1. John Dally Point Loma Nazarene University
Getting things done…
John Dally
Point Loma Nazarene University

2. The consistent, unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy.
~Kerry Gleeson

3. We are going to see what is in your mind
Activity
We are going to see what is in your mind

5. Overwhelmed?
Put your paper aside…

6. Questions
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being most, how “present” do you feel when you’re with your family?
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being most, how “present” do you feel when you’re with your students?
How often do you fall asleep quickly and peacefully— without one single worry about what needs to get done the next day?
Would you describe yourself as “overwhelmed, distracted, stressed, or tired?”

7. Why are Things on Your Mind?
You have not clarified the intended outcome
You have not decided what the physical next action towards the outcome is
You have not put reminders of the outcome and action in a system that you truly trust
We haven’t “closed a loop”
It is not on cruise control

8. Your System Let’s face it…
Chances are good that our system is just not sufficient for the demands of our lives
We are not assembly-line workers. We are called to the high mission of spreading the amazing power of music making.

9. “Getting Things Done” By David Allen Not about getting things done,
but about managing commitments

10. 2 min

11. Managing Commitments
Your mind was meant to be creative, not to store things
“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open for everything” ~ Shunryu Suzuki
If it’s on your mind, your mind is not clear
To be more present we must get things out of our brain and into a system *that we trust*

12. Let’s look a little deeper
GTD Workflow Process
Collect
Process
Organize
Review Do
Let’s look a little deeper

13. Collect
Capture everything that you need to track or remember or act on
Get everything out of your head and into your collection device, ready for processing
Do you feel any better after making a list?

14. The challenge of collecting
Process All buckets should be processed to empty at least once per week.
The challenge of collecting

15. Getting to the Bottom of the Inbox does NOT mean you have to DO everything in your Inbox. It means you just have to Decide what to do…

16. How many Inboxes? HINT LIMIT YOUR INBOXES Let’s look deeper Email
Voic FB
Texts
Physical
Mailbox (Home? School? Other?)
On your desk (Home? School? Other?)
Next to the podium?
On the piano?

17. How to Process Start at the top Deal with one item at a time
Never put anything back into 'in'
If an item requires action
Do it (if it takes less than two minutes)
Delegate it, or defer it.
If not
File it for reference
Throw it away, or
Incubate it for possible action later.

18. Organize
Next actions - For every item requiring your attention, decide what is the next action that you can physically take on it
Calendar – For day-specific actions, time specific actions, day- specific information
No more “Daily to-do lists!”
Projects - Every 'open loop' which requires more than one physical action to achieve becomes a 'project‘
Waiting for - When you have delegated an action to someone else or are waiting for some external event before you can move a project forward, Someday/Maybe - things that you want to do at some point, but not right now

19. Review Review your lists of actions and reminders them at least daily
At least weekly, review all your outstanding actions, projects and 'waiting for' items
Create a "tickler file" in order to help refresh your memory

20. Do
Action choice criteria
Context
Time
Energy
Priority

21. Let’s return to the beginning…

22. Let’s talk about what we wrote down
Capture
Clarify
Complete

23. 3 Core Principles of Getting Things Done
Everything out of your brain in one place
Everything w/ an outcome and next action
Everything through a review process in a trusted system.
Capture
Clarify
Complete

24. Personal Productivity for You
How do we do this for all our
Open Loops ?
How do we do this for all our commitments?
Let’s look at the Getting Things Done workflow!

25. Getting Things Done Workflow
Stuff
In Box
Eliminate
Trash/
Recycle
Getting Things Done Workflow
Incubate
Someday/
Maybe
What is it? No
Is it Actionable?
Reference
Paper/ Digital
Storage
Yes
If less than 2 minutes
Do it!
What is the Next Action?
Waiting For
Folder
Delegate it
Next Actions
Defer it
Tickler File

26. 31 Days
+12 Months
43 file folders
Tickler File

27. Setting Up A Tickler File
You know the Next Action
Lecture Notes
Project proposal
Ensign Article
Grocery List
Do it!
Delegate it
Defer it
Next Actions
Tickler File

28. What my world looks like.
Paper
Digital

29. It it different for everyone
Creating a system
It it different for everyone

30. What you need Calendar “To Do” List Email Inbox empty
Read/Review Basket
2-minute rule for tasks.

31. Calendar You only put things on your calendar that you MUST do!
I have to call that person today.
I have an appointment
I have a deadline
DO NOT PUT ON THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO
Those belong on your “To Do” List
Use only ONE calendar
You must trust that when you look one place you will see all the things you must do so you will not worry about missing something.

32. “To Do” (Next Action List)
If you are low energy and things are disorganized, all over the place, chaotic dysfunctional, it just seems like too much work to do to find and organize the task, so you avoid doing it. Then you feel worse.
The Problem with most To Do lists is that they have Projects as the “to do” and it isn’t clear exactly what to do next. You go numb – they don’t prompt you to DO they just create more anxiety.
The Next Action needs to be the very next doable task that will move the project forward
NOT “Make Curtains” but measure the windows (or even Find the Measuring Tape!)
One of the best ways to increase your energy is to close some of your loops. So always have some easy loops to close.

33. Organize by Context
So when you are in that “context”/”mood” you can go to that list
Phone calls
You can do them on the drive in
Errands (locations)
Computer work ( , login portals)
Repairs or purchases needed
Things to do at home
Things to discuss (with your spouse, principal, counselor, etc.)
Someday/Maybe

34. More about Lists Bad List Better Mom That Song Piano Billy
Plan Mom’s Birthday Party
Buy “Grace”
Call Piano Technician
Setup Parent meeting with Billy

35. More about Lists

37. Inbox Zero A GTD-like system to process your emails by Merlin Mann
Relevant if you think that you spend too much time with your
Key ideas have been presented in a Google Tech Talk, see

38. Inbox Zero Essentials Never check your emails
Process your s (to zero)
Convert relevant s into actions
Do not use your inbox as a to-do list
No one would allow anyone to add useless stuff to the own to-do list
Open an in your inbox only once and decide directly what to do about it

39. Process Your s

40. Process Your s

41. Process Your s

42. Keeping Emails in Your Inbox
requires you to repeatedly re-analyze what to do with an
promotes procrastination
requires to keep the client open all time which causes distractions

43. Reduce Distractions
Creative and productive requires distraction-free blocks of time
clients frequently check s and will bother you with notifications
Inbox Zero Strategy:
Process your to zero
Close your client for at least 60 minutes (or longer)
Work (do things!)

44. My System Personally I use Google Calendar and paste info into events
I use ASANA / (Remember the Milk) to remind me to respond
I use Evernote to save/archive things for later
I use Boomerang to follow my responses

45. Evernote Store everything! Send from email, Scanable, upload…
Links
Files
Scans
Ideas
Reminders
Lists
Send from , Scanable, upload…
$40 per year

46. Remember the Milk Reminders Email directly to lists Action items
$20 per year

47. Google Calendar Can add events from emails Interfaces with devices
Sharable
Simple

48. Boomerang Allows to schedule / delay send
Weekends
Allows to return to inbox when no response
“Waiting for”

49. Favorite Pen Treat yourself
Avoid anything that slightly conflicts with your capturing

50. Workflows I have found helpful
Music Teacher Hacks
Workflows I have found helpful

51. Capture and store all your programs and repertoire
I use Scanable and Evernote

52. Misc Ideas Letters of Rec Text Expander for standard replies
Set a day every other week that you will complete them
Have templates to get the ball rolling
Text Expander for standard replies
Short canned responses
Have form s for anything you send multiple times

53. Concert Have a checklist with all your information
Have check points (they can become action items)
“Complete 2-week checklist”
Save those s, reminders, timelines

54. 30 Days out ☐Design Poster ☐Make Facebook Event ☐Order Tickets
☐Set up credit card online sales and train students
☐Send List to Council
☐Book Photographer 

55. 14 Days out ☐Acquire Tickets from Betsy
☐Print Posters (with 2 x-large for sales)
☐Send Toilet Paper and Lomalink (Council)
☐Reserve Nicholson Living Room 
☐Review Appropriate Attire 
☐Confirm Lighting Lighting Cues for Concert Band
☐Confirm Photographer
☐Send List to Council

56. 10 Days out ☐Confirm Media Services (Media Service Request below)
☐Set and Finalize Program Order
☐Send Chapel Slides (Council)
☐Complete Inventory of Supplies (Council)
☐Confirm Shell setup with Building Manager
☐Confirm Council Assign Student Speakers for songs and opening prayer (with Council) 
☐Council Confirm for pre sale outside Caf (No'me Bailey (Nicholson) and work order for table and chairs)
☐Arrange for Cash Box from Betsy for ticket sales
☐Send List to entire Council
☐ timeline to Photographer

57. 5 Days Out ☐Send programs to print ☐Boost Event on FB
☐Review Concert Etiquette and Attire with group
☐Confirm that Council has schedule for ticket sales
☐Confirm reps to MUH 100 and Music Ensembles
☐Confirm speakers, script, and opening prayer
☐Send Council Reminders for reception
☐Confirm Stage and House Managers

58. Event Day Reminders ☐Reception set at 4pm (Council)
☐Provide Reminders list to ensemble
☐Confirm Tear Down (Description Below)
☐Send Stage and House Responsibilities 

59. You have to review and note changes
Capture Everything

60. Miscellaneous

61. Perspective on 6 Levels Current actions Current projects
Areas of responsibility
Yearly goals
5 year vision
Life goals

62. Bottom up? Why not the typical Top Down?
Although many people start from the top, this approach accepts that if there is chaos in lower levels, upper levels will not effectively manage the lower levels.
Once the lower levels are under control, the power of upper levels can be unleashed.

63. More Tools Getting Things Done (Allen) Lifehacker.com
Podcasts
Lifehacker.com
Checklist Manifesto (Gawande)
Text Expander

64. More Tools Project Management Capture To do lists Omnifocus (iOS)
Asansa (web)
Trello (web)
Capture
Evernote
Scanable (iOS)
To do lists
Remember the Milk
Things

65. More Tools
Podcast

66. So what is your next action?