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GTD

In my previous post, I mentioned I have been using GTD. In fact, I’m a big fan of it.

I have worked for many years as a programmer, then as a systems analyst, also as an architect. Of course you have a lot to do in this positions! But it was when I occupied the Project Manager and the Consulting Manager positions that my to do list exploded. It seems that in these positions you substitute some big tasks for a plethora of small tasks. You have some tasks to solve problems with development, another set of tasks to solve problems with analysis, with infrastructure, with architecture, with you stakeholder management needs, with your project bureaucracy, with updates on workplans, with status reports…

Basically, David Allen (the author of GTD) suggests keeping everything out of your mind – you make a mental dump on lists. Then you organize the lists: you identify the “next action” for each item (e.g.: for an item like “Fix the car” you probably have a next action of calling Dad and get the mechanic’s number). You keep these next actions in context lists, so when you’re in “email mode” you can execute a lot of these items.

This is just a quick overview. You have to read more about it to start understanding its power.

GTD is particularly well suited for this situation: managing a lot of items while maintaining focus. I suggest you to learn a little bit more about its principles:

  • “Getting Things Done” by David Allen is the bible of the method;
  • www.davidco.com is David Allen company’s website where you’ll find a lot of free material. Read the “coaches’ corner” articles!
  • http://www.43folders.com/ is a very good blog where Merlin writes about personal productivity much based on GTD.

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