In an interview of Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth, Lifehacker asked him some questions about productivity. As you might expect of a successful person, his answers did not sound parroted, unlike those of a GTD “cultist.” Instead, he has found what works for him, and makes the best of it:
Lifehacker: How do you manage your to-do list, calendar, and email?
Mark Shuttleworth: Most of that happens in my inbox—I don’t have a separate to-do list. That way I can keep everything in one place.
I’ve known many successful managers that live out of their inbox. Some keep a separate to-do list, generally handwritten, and some do not.
Am I slamming the Getting Things Done methodology? Not at all. I have maintained for a long while that it has some excellent techniques, but, just like with any system, one has to personalize it to really benefit from it.
I personally like to blend techniques from David Allen’s GTD System (book available here
What about you? Have you customized the GTD or Covey methodologies, or do you find that following them to the letter is best for you and that it gives you needed discipline? Do you have any unique customizations or ideas?
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