Get Everything Done

Does such a creature exist--a flowchart with rules/principles sort of like a map with a legend?

I'm trying to make one to help me more quickly learn/apply DIT. I'm finding it more difficult than I had imagined, even though I've read the book 3x, and have read many of the posts onsite.

Bob

Hi Bob,

This is not a flow-chart at all, but a good summary of DIT.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~charles57/GTD/dit_nutshell.html

Hmmm...this is a challenge. I think maybe I will try to create a flow-chart as a pdf file and let people review it, make suggestions (of course from Mark himself!), and then maybe we all will end up with a good flow-chart much like you see with GTD.

Best wishes,
-David

Mark, David,

Thanks both for your replies. David, yes, after reading a book Writing on Napkins (or some such title about visual thinking) I've realized the vast importance of communicating ideas visually in learning, mastery, and growth in a skill set or idea. Having something like the advanced flowchart was exactly what I was thinking.

Mark, I do agree the principles are simple (stay connected to one day of incoming work to one day of outgoing work while reducing those things that yield a reactive mind stimulus-response and conditioning those skills that contribute to think-decide-act of the rational mind's prioritized goals and commitments).

However, I can simplify life, via my current belief systems, to 4 steps--be born, make a conscious or unconscious decision about who Jesus is, die, afterlife. But despite the simplicity, there is so much more to the living part that certain tools help with.

So despite the simple principles you've shared in your book, I'm having trouble connecting everything together and conditioning myself in this new way of thinking about work and decisions as more "stuff" appears while I work.

Thanks again.

Bob

As I've been thinking about this, trying to create a visual representation, this is something I've used:

There are certain principles and rules of thumb that are stated in posts and the DIT book. So when I encounter those I ask, "In what ways are these principles shown in action while using this system?" and then list those that seem to fit.

However, there also seem to be some unexpressed rules of thumb/principles. As I'm exploring that idea, I ask, "How does this action or choice in thought processes express a principle?"

It's as if you have a table with 2 columns: Principles and Actions that flow from them. Everything from the system should fit in one of the columns, and one action may express more than one principle.

Bob

The book was Back of the Napkin about visual thinking. Excellent book.

What are the questions you ask yourself, in similar format, for projects with deadlines, without deadlines, and ongoing projects?

I've considered having a project sheet with a list of known actions required and recycling it through my true "in" box.

How do you process these?

Thanks

Bob

As I've been working on a visual representation of the Do-it-tomorrow system, I realize part of the problem is the project thing listed above and one other area.

Time.

It is the intersection of many projects within the limits of today's activities/tasks that seems to be a major sticking point.

Intellectually I understand the one-proj at a time if it doesn't have a deadline and the "future" income it creates. However the backlog presented has many things with no deadlines. I am currently prioritizing them by what I call the R-line or Revenue-line or Reality-line. Most of them are one-off projects in that they bring in income once.

In fact, I created slugline while diagramming: This Brain-of-mine versus the Chain-of-time--indicating the desire to stay rational in a situation which still feels highly reactive brain.

Bob

Mark,

I interpret "What's slugline?" 2 ways. Answering both interpretations, hope one helps.

1. Slugline/tagline/catchphrase summary that works for me in organizing the material. Perhaps an unstated principle that is clearly seen through the actions listed/suggested.

2. In this case, when processing work with DIT, "This-brain-of-mine versus the Chain-of-Time" indicating the interlinking of today to tomorrow while acknowledging the future desires/goals/commitments brought rationally and fully into actionable work today or tomorrow.

As I work through, playing with the idea of visual representations for concepts, one concept that came to mind, but probably won't make the final cut is: a wrench with an open end and a boxed/closed end to represent the day's closed task list and those things written and added for the open list. Tomorrow's task list would be more like a wrench with open ends until it is reviewed and "closed." Just thinking.

Bob

I posted a draft outline to the yahoo group in Word format with questions in it. Pasting it here would be very messy probably, so Mark, would you mind reviewing that at your convenience?

Thanks,

Bob

Hi Mark and Bob,

This looks very interesting. I will review and if I have any constructive comments and suggestions, I will pass them on. Mark, should I email the Word document to you as an attachment so that you could post it here?

Best regards,
-David