The Daily Saint

No Child (Practicing GTD) Left Behind

Imagine a school that allowed every student to grow, learn and prosper.  That was the initial desire behind the No Child Left Behind act of 2002 and while NCLB is controversial, it has proven successful in at least one area- keeping schools accountable.

Now imagine a school in which Getting Things Done was implemented.

Course units might include:

• Time management
• The weekly review
• Setting up a tickler file
• How to close open loops
• Capturing ideas, then integrating them into your system
• Mastering the projects list
• Life goals from 10,000-40,000 feet

Is this vision that far from reality?  My colleagues in education would laugh at the sight of such courses and yet I wonder how Algebra I prepares one for life any better than a course in life goals or time management.

The secret of course lies in integration.  It's not that we need a school for GTD.  Rather, we need people who can integrate GTD into what they're already doing.  Teachers and parents who see the value of putting ideas onto paper and out of the mind.  Administrators who actually maintain a healthy set of lists and projects.  Students who can actually remember a deadline because they wrote it down.

I recently had a friend ask how I got so much done in a week.  Surprised, I had to scratch my head and wonder if GTD had something to do with it after years of practice.  Would your colleagues wonder about your secret to productivity?  As in any classroom, the moment when someone asks is of course the moment in which you know you've set an example.  Now that's GTD!

Carefree GTD

Photo by Jovika

Elegant. I've heard David Allen use this word many times in his writings and training events.  Most men don't use this word, much less in the context of a dayplanner or to-do list.  The dictionary defines it as

"Characterized by or exhibiting refined, tasteful beauty of manner, form, or style."

Now think of the last time that you felt that someone was elegantly dressed or appointed.  I think of a fundraiser that I was attending a few weeks  back.  One woman in particular (she happens to be my lovely wife) was clearly a cut above the rest, dressed stylishly and carrying herself with confidence. 

We might also consider this a state of being "ok with yourself", or knowing what you're all about.  In my work, we often refer to this as being mission-based and having a sense of contentment about who we are and where we see ourselves going.  If you work in a competitive niche, this "ok-ness" is essential.  Without it, the soul of your company is lost. 

As I think of the word elegant as David Allen refers to it, I'm mindful of a system that is thorough and captures ideas as they come, then processing them into actionable steps.  I think of a net of sorts that can 'catch' what needs to be retained and drop what's useless. 

With this said, how carefree is GTD?  Allen wrote last week about creating systems that are not beholden to the urgent.   This harkens back to what Covey called an "urgency addiction" and he noted as far back as 1988 that the truly successful people in life are looking beyond the ringing phone and email chime.

As I was driving to work this morning, I wondered how many miles my car has- 88K or 98K?  It runs like a champ and my commute is so short that an old pick-up would get me there in one piece.  As long as I take good care of it, I (and my car) will be ok.  This is of course how GTD works as well- when you know what you're all about and do your work with consistency you can relax and get things done.

How elegant is that?

GTD Insight #16: Peak Hours for Productivity

When I read Brian Tracy's Eat That Frog a few years ago, I was like most productivity thinkers: skeptical.  I wanted to build my daily schedule so that it would be fun, engaging and full of creative moments. Unfortunately, I live in the real world and that initial plan hasn't come to fruition.

Tracy's genius is not so much a rugged "get it done" mindset as much as a smart way to counteract procrastination and human nature.  A friend of mine once said, "Give to God your best time of the day," and I think there's something to that.  When I get into the zone before 10a.m. my day generally runs smooth. 

Stephen Smith has a nice experiment going, measuring his own productivity.  One key is again this element of using the morning hours wisely.  I've found that it helps to use those first hours to get things done, but also to eliminate unnecessary steps in the process.  When I arrive in the morning at work, there are a few things that I could do but have stopped doing as it slows me down early in the day.  These include:

• Turning on extra building lights
• Opening up public office doors
• Checking paperwork that I could check later in the day

I'm mindful of St. Francis of Assisi who said in the 13th century, "Start with what is necessary, then do what is possible.  Eventually you'll find yourself doing the impossible."  How are you spending your first five hours of the day?  By tackling one difficult task, you'll have more energy to accomplish it and you won't have "productivity guilt" later in the day.  Go for it!

Let Your List Think for You

Do you remember the last time you were backing up your car and trusted your rear-view mirrors entirely?  It's an odd feeling but one that nonetheless confirms the trustworthiness of your mirrors.  There is of course that temptation to turn your head and confirm that the mirrors are providing accurate readings and you're not backing into an unforeseen Bentley.

Lists are kind of like mirrors in that they provide accurate readings on what's going on around us.  Or in us, in our heads that is to say. 

I recently had a conversation with my wife about a grocery list she had made earlier in the day.  As we prepped the kids to head out the door for another fun adventure at the supermarket, she had a confused look on her face.  I inquired.  She indicated that she couldn't remember something that was or maybe was not on the grocery list.  I then realized that I had become completely immersed in the GTD ethos when I said, "Don't think.  Let your list think for you."  We then checked the list and all was well.

List keeping is really an art-form that begs for consistency and practice.  How will you rely on your lists today?

Today's post also appears on HD Biz, a great blog from friend and blogger Stephen Smith.

What Carpenters Teach us About Productivity (plus two new ways to see the Weekly Review)

Photo by Elkost

It's been several days since my last post, partly due to my reading of this post by Seth Godin.  Seth's point is simple: who is your audience in the blogosphere?  Is it the occasional reader who knows your stuff or the happenstance reader who has just discovered your material?  Your Aunt Helen who just got her first computer?

I've also been thinking lots about the GTD Weekly Review, a powerful habit that I believe pays off in spades once you commit to practicing it.  I've written about the weekly review before ('The Mystique of the Weekly Review' and 'The Power of the Weekly Review' )and continue to peel away the layers of the onion.  It's only now though, that I realize something new about the weekly review.

That's where doorways enter the discussion.

We had a carpenter to the house recently to give us an estimate on opening up our kitchen into an ajascent room.   His notes included labor and materials but he was most concerned with the flow from one room to the next.  "It should feel like two spaces that have one vibe" he said.   Sound like the weekly review?  You bet.

New Metaphors in Productivity
We all know that we should practice the weekly review but let's face it- we all fall off the wagon from time to time.   As I recently did a phone interview with friend and publisher Gene Monterastelli about time management, I stressed the importance of the weekly review.   I also mentioned:

• Inbox: have one and teach those around you to funnel as much (or even better, as little!) as possible into the inbox.  Let it work for you and then work it in return.
• Calendar: whether digital or old fashioned paper, a good calendar is an absolute must for a serious GTD practitioner.

Here are some other ways to look at the weekly review:

A doorway is a terrific way of looking at how we prep for any given week.  A smart and elegant doorway even makes you want to enter the home it occupies whereas a drab front door is almost telling you to get lost.  A stylish practice of the weekly review can serve this same purpose- it gets you excited about the week ahead.

A hinge is another way to see the weekly review.  No door frame is given credit for keeping those who pass through it safely.  The frame and accompanying hinges are essential to safe passage into the next room.  Likewise, a thorough, simple and fun weekly review is like a strong hinge- everything can rest on it.  The passage of the week is made better because of it.

Whether you are a doorway reviewer or prefer the hinge metaphor, a productive person knows that a consistent (ahem, weekly) review is vital to work-flow.  It builds momentum into the week and gives your life a common vibe, kind of like my kitchen remodel.

Person Gene Monterastelli

Right click for SmartMenu shortcuts

A Healthy Dose of Teflon Productivity

  Photo by Biepmiep

It's generally a good thing when folks criticize David Allen's Getting Things Done methodology because it stands out from the crowd and grabs your attention. Yesterday's post from Organize It was titled 9 Reasons why Getting Things Done Sucks and struck me right out of the gate.  I read the article, half with a sense of, "How could anyone be critical of GTD," and then realized that it's not that bad after all.  A little bit of criticism might be a good thing, or so I tell my students at school.

Criticism, as long as it's honest, is often a healthy sign of critical thinking.  How does GTD stand up to attack?  Pretty well I think and here's why: Allen is very clear in his book and subsequent talks over the past six years- GTD is adaptable and can integrate into any system that currently exists.  It's more of a set of behaviors than anything else.  Kelly Forrister, a GTD coach, also makes it clear that GTD can sync with any number of high or low tech systems such as:

• Notecards (low tech, think Hipster PDA )
• Lotus notes
• Outlook
• Google Calendar and Gmail
• Day Timer planner

The fact that GTD is able to marry (or at least cohabitate with) these current tools is a plus for the GTD side of things.  Adaptable yes, but what about the claim leveled recently that GTD is too simplistic?

Leo from Zen Habits ran an interview with Dr. Stephen Covey in which the famed 7 Habits author called GTD "too simplistic and superficial".  No GTD practitioner likes to hear fighting words such as these but consider the obvious: 7 Habits has been around for 20 years and GTD a mere six.  Clearly GTD has some catching up to do and the FranklinCovey world is much larger than that of GTD.  What will be the staying power of GTD?  Time will only tell.

So how does GTD stand up to criticism?  Pretty well I think and the proof is in the pudding.  I describe GTD as "life changing" and that is something that I say about very few other things in life (i.e. faith, marriage, being a father).  So am I a Getting Things Done evangelist? Sure.  But even an evangelist can take a good bit of criticism from time to time.

Today's post is also found at HD Biz Blog

GTD Insight #12: Clean-Edge Living

Photo by Tatiana

Sarah wakes up 15 minutes later than she wanted to.  The baby is crying and Tim, her older child needs to get ready for school.  Bob, Sarah's husband has already left for work and leaves a note that says, "Hon, don't forget to get a birthday gift for Clark.  Tomorrow is his big day."  More stress.  30 minutes later, with baby in tow and Tim partially ready for school, Sarah heads out the door, only to realize that the bus has already come and she must drive Tim, yet again to school. 

Does this sound like anyone you know?

Look at Sarah's demands: childcare, waking up late, a husband's requests, clothing, busing, parenting.  Not an easy plate to maintain and yet a reality for so many folks.  What could she have done differently to minimize her stress?

• Get more rest.  By going to bed earlier the night before, Sarah would ensure that the following morning, at the very least, would leave her feeling rested.
• Practice a morning ritual as if it was religion.  Getting up at the same time eases stress and provides what Stephen Covey calls the "private victory"
• Prepare clothing the night before.  By taking 5 minutes to lay out clothing, iron wrinkled clothing and hanging things where you want them to be, the morning can run that much smoother.
• Use an on-line calendar to remind you of gifting ideas and deadlines. With such free and easy tools like Google Calendar, anyone can remember a holiday or deadline before it happens. 

What Sarah is experiencing is the polar opposite of what GTD practitioners call "clean edges".  What is a clean edge?  An aspect of a system which keeps things in check and allows you to function at a more productive level.

Examples of clean edge productivity:

1. A voice mailbox that is checked regularly and doesn't leave 15 messages in "in".
2. An email in-box which gets to zero regularly and is a tool/resource rather than a constant annoyance.
3. Social commitments which work for you and are reasonable.  A clean edge is not rushing from one social event to the next, barely connecting with any one on a deep human level.
4. Physical space which is uncluttered and organized.  Excess 'junk' is tossed regularly or donated to charity.
5. List systems which capture "errands", "someday maybe" and whatever else comes into your mind.  I recently added an "items to buy" list which is handy because whenever I seem to be in a store and need something, I forget what I needed, etc.

Why not practice a clean-edge philosophy starting today? Better yet, why not put it into practice?  Like Sarah, I am confident that your mornings will be less stressful as well as the rest of the day.

Who's the Next Great Productivity Guru?

This past week, Leo from Zen Habits interviewed Stephen Covey, legendary author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen of HDBIZ also made reference to this interview.  The conversation between Leo and Covey is striking.  Some observations:

• Covey wrote his opus in 1988
• Leo asks for specifics several times but it seems that Covey dodges the question or only provides general answers
• When asked what Covey thought about Getting Things Done, he described it as "overly simplistic" (ouch!)
   

My personal sense was that Leo and Covey were on an entirely different wavelength.What to make of this? My first thought was disappointment in Covey's responses but then I stepped back and reminded myself that Covey's prime was somewhere about 10 years ago, roughly 10 years after the launch of 7 Habits. 

As we approach the 6 year mark of Getting Things Done, it's safe to say that David Allen is happily in his prime and has plenty of gas left in the tank.  But what's the "next big thing"?  Who comes after Allen when GTD fizzles into what we perceive to be old material?

It certainly makes you wonder.

GTD Double Shot

Photo by la_febbra

Ask a GTD aficionado how he learned how to Get Things Done and you're likely to get a variety of answers.  The fact is that each of us learns differently, although there is research to indicate that adults:

• self pace their learning
• must be self-motivated to learn
• enjoy freedom of choice when it comes to what we learn

I first read David Allen's Getting Things Done in 2002.  On my way home from work each day, I would stop in a shopping center parking lot and knock off a chapter or two.  It worked for me.  Neat book, I thought at the time. 

Since then, I've listened to the podcasts, read the interviews and drank the cool aid.  I enjoy GTD and find that I know a lot about it and also know little about it.  A process of learning.

I've recently added to my depth of GTD prowess by listening to the audio which features David Allen himself.  Hearing his voice and revisiting some themes that I had forgotten has grounded me and reminded me of key points that I might have overlooked. 

Resources for the Road
NPR broadcast, "Tech Junkies Crazy About Getting Things Done"

GTD Insight #33: Maximizing Email Happiness

How often to you check your email?  If you work in a techcentric environment, this question may seem odd as email becomes akin to breathing, an unconscious act that continues throughout the day.  I'd like to suggest that there is a pleasure to email that overchecking can dullen.  Read on.

Email can be pleasurable when it's surprising, when it delivers an anticipated response or when it relaxes the reader.  Unfortunately, when we check email over and over again, our sense of email pleasure softens, making email another mundane task that takes up our time.

Today's GTD Insight is very simple- check email several times during the day but don't overcheck.  The GTD practitioner knows how to strike the balance between getting his work done and still enjoying the little things, like a piece of good news delivered via email.