GTD Nitty Gritty
I've been trying to put together a fully functional GTD (Getting Things Done) system for procrastination avoidance. Merlin, over at 43 Folders, has posted more insight into his particular (Mac-centric) approach : How does a nerd hack GTD? I borrowed some of his techniques, such as his Quicksilver text-append trick for adding tasks or actions to a particular action list (Merlin has now added a mini tutorial to help you get comfortable with QS). He also posted a template for his standard action list text files.
Here are my list files:
Update: I have now defined my e-mail folders, and they are much simpler than my action lists. I followed someone's advice at 43 Folders (I just went looking for the comment, but couldn't ffind it-- there's a LOT of material being added quickly to Merlin's site) and turned off periodic mail retrieval. Now, I fetch e-mails on demand only. No more interruptions from Mail.app!
Everything comes into the INBOX (naturally) when I tell MAIL to "Get Mail", and I then do one of the following with each message:
Here are my list files:
- @agenda_dad.txt - Stuff to do next time I see my Dad.
- @agenda_teri.txt - Stuff to do next time I see Teri (I have several of these agenda files).
- @buy.txt - Stuff I need to buy from a brick-and-mortar store.
- @calls.txt - Telephone calls to make.
- @home.txt - Things I can do at home.
- @inbox.txt - This is my electronic "IN" box. I try to empty it everyday.
- @work.txt - Things I need to do at work.
- @offline.txt - Stuff I can do on my PowerBook when I don't have internet access.
- @online.txt - Stuff for which I need an internet connection.
- @saw.txt - Stuff I can do to improve myself ("Sharpening the saw").
- @waiting.txt - Tasks that are waiting on other people.
- Projects.txt - A list of all the multi-action things I need to do.
- Someday.txt - A deferred list of stuff that I mighnt get to... someday.
- Movies_to_watch.txt - Yep, just like it says. Handy in printed form.
- Books_to_read.txt - More obvious file-naming.
- Tickler.txt - an electronic tickler file-- there are headings which correspond to each of the 43 folders. I check this file at the same time I check the physical tickler file.
Update: I have now defined my e-mail folders, and they are much simpler than my action lists. I followed someone's advice at 43 Folders (I just went looking for the comment, but couldn't ffind it-- there's a LOT of material being added quickly to Merlin's site) and turned off periodic mail retrieval. Now, I fetch e-mails on demand only. No more interruptions from Mail.app!
Everything comes into the INBOX (naturally) when I tell MAIL to "Get Mail", and I then do one of the following with each message:
- DELETE it.
- If it's junk but Mail.app failed to flag it, I hit the JUNK button.
- If it requires action, I use Quicksilver to append the action to my @inbox.txt file and move the e-mail message to the @ACTIONS folder.
- If I need or want to read it for informative reasons later, I move it to the @READ_LATER folder.
- If it requires no action but I want to keep it, I move it to the @REFERENCE folder.
- If I only want to keep something for a few weeks (e.g. coupons that expire), I move it to @SAVE_FOR_NOW.
Labels: gtd
posted by Paul Wren at 10:01 PM
5 Comments:
I'd love to hear how you are going with this setup a couple of months down the track since you posted.
I've just spent the best part of a weekend getting my head around Vim and it's been a blast! I'm not sure what that says about me as a person, but I'm tempted to move my GTD setup out of Entourage and into text. Or at least dabble for a while with the text file approach.
So your list of files is of great interest to me right now.
Cheers
bongoman
Bongoman,
It has been an interesting two weeks. I've definitely improved likelihood of getting certain things done, but my system still bogs down if I don't stay on top of it. As many have said, GTD works for people because they work it.
I'm still using Smultron as a text editor to manage all of my lists, and my filing system seems to be working.
I'll be posting a comprehensive "GTD: Two Months Later" entry (or something like that) within the next week.
Thanks, Paul
You wrote: I'll be posting a comprehensive "GTD: Two Months Later" entry (or something like that) within the next week.
Ahem. [points to calendar] =) I've been playing with GTD for as long as you have and am interested in hearing your experiences, if you're still interested in relating.
The more I use the system (or slack of on using it), the more I realize that GTD works, but only if you work at making it work.
You got me! I figured out why I haven't posted as promised... I never added "post GTD follow-up" to my next actions! :-)
I'll get right on it.
Okay, it's up. Please see the new post entitled GTD Three Months Later.
http://www.lunchwithgeorge.com/lwgblog/2004/12/gtd-three-months-later.php
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