When's the best time to do a mind sweep?

[gtdstudente]

@Mrs-Polifax and @fooddude

Thank you both very much for your good GTD of mutual concern

If "What is It?" is the first dynamic question from Inbox to Organize, is to be appropriately answered, then chances are good that GTDer would like the benefits of good 'know control' without needing to think since the thinking was GTD presumably already done

Alas, when one engages with their GTD system then it would seems that the first question thereafter needs to be a so very, very, very static question:

"Where is It?" in reaping the benefits of appropriately answering the first "What is It?" question and preventing all seemingly becoming unraveled in what now what seem like a most undesirable multi-flustering dynamic question despite best efforts?

Potential remedy for at least some improvement: Slower-&-Smaller for more Next Action/Sequential* awareness ?

Been there . . . still there . . . hopefully no more there

As you see GTD fit. . . .

The post has one thinking, GTD is one of the best possibilities one can do to 'stop' [postpone] one's 'world' before the world barks back: "nice try kiddo" ?


Lack of 'Sequential awareness' as a potential root of the problem:

*Next Action/Sequential awareness: As was humbly understood Mr. Allen express in the following paraphrased manner:
A Next Action is truly only a Next Action when the absence of any Next Action to the Next Action is possible

Thus, when a random Next Action shows-up for the Next Action item other than its originally intended Next Action, then attempts to find the Next Action item for some other random intervening Next Action could become daunting to find ?

 

[Mrs-Polifax]

@gtdstudente

Thanks for your insights. Perhaps I am adding an initial (implicit) question to the GTD Workflow Processing Diagram:

Where is it?
Where do I find it?
Where do I put it?

I think this is supposed to be answered in the process of setting up an office with the equipment, tools, and supplies needed. I recall a couple I used to hear from by email who taught their version of GTD. They started their students out by having them create a physical GTD Command Center. In other words, they did not ask their students to clarify and organize without having the physical or digital buckets needed to hold that information.

David Allen gives lots of suggstions for office setups in his book, leaving the details to the individual person, since we all need different things. DA does make clear that having an office setup comes first by structuring his chapters with office setup at the beginning. I think the obvious reason that this comes first is that everything in physical or digital form needs a parking place or home, so we can put it where it goes, and so we can find it again.

Perhaps it would help to develop a slower and more sequential awareness, as you say, which is interesting. I found when I was practicing clarifying an item recently in a post that it was a very thoughtful experience and surprisingly difficult, but it was also exciting. David Allen tells us that this front-end thinking is essential, yet it can be difficult at first because it is different from our usual way of thinking. We are learning how to think differently in GTD.

The constellation of open loops and challenges in my life makes everything feel difficult. It is as if a huge mountain blocks the sun and is directly in my way. Specific things like buying hanging folders or cleaning out a file cabinet, which do take time and some money, but are otherwise simple to do, become near impossibilities because of decision fatigue of what to do when and the immensity of a lifetime of backed up unfinished business.

One thing I have noticed in my life can perhaps be enlightening about this. When I do my dishes, something in me genuinely believes it is totally impossible to ever get this done; it is too big a job. While this seems at first like a real feeling of my own, I realize this is really only part of me or "something in me" that is perceiving the world like the two or three year old I once was.

Of course a young child could be overwhelmed by having the huge responsibility to complete such an impossibly difficult task, from its point of view. That is too much responsibilty for a young child. I tell "something in me" I hear how overwhelmed she feels, and I am here with her. I do not try to change her. I accept her as she is.

Then I (the adult) wash the dishes. No overwhelm. No problem.

Thanks,

Emily

 

[fooddude]

The constellation of open loops and challenges in my life makes everything feel difficult. It is as if a huge mountain blocks the sun and is directly in my way. Specific things like buying hanging folders or cleaning out a file cabinet, which do take time and some money, but are otherwise simple to do, become near impossibilities because of decision fatigue of what to do when and the immensity of a lifetime of backed up unfinished business.

Start where you are don't go back. Project- Start new file cabinet. @Errands- Buy hanging folders. That's it. You can do the very next action. You can't do all next actions.

David Allen gives lots of suggstions for office setups in his book, leaving the details to the individual person, since we all need different things. DA does make clear that having an office setup comes first by structuring his chapters with office setup at the beginning. I think the obvious reason that this comes first is that everything in physical or digital form needs a parking place or home, so we can put it where it goes, and so we can find it again.

You have two projects right here. One doesn't necessarily follow the other. They seem concurrent. Your whole life needs to be in the system. From big projects to the mundane. I have one that is redesign web site and one that is buy steering wheel cover. One is help Ryan do instagram and portfolio resume for performance and his quartet. And one that is buy new inbox. What I see are systems that just have the big projects and then the small things don't get done or only done when it becomes an emergency. Then they are managing from crisis to crisis. I joke that everything from planning dream vacation to buying socks should be on your project list. I know this sounds strange, but I have my system set up so if anything happened to me, someone could see exactly where I am and pick up where I left off.

 

[Mrs-Polifax]

@fooddude

I think what you are saying is to find some way through, over, under, or around the difficulties in my way, and start capturing everything on my mind as it arises, and start processing these things into my GTD system. If I do not have a GTD system that works for me yet, creating that system is part of my GTD system; it is not a separate thing to be done first. I can create a GTD system as I go, no matter where I am now, even from within deepest jungle with a machete. Just start and take the next step.

My gosh! I could not understand that before. I am so grateful to you for this feedback! I did not realize this at all whatsoever! You mean I don't have to be perfectly ready in order to start?? I could not even think that idea on my own. It was so foreign to me that I just could not have that idea. I agree completely that everything in my life is included in GTD, so this makes so much sense.

Okay, I am going to try this.

 

[fooddude]

@fooddude

I think what you are saying is to find some way through, over, under, or around the difficulties in my way, and start capturing everything on my mind as it arises, and start processing these things into my GTD system. If I do not have a GTD system that works for me yet, creating that system is part of my GTD system; it is not a separate thing to be done first. I can create a GTD system as I go, no matter where I am now, even from within deepest jungle with a machete. Just start and take the next step.

My gosh! I could not understand that before. I am so grateful to you for this feedback! I did not realize this at all whatsoever! You mean I don't have to be perfectly ready in order to start?? I could not even think that idea on my own. It was so foreign to me that I just could not have that idea. I agree completely that everything in my life is included in GTD, so this makes so much sense.

Okay, I am going to try this.

I'm glad I could help.

 

[gtdstudente]

@fooddude

I think what you are saying is to find some way through, over, under, or around the difficulties in my way, and start capturing everything on my mind as it arises, and start processing these things into my GTD system. If I do not have a GTD system that works for me yet, creating that system is part of my GTD system; it is not a separate thing to be done first. I can create a GTD system as I go, no matter where I am now, even from within deepest jungle with a machete. Just start and take the next step.

My gosh! I could not understand that before. I am so grateful to you for this feedback! I did not realize this at all whatsoever! You mean I don't have to be perfectly ready in order to start?? I could not even think that idea on my own. It was so foreign to me that I just could not have that idea. I agree completely that everything in my life is included in GTD, so this makes so much sense.

Okay, I am going to try this.

@Mrs-Polifax

If interested, the following was added to the above post and possibly one of the counter productivity effects in making one's personal GTD system 'too smart' ?

Lack of 'Sequential awareness' as a potential root Next Action(s) problem:

*Next Action/Sequential awareness: As was humbly understood Mr. Allen express in the following paraphrased manner:
A Next Action is truly only a Next Action when the absence of any Next Action to the Next Action is possible

Thus, when a random Next Action shows-up for the Next Action 'item' other than its originally intended Next Action, then attempts to find the Next Action item for some other random intervening Next Action could become daunting task to find and therefore needs a preemptive solution to preempt any 'future' difficulty?

If its true that nothing permeates all good GTD systems more than Next Actions; since Next Actions are integral part of all of the five Work Flow (Capture, Clarify, potential Organize locations, Reflect, Engage) steps, then, reality says the more one can understand all of the practical aspects and nuances of Next Actions, then the more proficient one becomes in practicing GTD for all of its Mind Like Water glory ?


As you see GTD fit. . . .

 

[gtdstudente]

@gtdstudente

Thanks for your insights. Perhaps I am adding an initial (implicit) question to the GTD Workflow Processing Diagram:

Where is it?
Where do I find it?
Where do I put it?

I think this is supposed to be answered in the process of setting up an office with the equipment, tools, and supplies needed. I recall a couple I used to hear from by email who taught their version of GTD. They started their students out by having them create a physical GTD Command Center. In other words, they did not ask their students to clarify and organize without having the physical or digital buckets needed to hold that information.

David Allen gives lots of suggstions for office setups in his book, leaving the details to the individual person, since we all need different things. DA does make clear that having an office setup comes first by structuring his chapters with office setup at the beginning. I think the obvious reason that this comes first is that everything in physical or digital form needs a parking place or home, so we can put it where it goes, and so we can find it again.

Perhaps it would help to develop a slower and more sequential awareness, as you say, which is interesting. I found when I was practicing clarifying an item recently in a post that it was a very thoughtful experience and surprisingly difficult, but it was also exciting. David Allen tells us that this front-end thinking is essential, yet it can be difficult at first because it is different from our usual way of thinking. We are learning how to think differently in GTD.

The constellation of open loops and challenges in my life makes everything feel difficult. It is as if a huge mountain blocks the sun and is directly in my way. Specific things like buying hanging folders or cleaning out a file cabinet, which do take time and some money, but are otherwise simple to do, become near impossibilities because of decision fatigue of what to do when and the immensity of a lifetime of backed up unfinished business.

One thing I have noticed in my life can perhaps be enlightening about this. When I do my dishes, something in me genuinely believes it is totally impossible to ever get this done; it is too big a job. While this seems at first like a real feeling of my own, I realize this is really only part of me or "something in me" that is perceiving the world like the two or three year old I once was.

Of course a young child could be overwhelmed by having the huge responsibility to complete such an impossibly difficult task, from its point of view. That is too much responsibilty for a young child. I tell "something in me" I hear how overwhelmed she feels, and I am here with her. I do not try to change her. I accept her as she is.

Then I (the adult) wash the dishes. No overwhelm. No problem.

Thanks,

Emily

@Mrs-Polifax

While tools are necessary to practice GTD since locating everything outside of one's mind is a GTD imperative ?

As such, one naturally desires the best tools to that effect, however, it seems necessary to remain vigilant that a more universal tool might be sufficient or possibly even too digitally universal ?

Meanwhile, adding particular tools for particular purposes might also be excessively 'promising' in regards to its overall GTD value ?

On this end, when it comes to tools, some qualities that are deemed desirable: Availability, Ease-of-Use, Low-Cost Replacement, dynamic-&-static Engagement-Predictability, etc.

As you see GTD fit. . . .

 

[cfoley]

@fooddude

I think what you are saying is to find some way through, over, under, or around the difficulties in my way, and start capturing everything on my mind as it arises, and start processing these things into my GTD system. If I do not have a GTD system that works for me yet, creating that system is part of my GTD system; it is not a separate thing to be done first. I can create a GTD system as I go, no matter where I am now, even from within deepest jungle with a machete. Just start and take the next step.

My gosh! I could not understand that before. I am so grateful to you for this feedback! I did not realize this at all whatsoever! You mean I don't have to be perfectly ready in order to start?? I could not even think that idea on my own. It was so foreign to me that I just could not have that idea. I agree completely that everything in my life is included in GTD, so this makes so much sense.

Okay, I am going to try this.

This is a wonderful realisation.

You don't need much to do GTD. My GTD system started with a few loose sheets of paper to write lists on, quickly followed by some cardboard folders for reference. The one I use today isn't much different.

 

[Mrs-Polifax]

Thanks a lot, everyone. This was an unexpected and startling epiphany for me. Suddenly everything changed.
___________________________________________________________

I know this sounds strange, but I have my system set up so if anything happened to me, someone could see exactly where I am and pick up where I left off.

Dear @fooddude, It doesn't sound strange to me. I think it sounds like a great idea and very considerate toward your family.

_______________________________________

This is a wonderful realisation.

Yes, @cfoley, you bet! Thanks for appreciating that.

You don't need much to do GTD. My GTD system started with a few loose sheets of paper to write lists on, quickly followed by some cardboard folders for reference. The one I use today isn't much different.

Simplicity is so important. My mind keeps trying to make it complex. Maybe now I can start loosening up about that.

________________________________
Dear @gtdstudente

I think my difficulty in understanding your comments, which I believe you intend from the heart, is that I personally need examples to clearly understand how GTD works in practice. Thanks.

__________________________________
Dear @mcogilvie,

I was thinking of your tickler list that is dated but is not a calendar. Do you know about the Alastair Method? I wondered whether you might be interested in it.

My idea of how you currently use a trigger list. (But maybe the trigger "pops up" on that date.):

Trigger	Date
xyz trigger	June 12
abc trigger	July 5

The Alastair Method. I put the trigger date in the desired time period. I can enter the triggers in any order. No matter where in the list the tickler is entered, it always shows up in the column to the left of the ticklers for a later period.

Trigger	Jun	Jul	Aug
abc trigger		5
xyz triger	12

Any type and any number of time periods can be used (assuming they fit the space). You may like your trigger list fine the way you have it. I just wanted to mention it, FYI.

Trigger	Jun 1-7	Jun 8-14	Jun 15-21	Jun 22-28	Jun 29- Jul 5
xyz triger		12
abc trigger					5

I like the graphical way the date is shown relative to the other dates. This method was developed by Alastair Johnson of the Bullet Journal community. He originally developed it for use with the future log, and it spread and became very popular. It has been expanded into many areas since, even being applied to GTD.
_______________________________________________________________________

I am thinking of you, @FocusGuy. I remember that you enjoy Bullet Journaling. Maybe you've heard of this method.
_________________________________________________________________________

Take care everyone.

Warmly,

Emily

 

[mcogilvie]

Dear Emily,

Thank you for introducing me to the Alastair Method. It’s a clever way to do with paper what is more easily done digitally. Lately I have been thinking about Markdown and the role it plays for me in the Natural Planning Model. At its simplest, iMarkdown uses #, ##, ### et cetera for different heading levels, and - for items under headers. So a natural planning model project might look like:

# Royal Ball held
## Purpose and principles
- Secure the royal succession by finding a wife for the prince
- Make process transparent and fair
- Make it fun
## Desired outcomes
- Prince married to wonderful young woman
- Everyone satisfied that process was fair
- Everyone had a good time
## Brainstorm
- Invite all young women of the kingdom to a royal ball to meet the prince
- Find a good DJ and caterer
- Arrange for cloakroom to store hats, coats, glass slippers, et cetera

And so forth. It occurred to me that Markdown works pretty well with paper. I’m sure there is some equivalent convention among Bullet Journal users, but I don’t know what it is. Or maybe there are multiple methods?

Best,
Mike

 

[fooddude]

Any type and any number of time periods can be used (assuming they fit the space). You may like your trigger list fine the way you have it. I just wanted to mention it, FYI.

Trigger	Jun 1-7	Jun 8-14	Jun 15-21	Jun 22-28	Jun 29- Jul 5
xyz triger	12
abc trigger	5

I like the graphical way the date is shown relative to the other dates. This method was developed by Alastair Johnson of the Bullet Journal community. He originally developed it for use with the future log, and it spread and became very popular. It has been expanded into many areas since, even being applied to GTD.
_______________________________________________________________________

I am thinking of you, @FocusGuy. I remember that you enjoy Bullet Journaling. Maybe you've heard of this method.
_________________________________________________________________________

I think you've just made it more complicated. You've added another tool to look after. You "do" out of contexts. Time sensitive items go on the calendar. If you are not "doing" out of contexts, it's really not GTD. What I do for triggers (Apple) is day specific items are all day events. With repeats as necessary. Time specific items go on the date and time due. So call Steve (anytime) goes on @Phone. Call Steve June 1st goes on calendar all day event June 1st. Call Steve at 10 am June 1st goes on calendar June 1st at 10am. What I find is people don't trust their system because they aren't putting down everything in it. And then try to find the next shiny thing to solve their problem. There is absolutely no project that cannot be put on a list and the very next action put on a context list. Have you asked yourself why you would need a trigger list? The items should be on your Project list or Someday/maybe list. And you review them weekly. And the very next action for them would be on a context list you would also review weekly. I mean wouldn't your weekly review be your trigger list? Then you don't have to keep up with an excel sheet somewhere else to keep up with something already in your system. Hope this helps.

 

[cfoley]

I think the Alastair Method is being presented as one way of doing the Tickler file, which is part of GTD. It looks like it would work very well in a paper system where sorting the items would mean rewriting them all. You can simply add a new item to the end of the list and the date columns make finding "Today's Ticklers" easy to do.

 

[gtdstudente]

@Mrs-Polifax

"I think my difficulty in understanding your comments, which I believe you intend from the heart, is that I personally need examples to clearly understand how GTD works in practice. Thanks."

If everything written were self-evidently satisfactory, then further reading and writing would be unnecessary ?

Since learning is a subjective endeavor and we are seemingly in agreement that examples can facilitate learning

However, because it is impossible for any writer to actually know what another reader already knows for further learning any subject matter, then it would seemingly be incumbent on the reader to ask the writer to either possibly provide a particular example(s), asks the writer means by "XYZ", both, etc. ?

With all due respect, if you, or anyone else*, has ever done the above and are still Waiting For a reply, then please copy-&-paste your pending GTD concern for the opportunity to humbly rectify any inconsiderate negligence on this end . . . thank you very much

As you see GTD fit. . . .

Ps. Meanwhile, perhaps "In general on this end,. . . ." might be a more clear preface than simply "On this end,. . . ." when writing a post without including an example ?

If so, so much for 'simplicity' as always being best ?

*There was is at least one post that remains an open-loop in this forum requiring follow-up and have yet to be able to close the open-loop due to insufficient GTD forum navigational skills

 

[gtdstudente]

Dear Emily,

Thank you for introducing me to the Alastair Method. It’s a clever way to do with paper what is more easily done digitally. Lately I have been thinking about Markdown and the role it plays for me in the Natural Planning Model. At its simplest, iMarkdown uses #, ##, ### et cetera for different heading levels, and - for items under headers. So a natural planning model project might look like:

# Royal Ball held
## Purpose and principles
- Secure the royal succession by finding a wife for the prince
- Make process transparent and fair
- Make it fun
## Desired outcomes
- Prince married to wonderful young woman
- Everyone satisfied that process was fair
- Everyone had a good time
## Brainstorm
- Invite all young women of the kingdom to a royal ball to meet the prince
- Find a good DJ and caterer
- Arrange for cloakroom to store hats, coats, glass slippers, et cetera

And so forth. It occurred to me that Markdown works pretty well with paper. I’m sure there is some equivalent convention among Bullet Journal users, but I don’t know what it is. Or maybe there are multiple methods?

Best,
Mike

@Mrs-Polifax , @mcogilvie , @fooddude , @cfoley ,

In regards to "Alastair Method," and with a very, very superficial understanding of the "Alastair Method," how does one find what one might need / want to find prior to it showing up without rememering where it is to dynamically show-up ?

Perhaps this is unnecessary concern ?

Thank you very much

 

[cfoley]

Scan sequentially.

Any organisation system has tradeoffs. You choose the system based on the things you want to do most often.

Alastair Method seems quick to add items, good for surfacing things at a given time and slow to find a specific item.

 

[Ger80C]

The best time to do a mind sweep is now.

 

[gtdstudente]

Scan sequentially.

Any organisation system has tradeoffs. You choose the system based on the things you want to do most often.

Alastair Method seems quick to add items, good for surfacing things at a given time and slow to find a specific item.

@cfoley

Very well said . . . thank you very much

 

[Mrs-Polifax]

In regards to "Alastair Method," and with a very, very superficial understanding of the "Alastair Method," how does one find what one might need / want to find prior to it showing up without rememering where it is to dynamically show-up ?

If I understand, I think you are wondering how to locate an item on an Alastair Calendar, after the item is entered on the Calendar, and before the scheduled date the item shows up on the Calendar, and without remembering the scheduled date.

This is a very good question, and I'm not sure there is an answer that is fast and easy. I had that very problem with my paper calendar. I looked through my paper calendar, and I did not find the item in my search.

Darn it! This was not going to be fast. I would have to look through my calendar carefully for the item. In this case, the item was a tickler (an item I need to decide by a future date).

Recently @mcogilvie mentioned that a certain item I needed to clarify would be a tickler in his system. He said a tickler can be entered on the calendar, but he happens to use a tickler list instead. I believe he likes to see all his ticklers together.

This put the idea of a tickler list in my mind while I was thinking about finding things on my calendar. That's when I thought of using an Alastair Calendar as a tickler list. I thought it would be faster to locate a tickler item by searching down a paper tickler list (i.e., an Alastair Calendar with a column for each time period) than by searching through the pages of my paper calendar.

I don't know yet whether that is accurate.

I think the divisions into columns for separate periods of time in an Alastair Calendar could make it relatively fast to find an item prior to the date it is scheduled to show up, at least If you had some idea of the time period wnen the item might appear. In that case, you could search the column for that period, rather than having to search all the columns of the Alastair Calendar.

Ultimately, though, the only sure way to find an entirely lost item is to search through every single entry. It might not take too long, compared to searching through all the pages of a paper calendar, unless you have a long list of triggers.

However long that takes, you may discover the same thing I did: I had made NO entry in my paper calendar for that ticker item I was searching for. I was sure I had, but I had not. No wonder I could not find it.

Thanks for taking an interest in the Alastair Method. It is fun to try it!

Warmly,

Emily

 

[Mrs-Polifax]

@fooddude said:
Look don't make it so complicated. Use Parkinson's law in reverse. (I think that is the one I mean)

"In reverse, Parkinson's Law suggests that work shrinks to fill the time available for its completion. This means that if you are given a deadline to complete a task, you will likely finish it sooner rather than later, as you will focus on the most efficient and effective ways to complete the task within the time limit. This principle can be applied to various aspects of life, such as personal projects, work, and even leisure activities, encouraging individuals to prioritize their tasks and allocate time more effectively."

I thought you might enjoy this. I could not find the link. Thanks for your posts of the mindsweep triggers and the weekly review triggers. Those will be helpful. I had tried several times to view them, and I could not get them to work, and finally I realized that they were going into my downloads folder.

Best, Emily

 

[TimBourne]

Whenever you feel overwhelmed. Take your time, smoke a cigar and collect everything on your mind. You will feel relieved

I wouldn't smoke a cigar '