GTD

How to make GTD stick

A typical question that I get asked after leading seminars or coaching someone is how to make GTD stick. I think implementing any of this can help your productivity, so pick something from this methodology that really resonates with you and start with that one thing. Then next week add another thing. Then the week after, add another. Before you know it you've got a whole toolbox of tips and tricks to increase your productivity.

I led a Managing Workflow seminar today in Pennsylvania. Here are some of the key takeaways the group shared that they were going to use to get started with GTD:

The Two Minute Rule - if you can take an action in less than 2 minutes, do it now.

Context lists - organize your to do lists based on where you can take the action, rather than what the action is related to.

Create Action and Waiting For folders in email and in hard copy for your desk. If you're a Notes user, start the folder name with a dash, like "-Action" so that is sorts at the top of your folders. If you're on Outlook, use the @ symbol, like "@Action".

Do a weekly review - once a week, turn off your input to get current and creative with your system, so that you can get some alitude from the day-to-day grind.

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Tracking delegation

Many times in GTD workflow coachings I see managers hold back delegating things to their staff and direct reports because they don't trust their systems will remind them of things they have handed off.

If you are the one delegating, track what you hand off on a "Waiting For" list. I include the person's name, what I'm waiting for and the date I started waiting. I am currently waiting for our IT guy Eric to fix my wireless card which broke yesterday. Here's what that looks like on my Waiting For list:

Eric - fix my wireless card - 8/9

Even though I trust Eric implicitly to get things done, I want my list to track this item, not my mind. I also don't have a due date on their because there really isn't a due date--it just needs to be done as soon as it can be done. This Friday during my weekly review, I'll scan down the Waiting For list. If that item is still unresolved, it may generate a call or email to Eric asking what's up if I haven't heard anything by then. Or, I may see that 8/9 date which tells me that I really haven't been waiting that long and I can wait a few more days. Either way, I can move on to whatever else I need to be handling and trust that Eric is on top of it.

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Finding joy in the mindsweep

I sat in my favorite coffee shop today to do a mindsweep. I fired up my iPod to some great music, ordered a latte and started writing. There is something for me about doing a mindsweep in a place other than my normal workspace to bring about new ideas. It engages that part of me that wants to skip out and find other things to be busy with. I see and hear different things. I love having a great new idea come forward that I never knew was in there.

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Some of my checklists

Here are some of the Checklists I have as reference in my system. I find it helpful to have these on hand on the Palm, particularly for adding to any of these lists when I'm on the go:

Travel - what I may need for any trip I take
Music to Buy - music to buy on CD or on iTunes
Books to Read - titles I collect for possible reading
Skiing - things we'll need on the rare occasion we ski
Camping - things we'll need on the even more rare occasion we camp
Birthdays/Anniversaries - one complete list of anyone I might want to send a card, buy a gift or just know it's their day. This helps also since I buy my cards about a month at a time and I can see a whole group of people in one list, rather than going through all of my calendar pages to find them listed there.
Gift ideas - a list of possible Christmas gifts for people I may buy gifts for this year

If you are on Outlook, the Notes section can be a good place for these. If you're on Lotus Notes, you can categorize them into Journal (if you have that) or as a To Do category separate from your action lists, such as "zChecklists."

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