workflow diagram for
processing “in,”
description of
guidelines for
identifying projects and
next action and
no action required
as one-directional
workflow diagram for
procrastinating
productive state, getting into
productivity
professional incompletion triggers lists
professional projects
project planning
key ingredients of relaxed control in
natural model
reactive model
unnatural model
vertical focus and
projects
choice of
current
definition of
identification of
informal planning and
lists for
subsorting of
support material for
triggers for actuation of,
see
triggers
purpose, in planning
random project thinking
reactive planning
read/review lists
ready state, of martial artists
reference material
organization of
variety of reference systems for
reference storage
reference systems, two types of
resources, alignment of
responsibility, areas of
reticular activating system
reviewing
of bigger picture
importance of
lists for
right time and place for
six-level model for
two major issues in
updating your system of
weekly
what and when
Rogers, Will
Rolodexes
ruthless execution
Saffo, Paul
Santayana, George
scanning, emergency
Schwab, Charles
Scientific American
setting up,
see
getting started
sharing
Shaw, George Bernard
short-term memory
Snyder, Steven
software
someday/maybe items
lists for
special categories of
staplers
starting,
see
getting started
stress
“stuff ”:
corralling of
definition of
key to management of
transformation of
subprojects
success
Suzuki, Shunryu
Symantec
telephone calls
telephones
threefold model for evaluating daily work
tickler files
tickling
time
available
departing from traditional management of
setting aside
as work factor
time-specific actions
to-do lists
unworkable
Toffler, Alvin
Tomlin, Lily
top item first, processing of
trash
guidelines for
tricks of implementation
triggers
lists of
Twain, Mark
two-minute rule
unnatural planning
values thinking
Van Doren, Mark
vertical control or focus
vision:
planning and
three- to five-year
waiting-for lists
wastebasket/recycling bins
weekly review
why, value of thinking about
Wilson, Desmond
Woodruff, Julia Louis
work:
ambiguous boundaries of
definition of
knowledge
shifting job definitions and
six-level model for review of
threefold model for evaluation of
workflow, five stages of mastering
collect
do
organize
process
review
work space, setting up
work tools
basic list of
writing instruments
writing paper and pads
Yutang, Lin
“zone,”
1
I consider “work,” in its most universal sense, as meaning anything that you want or need to be different than it currently is. Many people make a distinction between “work” and “personal life,” but I don’t: to me, weeding the garden or updating my will is just as much “work” as writing this book or coaching a client. All the methods and techniques in this book are applicable across that life/work spectrum—to be effective, they need to be.
2
If, however, you were handling the celebration for your best friend’s recent triumph, the complexity and detail that might accrue in your head should warrant
at least
the back of an envelope!
3
You can also plan nonactionable projects and
not
need a next action—for example, designing your dream house. The lack of a next action by default makes it a “someday/maybe” project . . . and that’s fine for anything of that nature.
4
After hours is actually a good time to crank through a group of similar tasks that you wouldn’t normally do in the course of your typical workday, like filing a big backlog of papers, organizing photographs, surfing the Web about your upcoming vacation location, or processing expense receipts.
5
A great time to do this is Christmas Eve Day, or some similar near-holiday that falls on a workday. Most people are in “party mode” anyway, so it’s an ideal opportunity to get funky and clean house.
6
One of your extra stack baskets is ideal for this purpose. Use it temporarily during this initial processing to gather things to organize later. Afterward you can use it to hold pending work-in-progress papers and physical reminders of next actions.
7
Digital list managers (like the Palm’s) or low-tech papers in separate folders have an advantage here over lists on paper because they let you easily move an item from one category to another as the action changes, without your having to rewrite anything.
8
This approach can be dangerous, however, if you don’t put those “Bills to Pay” or “Receipts to Process” in front of your face as consistently as you should. Just having them “organized” isn’t sufficient to get them off your mind—you’ve also got to review them appropriately.
9
Microsoft Outlook allows users to copy or move e-mails into its “Tasks” context, which, if organized according to my recommended categories, could work equally well.
10
Many Lotus Notes users don’t even realize they can do this, but in fact it’s one of the program’s most powerful features. If you have Notes, check with your resident IT resource person and have him or her request system permission and show you how.
11
If you’re using a group-accessible calendar, you must maintain discretion about these kinds of triggers. Digital calendars usually have “private” categorization functions you can use for entries you don’t necessarily want everyone to see.
12
Also referred to as a “suspense,” “bring forward,” or “follow-up” file.
13
There are various ways to give it all up. You can ignore the physical world and its realities and trust in the universe. I did that, and it was a powerful experience. And one I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Surrendering to your inner awareness, however, and its intelligence and practicality in the worlds you live in, is the higher ground. Trusting yourself and the source of your intelligence is a more elegant version of freedom and personal productivity.
14
It has been a popular concept in the self-help world that focusing on your values will simplify your life. I contend the opposite: the overwhelming amount of things that people have to do comes
from
their values. Values are critical elements for meaning and direction. But don’t kid yourself—the more you focus on them, the more things you’re likely to feel responsible for taking on. Your values may make it easier for you to make decisions, but don’t think they’ll make things any simpler.
15
Of course, the people who are
most
attracted to implementing
Getting Things Done
are usually already on a self-development track and don’t assume that they’ll be doing the same thing a year from now that they’re doing now, anyway. But they love the fact that this method gets them there faster and more easily.