Time Management: “Getting Things Done”

Agenda  “Getting Things Done” Background  Premises  System  Example  Implementation

“Getting Things Done” Background  David Allen  davidco.com  “GTD”

Premises

Premise: Your Brain  A lot to do: tasks  Brain ineffective  Worry/Stress  Trusted system  “Next Actions”

Premise: “Views” of Life  50,000 ft: Life goals  40,000 ft: 3-5 year goals  30,000 ft: 1-2 year goals  20,000 ft: areas of responsibility  10,000 ft: personal projects  Ground-Level: “next actions”

Premise: Inbox Actions  Delete  Archive  “Action Required”  Wait  Defer

System

System: Inboxes   Paper  Voic  Voice recording

System: “Next Actions” List  “Action-oriented”  Tells you what to do  Complex or Simple Context Due Date Priority “Energy Level”

Example: “Next Actions” List  Office: Clean up old pod  Office: Label laptop USB cables  Office: Quote a new desktop machine  Lee: Ask for $100 for books  Home: Vacuum kitchen  Errands: Pick up dry cleaning  …220 tasks …

System: Personal Projects  Projects you need to accomplish  Take several “Next Actions”  “Stock the freezer”  “Implement GTD”

System: Calendar  Trusted system  Only actual deadlines

Example: Calendar  11 AM: Give GTD presentation  June 30: Submit FY2005 budget summary vs.  Next action: Verify I will not lose PTO

Example: Projects List  Work: Create administrator training process  Work: Replace desktop computer  Home: Go on a backpacking trip  Home: Buy Christmas presents  Deferred: Plan infrastructure for Banner 7

System: Areas of Responsibility  Job description  Personal life  “Perform System Maintenance”  “Volunteer”

Implementations

Implementation: “Hipster PDA”  500+ index cards  Binder clip

Implementation: Paper Filing  Actual inbox in work area  Filing cabinet: project information

Implementation: Mozilla Thunderbird  Labels  Views  “Show me ‘Action Required’, ‘Wait’, or unlabeled messages”

Implementation: Mobile Device  Notes: “Recordings” Inbox  Tasks: “Next Actions”  Notes “Projects” Folders: Projects  Notes “Lists” Folders: Other Lists Areas of Focus

Summary  Premises Your Brain, “Views” of Life, Inbox  System Inboxes, “Next Actions,” Projects  Implementation Anything! Note cards, , PDA  Q&A, Comments