Comments on: The Biggest Reason for Failing with GTD http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd A retired professional talks about life, technology, learning Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The 4 Golden Rules Of The Mind Sweep - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd#comment-32583 The 4 Golden Rules Of The Mind Sweep - Practical advice on personal development, productivity and GTD Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:38:29 +0000 http://www.keenerliving.com/?p=1492#comment-32583 [...] as many loose thoughts as possible (like my trigger list), but you will never have the perfect mind sweep so don’t get hung up on [...] [...] as many loose thoughts as possible (like my trigger list), but you will never have the perfect mind sweep so don’t get hung up on [...]

]]> By: Bill Myers http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd#comment-31992 Bill Myers Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:06:29 +0000 http://www.keenerliving.com/?p=1492#comment-31992 LOL! I was actually trying to answer your question, rather than pose that question to you. I guess I should have been more clear. Although I guess there's no harm nor foul, and it did elicit an interesting answer from you. After I wrote my post I set about to do my weekly review and expected that my mindsweep would result in one or two pages worth of stuff. I ended up with ten. I guess I had more rattling around there than I'd realized. Thanks for helping me to discover that. LOL! I was actually trying to answer your question, rather than pose that question to you. I guess I should have been more clear. Although I guess there’s no harm nor foul, and it did elicit an interesting answer from you.

After I wrote my post I set about to do my weekly review and expected that my mindsweep would result in one or two pages worth of stuff. I ended up with ten. I guess I had more rattling around there than I’d realized. Thanks for helping me to discover that.

]]> By: Bruce Keener http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd#comment-31991 Bruce Keener Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:41:17 +0000 http://www.keenerliving.com/?p=1492#comment-31991 Bill, Good to hear from you again, and thanks for the comment and question. I think I actually <strong>have</strong> finished my mind sweep, this time. When I was "living GTD," I did one about once a month, and that was a good frequency for me ... I am good at capturing actions that pop in mind (transferring to 3x5 cards that are always near me, or using the Notetaker Wallet from DavidCo), but still, with an extremely busy mind (which I know you also have), stuff gets missed, especially the more subjective stuff, which is sometimes the more important stuff. The other thing I have realized from this "exercise" is to be careful about cleaning out your Someday/Maybe stuff ... some of what showed up in my latest dumping of thoughts was stuff that used to be in my Someday/Maybe list, before I went on a cleaning spree with it ... I thought it had too much stuff in it, so I cut it in half, basically. That is a no-no and goes directly against the principles of GTD. Sure one should eliminate stuff that will really Never be done, but you really need to get the mind's agreement on that first ... generally those items are probably very few. Thanks again. Bill,
Good to hear from you again, and thanks for the comment and question.

I think I actually have finished my mind sweep, this time. When I was “living GTD,” I did one about once a month, and that was a good frequency for me … I am good at capturing actions that pop in mind (transferring to 3×5 cards that are always near me, or using the Notetaker Wallet from DavidCo), but still, with an extremely busy mind (which I know you also have), stuff gets missed, especially the more subjective stuff, which is sometimes the more important stuff.

The other thing I have realized from this “exercise” is to be careful about cleaning out your Someday/Maybe stuff … some of what showed up in my latest dumping of thoughts was stuff that used to be in my Someday/Maybe list, before I went on a cleaning spree with it … I thought it had too much stuff in it, so I cut it in half, basically. That is a no-no and goes directly against the principles of GTD. Sure one should eliminate stuff that will really Never be done, but you really need to get the mind’s agreement on that first … generally those items are probably very few.

Thanks again.

]]> By: Bill Myers http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd#comment-31990 Bill Myers Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:51:41 +0000 http://www.keenerliving.com/?p=1492#comment-31990 <i>Have you <b>really</b> finished your most recent mind sweep?</i> If I may continue the exercise metaphor, doing a mindsweep is like lifting weights: the first time's the most painful. If I fall off the wagon for a few weeks, I'll find myself needing to do a mindsweep that results in nine or ten pages worth of stuff. When I do my weekly review on, you know, a <i>weekly</i> basis I find my mindsweep usually results in only one or two pages of stuff. I've found that it helps to carry a small notepad and pen wherever I go. I anything springs to mind that's worth capturing I can jot it down in a few seconds. The more stuff I capture on the fly, the easier my mindsweeps are. Have you really finished your most recent mind sweep?

If I may continue the exercise metaphor, doing a mindsweep is like lifting weights: the first time’s the most painful. If I fall off the wagon for a few weeks, I’ll find myself needing to do a mindsweep that results in nine or ten pages worth of stuff. When I do my weekly review on, you know, a weekly basis I find my mindsweep usually results in only one or two pages of stuff.

I’ve found that it helps to carry a small notepad and pen wherever I go. I anything springs to mind that’s worth capturing I can jot it down in a few seconds. The more stuff I capture on the fly, the easier my mindsweeps are.

]]> By: Bruce Keener http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd#comment-31985 Bruce Keener Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:17:57 +0000 http://www.keenerliving.com/?p=1492#comment-31985 Troy, Thank you for the comments. Very good analogy with the health. Troy,
Thank you for the comments. Very good analogy with the health.

]]> By: Troy Malone http://www.keenerliving.com/the-biggest-reason-for-failing-with-gtd#comment-31984 Troy Malone Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:19:50 +0000 http://www.keenerliving.com/?p=1492#comment-31984 Very good points here. I am writing a blog post that ties into this. My contention is that productivity is very similar to physical fitness. Sure, many people go to the gym, but they always have a love hate relationship with working out because they never get over the fitness hump. Once you cross the hump and have a true runner's high experience, it is tough to slack off again...you get addicted. As you have mentioned here, you need to get over the hump and do a FULL mind sweep to really get there and get addicted to it. Once you are addicted to something, keeping up with it is not an issue! @troymalone Very good points here. I am writing a blog post that ties into this. My contention is that productivity is very similar to physical fitness. Sure, many people go to the gym, but they always have a love hate relationship with working out because they never get over the fitness hump. Once you cross the hump and have a true runner’s high experience, it is tough to slack off again…you get addicted.

As you have mentioned here, you need to get over the hump and do a FULL mind sweep to really get there and get addicted to it. Once you are addicted to something, keeping up with it is not an issue!

@troymalone

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