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Thoughts on Today, Tomorrow, and Later
January 2nd, 2009 by StephenPosted in Brainstorming, Community, Follow Your Dream, GTD, Productivity, System, Workflow |
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Brett Kelly, the former host of the Cranking Widgets blog lets loose (with both barrels): My Scandelous Confession and A Royal Rant About GTD. Super. Right about the time that I am having an existential crisis about my own GTD practice. The Lovely Bride and I have been on the road for just over two months now, and being 100% mobile has taught me a few things. Like it is much easier to “do” GTD when you have an office. Or a house. Try putting everything that you need into a laptop bag and a couple of file boxes.
Here is what Kelly has to say:
Having been a fairly vocal proponent of GTD for some time, this is one of those things that I’m happy to write after having removed myself from the throngs (and I mean *throngs*) of productivity/GTD bloggers. Ever since I launched The Cranking Widgets Blog, I’ve been singing the praises of this productivity methodology to any j*****s who would listen. Now, after developing a little bit of discontent with the whole thing, I can bring it to you folks without having to fear a decline in readership. Here goes.
First of all (and probably most importantly), I’m starting to feel like GTD is really effing hard. The amount of time and effort it takes to (according to the book) manage a list of tasks, a calendar and some filing shit has become prohibitively long for me. I look at a scrap of paper in my in-basket, and I’m positively put off by the effort it will require to add it to the project list, choose the next action, pull out a blank folder, label it and file it away. Perhaps I’m just being lazy, but that’s the freaking honest truth.
Built-in anxiety is almost a guarantee. Unless you’re a poster child for GTD, you’re going to have shit slip past the defenses of your system. Hell, David Allen himself has confessed to “falling off of the wagon, repeatedly” on several different occasions. And if you’ve become such a loyal adherent, the very act of *not* doing the GTD thing will create stress. This might just be my own dumb brain thinking about this stuff the wrong way, but I’d bet the contents of your wallet that this type of mental spasm is more common than you think.
What say you? Where do you want Productivity in Context to go in 2009? Is Getting Things Done over? How excited are you about the prospect of a new book from David Allen?
What did you think of the first two FAQ posts - and would you like me to work with you on developing this system (for lack of a better word) into something more (and by more I mean less, GTD has too many folders and rules - I have to confess that I only look at my Tickler File once a week nowadays).
Leave a comment, let’s discuss this. In the meantime I am going to be downsizing from 43 folders to 15.(More on this later)
Related:
James has been thinking about this even longer than I have.
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/8mw5rz. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
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January 2nd, 2009 at 6:52 am
Thanks for linking to my GTD criticisms posts, it’s probably worth noting that I’ve done a post looking at the positives of GTD too.
I’m currently reading Ready For Anything (late I know) and so far it’s explained a lot of the concepts from the GTD book, better than the GTD book itself did so it will be interesting to see how Allen’s new book works out. As for it being too hard to do and/or maintain, well you should only set up as much as you need. I don’t need a dedicated tickler file, pinning something to my cork board works just fine, for instance. I assume you’re doing a similar thing with downgrading from 43 to 15 folders?
Keep up the great work!
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:06 am
Am I a minority when it comes to being able to adapt things to suit my needs?
The core of GTD is a good building block or starting point. It’s not the BE ALL END ALL solution (at least not for me). I tailor it to suit me needs. If I find something too hard, I won’t do it. But what I will do is alter that task so it’s easier for me, and I still Get It Done.
Are others not realizing that you can tailor anything to fit your needs and make you happy? No method is perfect. But what you do to make the flow all yours, is.
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:56 am
Reading the Cranking Wiget’s article in its entirety, two things became:
1) Both the present nor former editors have been off the GTD wagon for a while;
2) The article goes a long way in explaining the direction and quality of the Cranking Widgets blog of late.
To your question: “Where do you want Productivity in Context to go in 2009?”
I want Productivity in Context to remain a source of GTD content. The reason is simple: GTD is my productivity weapon of choice and I do not subscribe to generic productivity blogs.
Don’t ignore problems you or others have in implementing GTD as well as content from other productivity methodologies that might be profitable for a GTD practitioner to incorporate.
The main reason I subscribe to Productivity in Context is for GTD-related content. Keep up the good work!!
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hi James and Mark, thanks for your comments. I do agree with the both of you that GTD is a good system yet, unfortunately for me, the system that I set up was designed around a more robust infrastructure.
I am thinking now of taking a harder look at the workflow itself (which I continue to believe is the best available) and re-contextualize my own tools.
As for the direction of this site Mark, it will continue to be a GTD-themed blog! Have no fear, my falling off the wagon doesn’t mean I will be heading out into the wilderness on foot. What I will be doing is looking for more collaboration and discussion about the best practices for GTD in a larger variety of situations.
2008 was a year of change and growth for me and for this site, and 2009 will continue that trend.
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I bought the book GTD, but never got around to reading past the TOC. How lame is that? I puddle-skip when it comes to productivity tips, mainly because I’m not a systematic person. I’m a creative-type who likes things to swirl and percolate and I like a good heart-pounding race to the deadline. However, I greatly appreciate all this fab content and hope to pick up technique here and there.
What I’m seeking however is a tool or exercise that can assist me in defining a focus for my blogging. The main reason I don’t blog consistently is that I don’t have just one theme, or ideology to blog around. I admire you guys!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Bridget Cavanaugh: I have read GTD several times, but I have to start implement into all aspects of my work-life. I have been working on “setting up the right buckets” for a long time. I recently archived all my email messages in my inbox. I had 60,000! I will test an application called GTDinbox and see if it could work with my electronical communication habits.
Btw: I like your site and I will start to follow you on Twitter.
I have tried to have a weekly schedule for my blogging, with an open thread on Mondays, Tech-Tuesday posts, mid-week wrap-up on Wednesday, “Thunder” and venting posts on Thor’s day on Thursday, TGI Friday with “”glorious lunch break” and other good life stuff. On the weekend I will spend time on my podcast interviews. I will try to have this schedule in the future, but it will not be carved into stone and I will be flexible and take things as it comes and go with the flow. I have been blogging for more than six years now. I have had some blogging breaks during the years, but I have always continue to blog on a regular basis. You don’t have to blog everyday!
Please feel free to comment on my post, Chewing Virtual Stuff. I have put down some of my thoughts about social media.
Stephen: Have you been in “Galt’s Gulch” in Colorado?
Best Premises,
Martin Lindeskog - American in spirit.
Gothenburg, Sweden.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Hi Bridget: Your focus will come to you in time. It will turn out to be something that you are passionate about - and then you will not be able to stop writing about it!
Hi Martin: Thanks for coming by, and for the link. I am interested in what you have to say there and will be looking into it more deeply. I haven’t been to Galt’s Gulch in CO, but I am in my own version in the Cloud! Best premises to you too.