It seems to me that most people who try to implement David Allen’s Getting Things Done techniques understand the basics. (If you are unfamiliar with GTD, David’s books are available here
Sure, many of us need an occasional reminder to re-engage with some of the techniques … we are human, after all.
But as I look over the discussions in the GTD forums and as I see one blog article after another talking about some “fantastic” new GTD software, it’s obvious to me that a lot of people never learn the following from David:
- Find simple thought-capturing and list-management tools that work for you and stick with them.
David personally uses a Palm (actually a Treo now) and a note-taking wallet as his tools (along with desktop tools, of course). He has done so consistently for years. Whenever someone has come out with the “latest and greatest” new GTD software, he hasn’t rushed to use that instead of his trusted system.
I know many of you do exactly like David has done, and have stuck with the tools that have worked for you, be they a Palm or a paper planner or a combination (or something else). But, of course, some of you, like me, have experimented. Too much. And may even continue to do so.
The underlying thought with this experimentation is “if I use this, I can be better at GTD.” Nothing wrong with trying to be better, of course. But, it can often lead to more of a fascination with the tools than with the getting things done.
What tools you actually use may depend a bit on your situation. For example, if you are a web worker and literally live in front of a computer screen, a web-based tool makes sense for you. If you spend some time at the computer and some time in meetings and do some traveling, a PDA may be your best bet. And, like me, you might like to use pen and paper for capturing thoughts so you can turn them into the right action items. (I like 3×5 cards for this.)
Whatever your tools are, once you find that they work for you, then stick with them. Doing so allows implementing GTD to become second-nature to you. You won’t have to think about how to use some new software to implement GTD, you just implement GTD using your existing system.
I have experimented a lot, and have never found a system that works better than the Palm and paper. I love Pocket PCs, I love my iPod Touch, and I love my BlackBerry. But the simplicity and dependability of Palm and paper appeal most to me for really getting things done. Now, it could be that I find these to be the best because those are the tools I used when I first began using GTD. If you started with a Pocket PC or a BlackBerry, you may find that those are the best for you. My only point in mentioning what works best for me is that I have found that the simpler the system, the better it is.
Anyway, if you find you haven’t settled into a flow with GTD, and you keep trying different systems to achieve the “flow,” backup to square one: make sure you really understand the basics, try implementing them with simple solutions, and see if you can get into the flow with practice. More often than not, practice is what is needed for proficiency, not a new gadget or software.
For lots more GTD tips, check my GTD archives.
Bruce, this is a great article (which I found from twitter) about why so many people feel frustrated by using GTD. I can say that I have fallen into this trap also. I fell off the wagon some months ago, and have STRUGGLED to get back on. I think that I have finally found my ‘flow’ and an putting the finishing touches on my new system that revolves around twitter/remember the milk/i want sandy.
I would also like to point you and your reader’s to my friend, Brett Keely’s musing on this same topic at his blog, Cranking Widgets. You have to find what works for you, and realized that my system is different from Brett’s system, which is different from Bruce’s system.
GTD is a Framework that you mold to the way that you work and the best ways to make yourself productive. That is why there is no magical one way to do GTD…and that is the inherent beauty of it.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I gave your blog a look, and quickly added it to my Google Reader feeds … looks like you have some very good material there. I also added Cranking Widgets, per your recommendation.
I think you are right that the “flow” factors may differ for us, but the key point is to achieve the flow and then stay there, avoiding being sidetracked by things that promise all and deliver nothing really new.
You mention finding me via Twitter. Interesting how we come upon information isn’t it? While I think Twitter can become overly noisy (as I wrote about recently), it is still a fantastic source of information as well as a great way to stay in touch with friends and find new ones.
Thanks again.
Bruce, this one hits so close to home it’s damn near painful. Just two minutes ago (literally) I finished loading scads of software onto my PDA for the bazillionth time. Then I read your blog entry and I thought: what in hell have I actually accomplished today? Frankly, I think only about 10% as much as I could have.
That’s not what GTD is supposed to be about.
I’ve spent endless hours over the last several months reading about this or that “implementation” and trying endless experiments and hacks. A few days ago, I stopped messing around with software and actually started *doing* some of the things on my “next action” lists and it felt *wonderful.* I need to feel like that every day. It’s obvious to me that “GTD hack-oholism” and actually *getting things done* are incompatible.
Playing around with GTD hacks is to me what alcohol is to an alcoholic. I need to stop. When I get home tonight, I am going to reset my PDA to the factory settings, sync up with the company server, and limit myself to Outlook, the GTD Outlook Add-In, and my Pocket PC sans anything other than the factory-installed apps. That may sound draconian, but I know myself too well. I can’t stop with just one drink at the software bar.
Thanks for the splash of cold water in the face. I needed it.
Hi Bill. Good to hear from you, and glad that you find the post to be helpful. We all need a calibration about one thing or another from time to time.
In today’s world, there is so much focus on gadgetry and new software tools that it is extremely easy to get drawn into being a servant to the tools instead of vice versa. And, as you noted, it can cost you enormous amounts of time and productivity.
Thanks for the feedback!
So the emphasis is on STICKing with them. I strongly resonate with this post. I can’t even remember how many times I switched GTD tools over the years. It’s not only about GTD. The other day I was wondering why my current software development methodology works so well. The answer is: because I’ve been sticking with it for many years. Now that’s called a clue! Then it occured to me that it must be the same with GTD.
So I started to wonder WHY in the first place I tend to look for new GTD tools at all. It’s because of personal overwhelm. WHAT?! Isn’t GTD supposed to rid you of just that? It is of course. So why is the overwhelm still there? Because there’s too much stuff in my system. Oops? That’s what we the inbox. So I noticed that my inbox quickly overgrew my system because I wasn’t processing it often enough.
I think it comes down to doing the weekly review weekly. If you do that, any system will work. If you don’t, no system will. David confirms that in his second book (titled “Ready for Anything”).
So what I do now (and recommend to everybody) is to stick with your systems AND do your weekly reviews weekly.
Great advice Norbert … I definitely agree with you on the importance of the weekly review (and planning session), whether you are using GTD, Covey, RTM, or some combination of these or something else. A vital component for sure.
Norbert
By the way, you’ve got a great site. I love the variety of your posts. Each shows good thinking, and I noted even some occasional humor, which I like to see on a site from time to time. Good work!
GREAT post, Bruce. Insightful as always. So have you gone back to the Palm for your productivity and just use the BlackBerry as a phone? I started with a Palm and feel that they really got the user experience right. It’s easy to use and fast and gets out of the way so you can work on it seamlessly.
Thomas R. Hall: “I started with a Palm and feel that they really got the user experience right. It’s easy to use and fast and gets out of the way so you can work on it seamlessly.”
Yeah, they got the user experience right. Unfortunately, the marketing thing, not so much. It’s amazing that they let Windows Mobile get the drop on them. Or maybe not. VHS beat Betamax back in the day.
My first PDA was a Palm IIIxe, and boy-oh-boy did I love it! But then I went to a Dell Axim because I somehow believed a Windows CE device would integrate more smoothly with Outlook.
Yes. I was really that naive.
I’d've loved to have gone back to the Palm platform, but if I want wireless e-mail (and I do), I have to use a PDA provided by my employer. So I’m stuck with the still-clunky Pocket Outlook that comes with Windows Mobile 6.
At one point I had a “GTD implementation” that included the Netcentrics Outlook add-in on the desktop; and Pocket Informant, JournalSync, PhatNotes, Softmaker Office, Pocket Mindmap on the PDA. I kept running into synching conflicts with this or that, and spent a hellacious amount of time fiddling with the thing.
About an hour ago I hit the reset button and re-synched with the corporate server. While I miss some of the functionality I had with the added software, I don’t miss the complexity and the temptation to fool around. Windows Mobile 6 isn’t as good as the Palm OS, but it’s good enough. And that’s what matters.
Oh, I haven’t given up the Netcentrics GTD Add-In for Outlook, by the way. *That* I love.
Thomas and Bill,
Turns out I am using the Palm TX right now, along with the BB as a phone and browser. But, bear in mind that I am not promoting the Palm over the Pocket PC. I have used both, a lot, and like both. The Palm just works a little quicker for me. For many people the Pocket PC works the best. The key is to stick with whatever works and to keep it simple. But, you know that. I am mostly emphasizing this because I don’t want to start another “war” between Palm and Pocket PC (and other device) platforms. That’s not the point.
Thanks for the comments. Oh, and Bill: the GTD plugin is a great tool for people who live out of their Outlook inbox, and many people do.
Bruce: “…I don’t want to start another “war” between Palm and Pocket PC (and other device) platforms. That’s not the point.”
Fair enough, and you’re right: it doesn’t matter what tool you use as long as it works for you. I’m learning that a “plain vanilla” Pocket PC with no added software works just fine as a “ubiquitous capture tool” as David Allen calls it.
If a house falls apart, no one will marvel at the nifty hammer used to nail it together. By the same token, if your organizational scheme doesn’t enable you to meet your commitments to yourself and others, no one will marvel at the type of PDA or planner you use.
Sorry for the thread drift.
@Bill and @Bruce,
We’re all saying the same thing, really. Just a different set of tools. Bill, not sure if you’ve seen Bruce’s Keen PDA site or not, but he has a wealth of information on both Palm and Pocket PC. Great stuff. That’s what I like about Bruce’s site. It’s agnostic to the toolset, though he does get in depth and explain how he uses tools on both that help increase productivity.
As I mentioned before, I love the simplicity of Palm, but I too use a Pocket PC now for my needs. I agree with you that the built-in apps are the most stable, but I have some minor things I use, such as Spb Diary, which makes my Today screen very usable. But, I’ve found (just as you have) that trying to tweak too much just slows things down and really doesn’t add that much more value or productivity. Great thoughts!
Thomas R. Hall: “Bill, not sure if you’ve seen Bruce’s Keen PDA site or not, but he has a wealth of information on both Palm and Pocket PC.”
Yes, I’ve read and re-read that content. Bruce is the one who turned me on to GTD, in fact.
None of these tools are inherently “good” or “bad.” It’s all subjective: what helps you is good… for you. I’ve read many a blog entry about how someone benefited from tools like Pocket Informant, PhatNotes, whatever. Those apps work for a lot of people. I have ADHD, however, and may have a bit of an OCD streak in me as well (nothing diagnosable, but I’m just a very… thorough… person, shall we say). Give me something like Pocket Informant and I can’t stop tweaking it to the point where I waste more than half of my useful productive time. It doesn’t mean PI is bad, it means *I* can’t use it to good effect.
It’s all about knowing yourself. As Bruce said, one of the nice things about GTD is that it doesn’t tell you how to implement it. GTD is the blueprint, and you are the builder.
Geez, I’m long-winded today. I’d best get back to work and GSD (Get *Something* Done).
Thomas and Bill, Thanks for the good discussion guys. I appreciate it, and also am glad you both like my Keen PDA site.
Great advice. That’s why I use an application that lets me access my GTD from anywhere with Internet access. My Windows computer at work, Mac at home and even my cell phone provide immediate access to my GTD. I wrote about some of my recent experiences on my blog at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com
Thanks John. And thanks for the link!
Great post, Bruce! My thoughts are redundant, but since you asked…
I recently found out that I’m no longer referring to my PDA anymore. Also, my schedule isn’t scattered like before. Since I’m on the computer most of the time, I switched to using Google Calendar and Remember The Milk.
If I don’t have pen and paper, Twitter fills that gap because I could send text messages to rtm and it’ll show up on my list.
Oh yeah, Jott helps, too.
Sorry, I’m barely catching up with these posts. Brutal.</em
Thanks for sharing Bryan!
Great insights. It’s true, you should find one system that fits you, and stick with it.
I personally like http://www.Gtdagenda.com
FYI–David Allen is now using a Lotus Notes Plugin called eProductivity designed by my friend Eric Mack. http://www.eproductivity.com
I’ve played with the beta, and it’s pretty sweet.