Task Management Key Objectives
Capture |
Capture everything that might need to get done or have usefulness in your life, big or small, now or later, maybe or cetainly, in a logical system outside and off of your mind. |
Decide |
Make front-end decisions about all inputs and create a working inventory of concrete next actions to implement or renegotiate. |
Engage & Organize |
Curate and coordinate all levels of commitments at any given time and take meaningful action based on your context and priorities. |
"Stuff"
"Stuff" is anything and everything in your psychological or physical world that doesn't belong where it is or the way it is, but you haven't determined it's value, outcome, and next action. |
Once we allow "Stuff" into our lives, we have an inherent, internal commitment to ourselves to clarify it's meaning. |
Anything that we think we "Should do", "Ought to do", "Need to do", "Have to do", and, in most cases, "Want to do", are considered "Stuff" and need our attention. |
2 Steps to Resolving "Stuff"
1. Defining what "DONE" means |
The specific desired outcome. |
2. Determine what "DOING" looks like |
The next physical action to take in accomplishing the desired outcome. |
Basics to Managing Commitments
If anything is on your mind, your mind is not clear. Any and all open-loops must be collected outside of your mind in order for you subconscious to be at ease. |
You must clarify exactly what each commitment is (desired outcome) and decide exactly what you must do to make progress toward fulfillment (Next Action). |
Once you have decided on outcomes and actions, you must keep a reminders of them in a system you review regularly. |
6 Levels for Reviewing Work
Ground |
All current actions. |
Horizon 1 |
Current Projects |
Horizon 2 |
Areas of Focus and Accountabilities. |
Horizon 3 |
Goals |
Horizon 4 |
3-5 Year Vision |
Horizon 5 |
Purpose and Principles |
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GTD 5 Step Model
1. Capture |
Capture everything that has our attention. |
2. Clarify (or Process) |
Clarify what each item means and what to do about it by defining "Next Action". |
3. Organize |
Organize the results in contexts with hard edges. |
4. Reflect |
Reflect on what is essential and what can be deferred or put aside. |
5. Engage |
Engage in the most meaningful, high impact projects and actions. |
Capture, Process, and Organize
First step is capturing absolutely 100% of things you consider incomplete in your world, big or small. |
Seek out all places you may have reminders of obligations when creating your initial list: Journals, Mail, Notes, Post-Its, Email, Texts, Cell Notes, Calender, ETC. |
Once all items have been collected, each item must be processed ONE BY ONE WITHOUT JUMPING AHEAD. Clarify the outcome and decide on the next physical action required to accomplishing that outcome. Sometimes, the next action may be unsure, in which case "research" may be an appropriate next action. |
You cannot organize the incoming "Stuff". First, each item must be captured and processed, and only then can the resulting outcomes and actions be recorded in the appropriate contexts. |
Reflect
Once steps 1-3 are complete, you have the ability to step back and review the whole picture. |
Use your calender only to display the "Must do's" of any given day ie: appointments, calls, time critical tasks, events (such as birthdays). |
Review your "Projects" and "Waiting For" lists only as regularly as needed to stop you from wondering about them. |
Conduct a Weekly Review in which you: Gather and Process "Stuff", Review your system and make adjustments, update lists of projects and actions, Get clear, clean, current, and complete. |
Weekly Review
Get Clear |
Empty your mind of any "Stuff", collect loose materials and notes, process your "In" to empy. |
Get Current |
Review next actions, calender, "Waiting For", Projects vs Maybes, any checklists. |
Contexts
At Home |
At Computer |
Anywhere |
Calls |
Waiting For |
Errands |
Read/Review |
Agendas |
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