. Therefore to really achieve the full benefit of GTD, I would suggest using it to manage both your personal and professional lives. After all, our personal lives can be just as complex and challenging as our work lives if not moreso! Projects such as "Weeding and mulching around bushes," "Take care of administering Dad's will," and "Paint bathroom" (all real examples from my own projects list) are just as much work as what we're paid to do, and present just as much stress if we try to manage them in our heads. That's why GTD is a total life reminder system.

As for how to manage lists of personal items when you can't use your work systems to do so, offhand I can think of three alternatives. You can manage everything on paper, which eliminates the concern about technology platforms for sure! Or you can manage two separate systems: one work and one personal. Your personal system could then be on paper, or in a digital tool that syncs across your home PC, smartphone and/or tablet. Or you could manage all of your work and personal tasks in a digital tool that can be accessed by a smartphone or tablet if you have those devices and you are allowed to bring them to work. None of the alternatives are perfect, but then again no GTD system is truly perfect. It just needs to be good enough for your purposes.

Good luck as you continue with your GTD practice.

 

[Bill Myers]

How do you know when to work from your lists and when to call it a night and just watch television with your spouse?

I use my intuition. I've learned that as long as my inventory of my commitments is current and complete I can trust my gut instinct about what to do -- or not do -- in the moment.

How is your system set up? How much do you fit in routine tasks into your GTD system.

It depends. If it's not something on my mind, I don't bother to record it. For some people, "cook dinner" might be on cruise control. I've just recently taken over cooking on weekends in my household, and as an inexperienced cook it's not on cruise control for me. So I put reminders in my system for things I need to do to be ready to make dinner on the weekends.

There is no "one size fits all" formula for this. It depends on your personality, lifestyle, etc. As a rule of thumb, if it's on cruise control -- i.e. something you do automatically that doesn't weigh on your mind -- then just do it and don't bother putting it in your system. Otherwise, use your GTD system. The only expert on what is or isn't on cruise control in your life is you.

Is cleaning the kitchen floor on your tickler file or do you just do it?

I keep certainly housecleaning tasks in a checklist I review weekly because I was finding my weekly routines were taking up space in my head as I would try to juggle them vs. my non-routine activities on the weekend. There may be others who wouldn't dream of putting housecleaning on a list because they don't need to. So I believe the answer is: do what works for you, regardless of whether it's something I (or anyone else) would do. Your GTD system has to work for you, not for everyone else.

 

[ArcCaster]

The systems I've tried so far have ended up with me feeling burnt out and rebellious.

Me too.

For whatever reason, my next action lists are not closely connected to outcomes -- they are detailed enough that they can be done in an oxygen-deprived state -- and, without that connection to outcomes, one can feel like an automaton executing them. And I don't like feeling like an automaton. So I've started using an 'outcome' list every day. It feels good to go charging towards an outcome.

But that is still insufficient -- there is stuff on my 'home' list that has been there a long time. And when I ask why, I think the answer is that I do not specifically allocate time at home to work on my home list. My home life is full without the list. But the stuff on the list should still be addressed. So -- my latest thought -- resurrect a nice little app called Sciral Consistency, and, at least a couple times a week, spend a 'Pomodoro' (a 20-minute time segment) addressing items on my home list. Based on my results, I may change frequency.

This is kind of a cross between GTD and what I hear LongStreet advocating -- that is, I am blocking off periods of time for a specific purpose, but, in my case, they 'float' more -- the blocks are 'somewhere' in a week.

 

[stagasaurus]

bcmyers2112

stagasaurus: . None of the alternatives are perfect, but then again no GTD system is truly perfect. It just needs to be good enough for your purposes.

Good luck as you continue with your GTD practice.

Thanks for this and thanks for your answers to my other questions too. I really feel like I do need to get all the personal stuff out of my head too. Otherwise, I'm no better off than I am right now trying to remember my stuff before it comes round to bite me. I have more ideas a day than I could complete in a year. I really need to learn to prioritise and not just run off towards the new shiny thing every single day!

ArcCaster I agree that it is a tricky balance. I, too have decided to try to block off time. I'm going to "work" two hours a night for me. So that might include cooking dinner, washing windows, writing, checking emails, etc etc. The rest of the time I do whatever I want. It's a trial system. I'll give it a month from today and then I'll be back to report how that went.

 

[CamJPete]

Stagasaurus, I'm sure it's been discussed in these forums, but try giving "The Now Habit" a read. The author proposes a schedule called "the unschedule" where routine tasks, play time, socializing are put on the calendar FIRST. Then work on your project(s) or action(s) for only 30 minutes of quality uninterrupted time. After completing the 30-minute time block, retroactively insert it into your calendar as a record of actual work accomplished. The idea is that you reserve in your calendar "real life" activities that keep you sane and keep you feeling like a human rather than a 24/7 robot. Then, in between the cracks of your routine/fun activities (and there are often many large cracks), you set your timer for 30 minutes and crank on your work.

The unschedule system has some differences to GTD, and needs a little patience to integrate the two. It is not a perfect system either, but it does give you the feeling of repeatable success in small chunks. As an example, your "unscheduled" Monday may look like this:

6:00 get ready
6:30 exercise
7:00 shower/breakfast
7:45 commute
8:00 (open)
10:30 meeting
11:30 (open)
12:00 lunch
1:00 (open)
5:30 commute
5:45 unwind at home
6:15 dinner prep, eat, cleanup
7:15 (open)
8:00 read story to kids for bedtime
8:15 clean/organize/household chores
8:45 (open)
9:45 relax spend time with spouse
10:30 get ready for bed
10:45 sleep

Then in the evening, when you have an opening from 7:15 to 8:00, you decide you want to tackle one or multiple actions, or work only on one project. You set your timer for 30 minutes and crank, knowing you'll get a break at 8:00 to spend time with your kids. Then at 8:30 you may have enough energy to do one or maybe even two more 30 minute blocks, especially knowing you'll have time to relax with your husband.

This is idealistic I know, to stay true to a full day of these self-made committment, and something David Allen often warns against. But, he also says it's fine to make some committments with yourself as long as you treat them like any other hard landscaped activity.

Truth be told, I have used it off and on over the years with variable success, but I have learned some important things in the process of trying. Perhaps the number one thing is that we truly have less disposible time that we think. This helps you to be realistic about that leftover time, and integrate your routine tasks that you simply know you have to do regardless (shower, cook dinner, put kids to bed, laundry), and time for socializing, relaxation, and hobbies. Knowing that you have play time build in, and basic routines built in, psychologically makes you want to get going when you have an open window. And it's only for 30 minutes at a time, so it's a little more motivating. If that's too long, try 15 minutes.

There's more to it, so I would read the book if it sounds interesting. If not, discard it. It may work for some personality types, but not for others. I still use time blocking though often as a means to trick myself into just starting the task. I know if I can just start enought times I'll eventually get it done.

May I also recommend The Practicing Mind. He gives really good practical principles (simple, small, short, slow) that can be applied to any activity to help you keep your mind focused on the process rather the product. His description and advice on process-oriented focus helps get the actions done and thus your projects, while removing the draining, incessant focus on wishing the product were already completed. Takes a lot of practice though.

 

[Stephan Jenner]

Personally I have an integrated work and home system as it provide me with a holistic view of my life. The challenge is in the integration but I have slowly developed a system that integrates them using some fairly easy sync programs. My work has a strict work management platform and I have been able to easily integrate it into Toodledo which I use as my holistic system. The key for me is that I do 2 Weekly reviews one focused on work and one focused on home. My home weekly review includes planning the weeks meals and adding shopping items onto my errands list and updating on my home projects. I also clear out the home buckets at this time. This ensure that during the week I can be present and home with my family with knowledge that I anything important is being captured and will be processed appropriately. Remember its as simple or as complex as it needs to be and when it all gets too much I just go back to the 5 steps.

 

[iChadman]

The tools I keep coming back to that provide me the most structure to get things done anywhere are Nozbe and Evernote for Reference. I don't think you can really go wrong. Nozbe even integrates with Google Calendar and Evernote.

In Nozbe, simply make categories for your next action lists. You also make projects for what you need (think House Chores or what have you).