What GTD products would you find useful?

[larea]

I do NEED a David Allen action figure with a button to push for 12 random quotes - must include the one about if the problem was too much information your head would explode every time you went into a library.
But the area I still struggle with after all these years is creating too many projects - all of which I think I'm committed to but many of which are somewhat optional. I feel like I have too many intentions that aren't quite someday maybe but aren't quite a current project either. When I have too many I don't know what I should do, so I have to put things on hold and narrow it down to a smaller number I am working on now. When it gets really out of control I typically go to paper for 6 months or a different app, just including the bare bones and reviewing what I want to add from the full system weekly (doing this now, have about 60 projects in my pared down system, a group of recurring routines, about 30 single actions, while Omnifocus houses houses 525 projects which are currently languishing and more than 1500 actions). I find I get a lot done with the smaller group of options but not ready to let go the others. In addition to looking at all projects that weren't on hold in Omnifocus weekly, I'm reviewing 5 or 6 of the on hold/someday type projects every day as part of my morning routine, with an eye toward answering the question of which I really need to keep, what can I simplify to a short someday item, and what can I just delete and let go. 2023 for me is the year of decluttering my house and also my computer and GTD system. I could use extra inspiration!

 

[wsgtd]

#1 of useful GTD products for me would be the “Ultimate GTD app” as suggested, requested and desired by David Allen himself. Because as he said at the GTD Summit 2019: “It hasn’t happened yet.”

.
GTD forum's poster “sholden” has given a link to what David suggested in 2019 or better said originally in 1994 (!):
https://forum.gettingthingsdone.com/threads/if-you-were-to-design-a-new-gtd-app.16498/post-126639

Steve Holden has compiled valuable links on his homepage concerning David’s topic:
https://sholden.typepad.com/weblog/2019/08/building-the-ultimate-getting-things-done-gtd-tool.html

This includes David’s concept of a GTD app:
https://gettingthingsdone.us8.list-...db358acc7c1c1ca8bd&id=824b0b684c&e=138a572f90

What I don’t get is that after all the years no attempt by the community was ever made to implement this concept. In my opinion it would make a perfect open source project that could be pushed and documented on GitHub. There are so many software people who have benefited from GTD—why not follow David's request?

I’m not a software guy. So I asked ChatGPT how the steps might look like for turning a hand-written concept for a time management app into an open-source project. Here is the answer:
……………........…..
1. Translation of the concept into a detailed technical specification, describing the functionality, user interface, and database design.
2. Selection of a programming language and platform that is best suited to meet the requirements of your app.
3. Assembly of a development team to implement the project.
4. Use of version control software such as Git to manage and track changes to the code.
5. Conducting tests to ensure the functionality and stability of the app.
6. Release of the source code on a platform such as GitHub to create a community of developers who can help with further development and improvement of the app.
7. Publication of the app under an open-source license to ensure that anyone can review, use, and improve the code.

These are just broad steps to start an open-source project. Depending on the complexity and size of your project, it may be necessary to add additional steps or modify some of the steps mentioned.
……………………….

Honestly and again, there are so many people who have benefited from GTD, be it in their personal lives, in their careers and in terms of prosperity. I would love to see some of them in the role as part of a implementation team, as a sponsor or as a patron. Such an attempt would have to be started with serious commitment and urgency.

And to start with, a sticky number one post right here in this forum would be the perfect sign to start such a project

 

[Murray]

I feel like I have too many intentions that aren't quite someday maybe but aren't quite a current project either.

Here's another quote for your David Allen action figure... In an interview he said something like "in a sense, everything you're not doing right now is a someday/maybe". In my imagination he also preceded that line with "c'mon folks..." But that's probably not accurate lol.

You seem to have some discomfort or resistance to designating projects as "I'm not committed to this". I invite you to experiment with different ways of differentiating between your projects. Sometimes trying different language can help with this. I have plenty of things on my someday maybe lists that I feel like I'm committed to complete, but just not right now.

Instead of calling your lists Projects vs Someday maybe, here are some examples of alternative labels that might help you shift your perspective:

Active Projects vs Incubated Projects

In Motion vs Not Yet

Targeted Outcomes vs Ideas/Inspiration

... perhaps other folks can add more options of alternative list names for projects and someday maybe.

 

[michaelp6of7]

#1 of useful GTD products for me would be the “Ultimate GTD app” as suggested, requested and desired by David Allen himself. Because as he said at the GTD Summit 2019: “It hasn’t happened yet.”

What I don’t get is that after all the years no attempt by the community was ever made to implement this concept. In my opinion it would make a perfect open source project that could be pushed and documented on GitHub. There are so many software people who have benefited from GTD—why not follow David's request?

I think they did try it and found it too expensive a product to build and the market would not sustain the effort.

The infrastructure exists to make it a reality and there are more than enough smart minds to do it. However, at the end of the day, GTD is a methodology first and could be a software solution someday. We have so many different preferences (think UI and font choices alone) that building is extremely difficult and costly. Maybe the risk is too high?

My friends at FacileThings have been building a GTD app and it's taken many years and iterations to get to their current level. It's a tough business for sure.

 

[René Lie]

You seem to have some discomfort or resistance to designating projects as "I'm not committed to this".

If we all got better at this, maybe there would be more time and space to actually enjoy life, huh?

 

[wsgtd]

I think they did try it and found it too expensive a product to build and the market would not sustain the effort.

The infrastructure exists to make it a reality and there are more than enough smart minds to do it. However, at the end of the day, GTD is a methodology first and could be a software solution someday. We have so many different preferences (think UI and font choices alone) that building is extremely difficult and costly. Maybe the risk is too high?

My friends at FacileThings have been building a GTD app and it's taken many years and iterations to get to their current level. It's a tough business for sure.

Dear Michael, I'm absolutely aware of what it would take to create a GTD app in the sense of David. Like you say “costly”, “different preferences”, “difficult building”—and those are just a few of the risks.

Nevertheless, I think that the development of a GTD app is not rocket science. There are numerous examples today of how quite complex software has been successfully created in open-source projects. Software technology is much better than it was 20 years ago, and collaboration in distributed environments is now the norm. Platforms like GitHub, Reddit etc. enable efficient communication.

So I wonder if there might not be enough software geeks and benevolent sponsors willing to start a GTD app project. Because from my point of view, while there are many GTD apps out there now, I don't think there are any yet really the way David envisioned. And to cast his handwritten concept and input into software—that would be a real challenge. Wouldn't it?

I will never forget how I once got one of the early versions of a CRM software called Commence for testing. You could, even as a layman, intuitively customize the necessary data fields to your own needs. That was an early kind of agile software development, just as you would use in a GTD app project today.

Kind regards,
Wulf

 

[Jinho]

Nevertheless, I think that the development of a GTD app is not rocket science. There are numerous examples today of how quite complex software has been successfully created in open-source projects. Software technology is much better than it was 20 years ago, and collaboration in distributed environments is now the norm. Platforms like GitHub, Reddit etc. enable efficient communication.

So I wonder if there might not be enough software geeks and benevolent sponsors willing to start a GTD app project. Because from my point of view, while there are many GTD apps out there now, I don't think there are any yet really the way David envisioned. And to cast his handwritten concept and input into software—that would be a real challenge. Wouldn't it?

Might become more and more feasible in next few years looking at how quick AI develops, would streamline a lot of tedious parts probably.

 

[wsgtd]

Once again David points out that a GTD software like he would like to have still does not exist ("nobody came close to that" [his design]):

Episode #202: 5 GTD App Design Principles

Creator of the second-best productivity tool for GTD, Eric Mack is grounded in GTD and knowledge management. David Allen and John Forrister recently talked with Eric about his five principles of productivity software design, in the hope that it might inspire future designers to incorporate some...

gettingthingsdone.com

I for one would be happy if someone would finally start an open source project to realize David's design concept.

 

[bcmyers2112]

I know this is an old thread but I'm still waiting for a DIY Build-Your-Own-GTD-JellO-Wrestling-Arena kit. Seriously, I can't be the only one.

 

[Cookie]

+1 for the bobblehead.

Maybe also a DA action figure (with one arm longer than the other, from schlepping around the time/design for years), complete with a set consisting of a dark alley, four people jumping you, and a boat to pull up the rear guard from. Also, an action figure of Fred with his telephone, waiting to be called.
;-)

more (serious) ideas to come
Have a good weekend everyone.

Don't forget the hungry cat jumping you at 3 AM figure.

 

[michaelp6of7]

I would love to see Getting Things Done inspired art work for my office and home.

Having an artist create art out of the most loved GTD quotes, ideas and concepts would be exciting.

I will happily spend money to get GTD inspiration as I look around my workspace.

 

[René Lie]

I would love to see Getting Things Done inspired art work for my office and home.

Having an artist create art out of the most loved GTD quotes, ideas and concepts would be exciting.

I will happily spend money to get GTD inspiration as I look around my workspace.

Wonder how an AI service prompted with such a request would respond...

 

[mcogilvie]

I would love to see Getting Things Done inspired art work for my office and home.

Having an artist create art out of the most loved GTD quotes, ideas and concepts would be exciting.

I will happily spend money to get GTD inspiration as I look around my workspace.

I find that the work of the keen minds at Despair.com meets all of my requirements for demotivational artwork.

 

[René Lie]

I find that the work of the keen minds at Despair.com meets all of my requirements for demotivational artwork.

This one is probably my favorite as it reminds me of the "mind like water" image:

https://despair.com/collections/posters/products/irresponsibility

 

[OF user]

I would like a printed version of 2023 (or whatever year it may be) of the GTD planner that you now offer digitally, in a smaller version (Filofax personal size) that includes a binder, instructions, and perhaps a GTD pen.

 

[boomer70]

I love the podcasts where you interview actual GTD users about how they use their system. I am a fan of "day in the life" type shows. Would love to see interviews with some high profile individuals who are GTD devotees and how it helps them with their jobs such as a high level executive. I remember one that David did with a General and would love to see similar interviews with similar people.

 

[TesTeq]

"David Allen" – the biography of @DavidAllen by Walter Issacson.

 

[Rotterdam_Guy]

Make a new improved notetaker wallet. Use cheap spiral bound pads in std sizes. The business nd other card sneed tobe side by side so the take less space and the wallet doesn't get too thick.

I have a design that works and will give it to you if you make them.

Please add my +1 for this idea!

 

[dtj]

"David Allen" – the biography of @DavidAllen by Walter Issacson.

A Ken Burns documentary of it.

 

[Christal]

I'd love an elegant and simple set of mobile wallpapers for the various topics: system outline (1. capture, 2. clarify,...), clarify flow chart, horizons of focus, natural planning model, etc. It would be a nice reminder to have it on my phone lockscreen (which does allow for a slideshow of several wallpapers on my device, so I could add them all).