Comments on: Making your GTD system work for you

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:26:01 +0000

Addendum:
Even though I use digital for lists, next’ses, and daily management of system, I still use paper for brainstorming during reviews (while feeding the monkey) and for planning my day (every day is different: energy level, weather, calendared tasks, mood, inspiration, etc.), however the resulting paper from these two activities does not live beyond that day’s session! Paper does still survive brainstorming sessions for specific projects.

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:15:29 +0000

An old paper in the Harvard Business Classics might be worth mentioning on this topic. The article is worth a read and adapting the concepts it delineates to get a GTD system “working for you” instead of “you working for the system” should be easy enough but very different from one person to another.
The analogy I found useful:
1. A Monkey (which defines a project) needs to be fed or shot, but left starving is not an option.
2. Feeding a monkey should not take more than 5-15mns. If the number of monkeys is larger than you can afford time to feed them one better get them off one’s back!
3. Feeding only happens at a set time and in person. You cannot feed a monkey by email or phone call!
4. Decide any adjustments of when the next feeding will be at the feeding time! Too fat, too skinny, etc. will determine the diet, regimen of feeding.

Paper and/or digital is a personal choice and you would not know what works for you till you try both. I tried both and digital works best for me. I carry an iPhone with me at all times! No sweat there.

By: Priya

Priya — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Very interesting article and comments – I too swing between computer and paper based systems but at the moment am feeling very comfortable with my computer system.
I liked Jim’s suggestion about splitting the online context from a physical one to a logical set of contexts – this area has long perplexed me, given the vast number of things I do online and using logical contexts sounds like a great idea.

Thanks for the tip Jim!

By: Ali

Ali — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:35:33 +0000

Thank you for this article.

I knew GTD about 5 years ago and i still did not enjoy it. and the reason could be that I am a computer geek.

I was always busy searching for the most complete and neat electronic system.

on my laptop , phone , etc ..

GTD was an excuse for buying an iPad , iPhone , Galaxy tab and frequent changing of a mobile phone.

Now I am off to the stationary store to get a ( manual ) diary or a mole skin and have a go .
I have a strong feeling that it will work.

I think I need to listen to the audio book again as a refresher.

Will report back hopefully :)

Ali

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:50:56 +0000

I think Richard (6/25/11 @5:17pm) was indicating he had 200 projects, not next actions. I agree 200 projects fit into a Circa notebook is a lot to keep track of.

By: Carl

Carl — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:00:03 +0000

GTD works.

Discussing “paperbased” vs. “e” is just like the “GM” vs. “Ford” discussion unsolvable and only fit for causing shift of focus from the “mechanics” to the “system”.

Go with what works for you and practice.

“E” works for me.

By: Anita

Anita — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:20:51 +0000

Thanks for the article, it sounds very familiar to me! I’m using my filofax after going through some thing very similar & love using paper.

I used to add so much unfinished’stuff’ to Vitalist or Remember the Milk, & the length of my lists would freak me out. Some how I find the act of writing things quite calming & I love the tactile aspect of my filofax too.

By: Boleslav

Boleslav — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:28:58 +0000

I can think of two reasons why paper is better:

1. I trust it (no viruses there, no internet connection glitches).
2. It’s a lot easier to view. When I see a paper folder with my lists I relax and get inspired. When I have lists in my laptop, I feel like I have no lists at all.) Perhaps there is some psychology to the phenomenon, because many people feel this way

By: Isaac

Isaac — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:21:45 +0000

After reading all posts, there is one mistake we all do, that we like to have “all staff, lists, projects, etc” with us all the time. Therefore people use all these electronic bullshit stuff. The idea is to collect everything into one pile, and once in a while to review it, and file it. No need to carry list, projects list, CRM, etc’. Small paper note pad and pencil is fine. Just check the drawer once in a while :-)

By: Hatza

Hatza — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:30:08 +0000

In The GTD book David states the number of projects and next actions typical for knowledge workers. Cannot recall it exactly, but it was around 80 projects and 160 next actions. Someday not included.
Most applications and small paper implementations referred on the net do not scale to that. And many suggest that is excessive.
I would suggest that If you have just a dozen projects and two dozen actions on a few index cards, you are not quite there yet to reach the load of typical knowledge worker