ForumsGetting Things Done®Starting over?
Starting over?
| Author | Message |
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sakinney |
OK, I feel off the wagon...
I need to start up again on GTD, and I'm trying to decide whether it's better to flush everything and start over, or just pick up where I am and work forward. I'm sure everyone has been there at one time or another. What are the learnings from the experience? What worked when you came back ,and what didn't? |
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Linden |
I fall off the wagon regularly! I think it happens to a lot of us as we pick up the system.
When it happens to me, I try to pick up from where I am and polish the rough edges back to proper form. It's too easy to spend all of your time redeveloping the system. First, I sit down and try to identify WHY I lost my way. Is there a part of my system that's complicated to use? Have I mis-defined some contexts? Am I assigning due dates to things that don't really have them? Do I need to make additional (or fewer) folder distinctions? For reference, I use folders for rough areas of responsibility: work, chores, freelance projects/volunteering, socializing, finances, personal (non-social) stuff. Originally it was just work/personal/chores, but I found that important categories were getting ignored in the HUGE jumble of personal projects. Once I've identified why I got lost, I quickly sketch out what tweak can address it. That can be adding or collapsing folders/contexts, re-educating myself on how to use due dates, or simply finding a new routine for clearing my inbox. From the sketch, I can use custom searches in Toodledo to bring up tasks that are affected by the change, so I don't have to reset EVERYTHING. Once those structural changes are done, I'll try to book a "weekly review" as soon as possible. I sit down, turn off all my filters, an open the "Folders" or "Goals" view to see all tasks. I work my way down the list, divider by divider, checking in with myself: * Is this still relevant -- can I just delete it? * Is it still a next action, or is it more of a "someday" item? (Or the reverse -- should this "someday" be a "next action"?) * Do I have this assigned to the correct folder/context? * Have I correctly identified the next action? Is there a step I'm missing that's causing me to procrastinate? * Does this need a due date or start date? As new things come to mind, I enter them right away, on the same page. Inevitably, something will need tweaking again in the future. I'm constantly learning about GTD and constantly learning new things about how I work, so my system needs to grow with that new knowledge. But each time I work through this process, things get a little more efficient. I hope this is helpful! Is anyone else having the same problem I have with weekly reviews? They're weekly for a month or so, and then slowly become 1.5 weekly, biweekly, and "whenever" reviews. Any tips for maintaining the weekly reviews for longer stretches? |
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sakinney |
Thank you! Very helpful.
I definitely can see that I let the weekly review/edit process slide terribly. Two other things that I wasn't really doing well, or sometimes, at all; 1)scheduling hard time for doing tasks (I document them, prioritize them, give them a deadline, then didn't book time to do them...) and 2)getting things in to the system right away. A third shortcoming will improve with practics, and that is writing better next actions; subject, object, verb..... You have helped tremendously, thanks. |
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Proximo |
I have not fallen off the GTD Wagon yet, but there are times when I have slacked a little, but never more than a few days at at time.
Not saying I can't fall off, but I have not up to this point. |
|
David |
Weekly review: I have this calendared for Fridays at (a certain time). I was in class last Friday/Sat., though, and couldn't do it. I did a partial on Sunday and will get caught up throughout the week and this Friday.
What's important is that I identify and do what's important. I tell myself "progress, not perfection". |
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