Comments on: A Trigger List for Moms and Dads

By: April Perry

April Perry — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:05:56 +0000

Thanks Pam. I completely understand what it’s like to work at home and juggle a family. (That’s my life right now!) Hang in there. GTD really has made things work beautifully around here. I’ve never had so many projects on my plate, but I’m able to manage them calmly and find meaning in my family–thanks to David Allen. Seriously, it’s been a life-changing thing for me.

By: Pam

Pam — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:07:19 +0000

I love these trigger list. I am so glad I took the time to drop by and get rejuvenated here at GTD times.

I was in a morning slump, but now I can happily move forward while creating at least one trigger list as a treat to myself when the morning chores are complete.

I am a WAHM, so juggling life is a challenge that can be very rough at times.

By: April Perry

April Perry — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:52:49 +0000

Thanks so much for all these kind comments. I’m sorry it took me awhile to respond. The comments don’t come to me by email, so I keep coming back to my posts to “check in.”

Clio, I can definitely understand where you’re coming from. Working from home is very challenging, but there are also some incredible relationship-building opportunities. One thing that’s helped me is adding structure to my day (and my children’s wake time/quiet time). I have an article called “Mommy’s Naptime 101” on my website (www.powerofmoms.com), if you’d like to take a look.

Allison, thanks for your question. Explaining my process for accomplishing these checklists might make a good post by itself. Basically, I weave all of these ideas throughout my entire system. I’ve put together an eBook called “Mind Organization for Moms” which outlines everything, and I have a start-up eBook free right now on my website for those who sign up for our newsletter. (www.powerofmoms.com) My “Someday” folder is thoroughly sub-categorized, and then I keep two sets of “Next Actions Lists.” One is “Important”–things I definitely want to do, but they can be done anytime in the next three months. The other is “Immediate”–things I need to do this week. That way, I can keep my lists manageable, but complete.

Laney, I have photos of my whole system in my “Mind Organization for Moms” program, if that would interest you. I use a Pocket-sized Franklin Covey planner, which I’ve customized to work with GTD. I put my Immediate Next Actions on my “compass card,” and I keep lists in the back of the planner. It works like a charm.

Good luck everyone! And if you’d like to contact me directly, you can email contact (at) powerofmoms.com. Thanks!

By: Laney

Laney — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:29:40 +0000

Love this article! Would you mind sharing a little insight into your system or what type of planner you use?

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:24:11 +0000

April, Just curious if you keep most of these materialized concepts created from your trigger list as checklists, because it seems like my list of checklists is getting so large. I really enjoy using them, it is just starting to seem like work. I have created an index of checklists which the people around me think is just odd.

I like the idea of most of this being someday maybe concepts, allowing to bring a few into the project arena every week or so and putting others on the backburner.

By: Clio

Clio — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:42:38 +0000

Thank you so much. I am transitioning from working full time to working only a few hours a week. It is difficult to conceptualize how to get things done in a new environment. Honestly, I feel a little sheepish about all of my organizing too, and wonder how to balance wanting my home to have a more relaxed feel with also wanting to think big. This article really helped!

By: Stephen Weber

Stephen Weber — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:12:56 +0000

Fantastic. While I use GtD to manage both work and life needs, your list immediately triggered several things I had not been mindful about. I’ve now created collection buckets for them and seeded them, ready for my next review.

Thanks so much!

By: Kim Maskell

Kim Maskell — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:10:15 +0000

What a great reminder that Getting Things Done isn’t just about what we “have to do”, but what we “want to do”. Thanks for your trigger list.

By: David Richards

David Richards — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:56:19 +0000

I loved your enjoyable and practical article. I plan to incorporate some of these ideas into my lists. Plus itnis a great reminder to live intentionally.

By: April Perry

April Perry — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:57:37 +0000

Great thoughts, everyone! Kari, thanks for all you do at the David Allen Company. Your work is definitely helping to improve others’ lives. I appreciate you!

Lise, your additions are wonderful. I’m in absolute agreement, and I am a huge fan of date nights. Thanks for commenting.

And Stephen, good luck with your teenager’s college planning. These last few months together are precious. Even though my children are 10 and under, the time is slipping away too fast. GTD really can help us make the most of our family experiences.