A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about a book I’d stumbled across and was excited to add to my reading list. Getting Things Done by management consultant and productivity expert David Allen, outlines a work-life management system developed around the premise that “your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

Allen works one-on-one with CEO’s and other high-ranking business professionals to help them organize their work and personal lives. Many of those top professionals swear by his methods, but I was curious how they would translate for little ol’ me.

First, a little more about the GTD system from David Allen himself:

“The methods I present here are all based on two key objectives: (1) capturing all the things that need to get done—now, later, someday, big, little, or in between—into a logical and trusted system outside of your head and off your mind; and (2) disciplining yourself to make front-end decisions about all of the “inputs” you let into your life so that you will always have a plan for “next actions” that you can implement or renegotiate at any moment.”

I finished reading the book last week and began the task of overhauling my organization system immediately. GTD consists of the following five basic steps:

1) Capture Collect what has your attention. Use an in-basket, notepad, or voice recorder to capture 100% of everything that has your attention. Little, big, personal and professional—all your to-do’s, projects, things to handle or finish. – Getting Things Done

This was fun. The moment I started getting things out of my head and onto paper, I felt lighter. Admittedly, I have precious few responsibilities right now with no school and only part time jobs so it didn’t take long. Allen recommends using a physical in-basket for this exercise to collect things like bills, call receipts, and meeting notes. Then, for all of the incomplete tasks in your life that aren’t associated with something that can be put in a basket, like “get a haircut” and “replace water filter”, he suggests writing them down on individual sheets of paper and putting those in the basket. I was immediately put off by the thought of the physical in-basket and all of those sheets of paper (what a waste!). It might make sense for those who work primarily from a desk and deal with large amounts of paperwork, but for me a digital inbox was definitely the way to go.

2) Clarify Process what it means. Take everything that you capture and ask: Is it actionable? If no, then trash it, incubate it, or file it as a reference. If yes, decide the very next action required. If it will take less than two minutes, do it now. If not, delegate it if you can; or put it on a list to do when you can. – Getting Things Done

This step marks a huge departure from how I used to do things, but I welcome the change. Even though it’s only been a week, I can already tell making a habit of processing to-dos on the front end will be game changing. Some things I’ve noticed:

• Because I know every bullet in my inbox will have to be immediately assessed for its next action, and those next actions will then be sorted into my system where I’ll be reviewing them daily, I am more selective about what I allow into my inbox in the first place. This means making the (sometimes difficult) decision to trash projects before I’ve spent weeks thinking about them and feeling guilty about not having done them.
• Deciding on next actions immediately has gotten rid of a HUGE procrastination trigger. When there is no next action attached to a project, a cognitive gap is created. Every time you think about the project, there will be subconscious resistance to actually doing it because you can’t envision the first step. Determining a project’s next action is something you’re going to have to do anyway. By expending the extra energy on the front end, you’ll spend less time stressing about what you have to do and more time doing it.
• The two-minute rule is magical. It also sucks. You’d be amazed how many daunting things on your to-do list can be jumpstarted with a mere two-minute action. You’d also be amazed at how much resistance you can generate towards a task that will literally only take two minutes. But when you put it off, you’ll probably spend a lot more than two minutes thinking about it. And by the time you’ve processed and sorted it into your system, you could be halfway through doing it. Since implementing the two-minute rule, I’ve moved forward on several neglected projects and finished a handful of others. It’s one of those things I love to hate, but it won’t be going anywhere.

3) Organize Put it where it belongs. Put action reminders on the right lists. For example create lists for the appropriate categories—calls to make, errands to run, emails to send, etc. – Getting Things Done

Allen’s tips for organizing your to-do’s are gold. The lists are half of the magic of his system. With my old to-do lists, I sorted tasks in terms of the context in which they were received (school tasks, work tasks, errands). What Allen suggests, however, is sorting tasks in terms of the context in which you will be getting them done. That means I have an “In the Car” list for all of my out-and-about errands and a “Surfing the Web” list for looking up random bits of information I need to move projects forward. I also have a “Talking to Boss” list that contains business I need to bring up when I’m with my boss, and an “Emails” list for all of my digital correspondences. Additionally, I’ve found it useful to have lists that describe what kind of work “mode” I may find myself in at any given moment. I have a “Writing Mode” list for things like “Finish blog post”, a “Study Mode” list for things like “ Outline Ch. 1 of textbook” and a “Read Mode” list for things like “Finish The Defining Decade”. These lists aren’t formally prioritized. Typically, once I’ve narrowed down my to-do’s by choosing a list based on where I am and what “mode” I’m in, my options are pretty limited and I can rely on my intuition to select the task that will yield the highest payoff.

4) Reflect Review frequently. Look over your lists as often as necessary to determine what to do next. Do a weekly review to clean up, update your lists, and clear your mind. – Getting Things Done

I’m still working on this part. Like I said, I don’t have much to do right now and there are no truly pressing items on any of my lists. This has made frequent review a hard habit to form, which has already resulted in a few missed opportunities to get things done. I’m sure once I have more to do, checking my lists will become a reflex. Until then, I’ll focus on keeping them up-to-date so I can trust that when I do review them, I’m seeing all of my options. This should definitely keep me occupied as I’m always finding new loose ends.

5) Engage Simply do. Use your system to take appropriate actions with confidence. – Getting Things Done

As I alluded to in a previous post, organization has always been a weakness for me. For a long time I considered it something intrinsic (“I’m not an organized person”), and although I often experienced negative consequences because of this, I felt powerless to change. Getting Things Done has shifted my perspective. I feel like I’ve been given the tools to create a more productive, less stressed, overall happier version of myself. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time. In exactly one month I’ll be driving down to James Madison University to start training for my new Hall Director position. I will have more responsibility than I’ve ever had and a consistently full plate. The thought used to make me anxious, now I feel prepared. Only time will tell whether the Getting Things Done methodology will stick, but considering the benefits I’ve already experienced, I’d be crazy to go back to my traditional to-do list.

---

Feature image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net