Get Everything Done

Hi Avrum,

I listened to this on my commute, great conversation. I agreed with your thoughts on GTD and remembered my fondness for Covey (maybe I will revisit). Interesting to hear how MF's DWM waterfall is still in play with your system.

I am not sure if I agree with your comments on the No-list method. People seem to think that no list means no lists at all but I don't think that is the case. For example you can keep your client list, your appointment book, etc with a no list method. To me at least, the no-list method means that when decision time comes "what am I going to do now" you decide without referring to a list. To put it in GTD terms, no-list means no next action list, but it is fine to have a project list, waiting for ticklers, calendar and other aspects the methodology. (Of course since the next action list is the part of GTD that you still use, no-list may not be your bag :)

Mark, I'd love to hear more about managing clients. Have you written anything up anywhere?

Thanks to avrum about this.

I dont agree with it but never mind. Yes GTD is complex, rigid and fragile by it's rigidity. it can also become complicated like Open list by the numbers of items (and lists) but there are some good ideas and principle. Collecting all incoming stuff is certainly one of them. Some good ideas and action are the result of it. Clarify is a natural process. When we read a list we all choose the best of it and imagin how to give a response to it. Organising is necessary. If you dont clean the stuff it will be like a garbage or an untidy flat... Reviewing stuff is a necessaty. Priorities are changing. Doing is doing. Why doing all that if we dont do it ?

For myself I still use GTD in that way. But I dont use it with contexts. I dont even use projects list. I use little dedicated tools which I use on a daily basis. IE I use nimble for contacts and social networks. I dont use tasks with it because I prefer omnifocus lists, after A few days of testing I realised omnifocus was better for me. I use a digital diary. I use evernote for references and thinking. I clean it regularly.

I think people fall of the GTD wagon because they want to control too much. But life is impredictable.

As MF said in his last book habits are essential. Choosing only one thing to do and focusing on it at this very moment is the core of it.

GTD has gone too far. GTD force people to collect everything and then sort the best of it. It is for me nearly impossible. I have one idea per secont. If things seems important to me I collect if not I get rid of it. If the items comes back again and again that's mean there is something important I have to do.

So I make list and I have set up a new way to do it. Not like GTD grouped by projects but by dedicated list such as TO DO, IN DOING, ASAP, SMB (somedaymay be) , DONE, TIKLER, REFERENCES. And in OF contexts WF (wainting for, action, follow, calls, asap, at a place, outside, froozen, smb) Yes it is more or less GTD contexts...

Each items has a special writing which is DATE/PROJECT/ACTION/ AFTER THIS ACTION sometime.

It alouds me to dat stuff I can find it is the forecast view.

This system is still imperfect but much better than NIMBLE or other CRM ACTION'S TASKS

I can for a project make a search and find all relative tasks about it. During the day I follow my list and put it in the right one.

I forgot Now in context which collect what I do now for staying focus. Then I will pick the next item in the others lists

The system I explained before with th 4 list is still working correctly but as GTD, it needs a real implication and permanent updating. Things becomes complicated when you have many incoming information.