In my earlier post I noted my unfortunate fall off the GTD wagon – what was key was for me to take action. And take action immediately. Take action before the momentum died I and would be stuck for the rest of my life in a sea of procrastination. Sorry, I let the rhetoric take over there – but you know what I am getting at.
The first thing I have done is make things really simple. My main problem was with capture and process, but I also wanted to make sure I just ‘did stuff’ – to create momentum and build up that confidence in my system again. The two pronged attack has been:
- Every thought must go on to piece of paper, and then processed into my system. The priority is regaining trust in the system rather than avoiding flooding it with irrelevant thoughts; and
- Start the everyday with a simple ‘What I Must Do Today’ paper-and-pen list. This just pulls from my system what I ‘must’ do for the day to have been successful.
And the effect? Well, two very productive days frankly. Rather than getting to the end with some ‘must dos’ still to do, I am getting them done by midday, allowing me to get on with other more added-value work.
So what is the difference? Is it:
- My old system didn’t work and I am now using a better one;
- I’ve got new motivation and it is that rather than any changes that is having an effect;
- The work I am doing has changed and is thus easier to focus on/quicker to complete; or
- A different spin on how I GTD has freshened it up for me.
The more I think about it, the more I think it is the latter. Routine breeds complacency, and GTD had become very much a routine for me. I need to have things stick their head up and look interesting to gain ‘processor time’ in my head – things that become routine tend to disappear out of my life, and as such I need to make an effort to prevent this.
Going forward I need to let my GTD system constantly evolve so that I am able to retain my interest – at least I seem to be aware of when it falls down!
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I also apply the GTD in my everyday endeavor. In fact, my day is not complete if I didn’t do what I need to do. I find this to be an important practice in my life.
Hi Walter – thanks for your post. I think I sometimes forget the distinction between getting things done, and getting things done today!!!
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