For the past couple years I've been a butterfly around the GTD space. I've read Allen's Opus ("Getting Things Done"), as well as the second compilation of newsletter pieces ("Ready for Anything"). I've listened to the now out of print "Getting Things Done FAST!" seminar recording (or is it a reenactment?). And I'm an active lurker (e.g. few posts, many reads) in the 43Folders Google group and the Yahoo GTD group.
They've proven helpful - I think I do, in fact, get more done. My 'system' is in a bit of a shambles, though. I'm not acting on all the actions I intend to, nor do I yet have a full corral of all the projects and actions I have in place for the near term. My projects list remains a mix of 'must do soon' and 'hrm, someday'. As a whole the system seems to get better week by week as I regather, but I'm still in the sissyphean stages of piles and incomplete lists. I'm not consistent in a weekly review, and this week I even found myself, as I juggled incoming needs, in the position of not referring to my lists at all (this may be normal, assuming I can trust that the items on the list were indeed 'less important' than the items in front of me...).
I can read and muse all I want, but nothing will succeed like commitment and action. I've now got a deadline to get my thinking - if not my act entirely! - together. Thanks to the generous "self-directed" portion of our corporate training, I'll be attending the daylong bootcamp "GTD: The Roadmap" when it's offered here in Chicago.
Some early reports from the Roadmap seminar are positive indeed. Terrie (from ORA) posted one report that brings up some of the rocks to be covered. In a different context she reports that one of the values she got from participation is just getting 8 reasonably uninterrupted hours to think about all this stuff. Buzz "Activewords" Bruggeman also files a report (I believe this is his second conference) with some good commentary tacked on.
The Chicago seminar is 24 days away, time enough to review my sources, rebuild my lists and rejigger my system to manage with the fluidity to get me to the next hump. Follow along, my small readership, as I propose to post my progress regularly.
Technorati Tags: 43folders, gtd
Posted by esinclai at August 20, 2005 09:38 AM |
It sounds very much like the blog entry of a fad dieter if I may be so bold. Are your organizational skills in such shambles that you will send yourself down the path of self-loathing which is certain to result as you find yourself repeatedly missing your "get organized" action items? Toss off the shackles of a plan and wing it. It makes life more interesting.
Posted by: First time Caller, Long time listener on August 21, 2005 06:36 PMI think that you will get a lot out of it. I too have read David's books,etc. and every time I am with him, I pick up ideas that really help me.
I did the blog post because I wanted to share what I was learning with the folks that read my blog, and also just to take good notes for myself. I really haven't done a good job with the weekly review, but have not concluded that I am going to schedule it every Friday morning. That way I can head into the weekend with stuff in great shape.
Buzz
Posted by: Buzz Bruggeman on August 22, 2005 12:21 AMHi Eric -
Enjoy the seminar! One good thing about it is that it was clearly useful to GTD fans whatever their current state of thing is. I thought Allen did a great job of reminding people to quit fussing with the details of their system, trying to over-automate, and get the basic principles down. For example, there was great advice on how to write next actions...really useful not only in the context of grooming your GTD-related lists, but also useful, say, when you're in a meeting and feeling like the way to move forward is murky. It made me realize the power in getting very granular with those.
I shouldn't geek out too much on this stuff right now, but I'll look forward to what you think of it!
-t