Improve your personal organization with gtd

Improve your Personal Organization with GTD

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Freedom for distribution.

Free. No marketing rights.

Can make derivative works.

Must acknowledge the authorship


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Contenido

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 7

A world of inefficiency and chaos ..................................................................................... 7

How to improve the organization and productivity? ......................................................... 8

What is GTD? ................................................................................................................... 8

Basic principles of GTD ..................................................................................................... 9

The rule of two minutes ................................................................................................... 9

The Golden rule ............................................................................................................... 9

COLLECTING .......................................................................................... 11

Keys for collecting .......................................................................................................... 12

How many inboxes do you need? ........................................................................................ 12

Inbox tools ........................................................................................................................... 12

The process of collecting ................................................................................................ 13

How to collect ...................................................................................................................... 13

What can you collect? ......................................................................................................... 14

Must you distinguish between home and office things in the collecting? .......................... 14

PROCESSING .......................................................................................... 15

Preliminary advises ........................................................................................................ 15

How is it processed? ...................................................................................................... 15

What is? ............................................................................................................................... 15

ORGANIZATION ..................................................................................... 17

Things without action .................................................................................................... 17

Discard ................................................................................................................................. 17

Incubator ............................................................................................................................. 17

Consultation ........................................................................................................................ 18

Things with action .......................................................................................................... 18

Waiting ................................................................................................................................ 18

Schedule .............................................................................................................................. 18

Next actions ......................................................................................................................... 18

Projects ................................................................................................................................ 19

Contexts ........................................................................................................................ 19

Can we improve the organization system? ...................................................................... 20

System organization, processing and organization .......................................................... 20


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STUDY CASE .......................................................................................... 21

Collecting....................................................................................................................... 21

Processing ..................................................................................................................... 21

Organization .................................................................................................................. 23

REVIEWING ........................................................................................... 25

Recommendations for an efficient review ...................................................................... 25

Daily review ................................................................................................................... 26

Weekly review ............................................................................................................... 26

How much time do you need to review? ......................................................................... 27

Classifying actions .......................................................................................................... 27

EXECUTION OF TASKS (DO) .................................................................... 29

What to do? ................................................................................................................... 29

Tips to improve productivity .......................................................................................... 29

The prospect of the actions ............................................................................................ 30


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INTRODUCTION

A world of inefficiency and chaos

We live in a world oversaturated with information and tasks, especially at a time when

the global financial crisis is testing us facing a merciless competition, and facing

suppliers and customers with unlimited demands.

Everyday, we accumulate emails, calls, orders, notes, tasks, commitments… In any

moment, the priority, urgency or importance can be changed. The personal and

professional things are mixed. The plannings are becoming inefficient and useless.

Finally, the tasks are executed by reaction, depending of what is required or depending

of the priority in that moment, without a clear vision about the goal nor how much is

neccesary to be done, with the feeling of not knowing what is being done and why it

does.

It tends inexorably to chaos, working exhaustively in the midst of a dense fog that

blinds the true image of our work, without feeling just advance, feeling only that the

result does not justify nor reward the efforts.

Chaos always defeats order because it is better

organized.

Terry Pratchett


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In the School they teach literacy, math, science and other disciplines, but they don’t

teach some complementary and necessary powers, like personal organization

techniques, which help you to do anything better and more efficiently in any scope,

such as in studies, in the professional and in the personal one.

Usually, we learn to organize reactively and instinctively, depending on the

circumstances that arise. Based on trial and error, we are creating our own

organization system, in order to impact on our world least possible, not to improve it.

At the last years, personal organization has been in constant research and

improvement. The benefits of implementing a personal organization system are

invaluable, and the results substantially enhance our productivity and the quality of

everything we think and do.

How to improve the organization and productivity?

There are many techniques and recommendations, which are teached, written and

published by experts in organization and productivity. Most of these techniques are like

tricks that work well for specific cases, such as email management and efficient

meetings. However, we need a generic method of organization that can be applied in a

general way, in any context or situation, and whose effectiveness is amply

demonstrated. Additionally, applying those specific techniques helps to increase and

further improve our organization and our productivity.

GTD is a simple and efficient personal organization system, daily used by millions of

people around the world, in all situations and circumstances.

What is GTD?

One of the major premises of GTD consist on free the mind from all you must to

remember, delegating your memory to a “box for everything”. If you release your mind

you can put more focus in the execution of actions. But GTD goes far beyond the mere

fact of annotate something in order to don’t forget it. GTD is also focused on how to

organize, plan and do things, on take the control of your life, on decide when and how

the projects must be undertaken, on plan the day and the week, on decide what tasks

are the best candidates to be executed in a given moment.


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Basic principles of GTD

The basic principles of GTD are the following ones:

Collecting: You catch all the things that emerge and need later attention,

putting reminders in an inbox, also called basket or hamper. It frees the mind

in order to focus on what to do, not on what to remind.

Processing: You analyze each of the things collected in the inbox and, then,

you decide what to do with them.

Organization: You classify the processed things in lists, in order to keep track

of them. The organization proposes when the tasks must be undertaken, in the

most efficiently way, depending on our criteria in that moment.

Reviewing: This is the most important principle. It checks the lists frequently,

in order to reorganize them according to the circumstances and needs of that

moment, removing the completed tasks from the lists.

Execution of tasks (Do): Execute the tasks.

The rule of two minutes

At the time of processing the inbox, if you identify a task that can be executed in

approximately two minutes, RUN IT IMMEDIATELY. Do not expect a better

time.

The Golden rule

To ensure that things are done and that the organization and productivity are aligned

with GTD, the golden rule is: the inbox must be checked and emptied at least

once a week. This prepares the inbox for the next week, and avoids procrastination

and disorder.


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Advantages of GTD

Improvement of personal organization.

Control, security and reliability. You know, at any moment, that

everything is in its place.

Elimination of stress and anxiety.

Eliminating concerns can be leveraged to create new projects, and to

imagine and pursue new dreams.

No impositions. You are free to do what you think must be done

according to your own criteria and intuition.

Vision at short, medium and long term.

Improvement of productivity.

General efficiency.

NOTE: GTD techniques are very simple to learn but, to be efficient, you must

convert these techniques into habits.


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COLLECTING

The collecting is the basis on which you settle the rest of the method. Basically, it

consist on capture the things that arises (and they will need to be attended later),

through notes or reminders, storing them in a common, accessible and reliable place,

called Inbox.

The mind is a powerful tool, but it has limitations, being the main one the lack of true

multitasking capability. For many simultaneous things that the mind attempts to

process, the fatigue, the changes, the rhythm, the spontaneity, the uncertainty … all of

them will seriously affect the concentration, the ability to remember, to think about the

problems and the things that must be realized.

The time that a person has something in his

head and the amount of things that does

about it are factors reversely proportional.

David Allen

The memory is the intelligence of the fools.

Never keep in your head something that fits in

a pocket.

Albert Einstein


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Keys for collecting

The keys for an effective and efficient collecting are the following:

Collecting in the moment in which something is arising.

The things must be in the inbox: always outside the head.

Having the minimum and necessary number of inboxes.

Emptying the inboxes in a regular way.

The meaning of the collecting is to realize it always in the precise moment in which

something is arising. You have to acquire this habit, or otherwise, the collecting will be

ineffective.

Do not rely on memory, nor delay the collecting for another time. How many times

has happened that, while we are engaged in a task, arises a thing, and with the

confidence that the current task is near to end, we will collect it after, but that time

comes and we have forgotten what was that thing to collect?

How many inboxes do you need?

The collecting can use one or more inboxes. I recommend you have, at least, one

inbox for each scenario or situation (eg, in the office, at home, one for phone calls or

one for errands to attend). The best recommendation is to have the minimum number

of inboxes, always by hand, using the common sense.

Thanks to the new technologies, you can trust everything to a single shared inbox

through an application in the cloud, accessible from a smartphone, from a personal

computer or from a tablet.

Inbox tools

The inbox can be the classic plastic tray, a box, a file, a folder, a notebook or a

computer application.

NOTE: We are using the terms “thing” and “something”,

because in the time of collecting, all that arise don’t have a

concrete form.


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Particularly, I use the following tools:

A notepad.

An email application. I use an inbox for my professional email, and other inbox

for my personal email.

A web application in the cloud, in order to sync all the notes on the

smartphone, the computer and the tablet, using any Web browser, at anytime

and anywhere.

The process of collecting

How to collect

The collecting must be realized at anywhere and anytime. For this reason, the inbox

must always be available and affordable.

When something new is arisen, and that might be an outstanding information or an

important action, this one is written on a reminder, is deposited in the inbox

immediately, taking out the something from the head, and we deal again with the

tasks we were realizing in that moment. Forget to classify, categorize, prioritize or

urgency to that something. That will be made later. The really important thing is to

continue with the task in course, without wasting time or energy or concentration. We

will worry about reminders and their corresponding tasks when the time comes.

The classic tray or a box will allow you to deposit physical documents: notes, invoices,

orders, catalogs, objects, etc.

If you carry a notepad, you can annotate an idea, a call, a reminder, an information

about a meeting o anything else. Later, when you arrive to your table, you pull the

notes from the notepad and deposit them in your inbox.

The new technologies allow you to collect things using applications on the cloud,

accesible 24 hours a day, at anywhere, from any device and platform. The smartphone

is usually present anywhere, although, in the working table is more suitable to use the

computer, because the keyboard is easier and faster, and the collecting downtime is

significantly reduced.

IMPORTANT: If you want the collecting really works and be

effective, you must acquire the habit of collecting always. This is

the hardest part, but once implemented this habit, the collecting

process will be realized in a natural way.


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What can you collect?

You can collect anything that requires a postponed attention. What collect depends on

what you identify, but it must allow you to remember what to do with it. The most

basic thing is to write a brief note that references to that something. It should be brief,

in order to invest as little time as possible in the collecting, and avoid dilated

interruptions for the ongoing tasks. Besides brief, the note must be concise, in order to

give no doubts, inconsistences or memory gaps in its retrieval.

If you require more information to consult, you can add a reference to find this

information: an URL, the title of a book, an article, etc.

You can collect a document, such as an invoice (to be paid), a prescription (to be

purchased), a catalog (to be consulted and decide a purchase), a report (to be

reviewed), etc. You can also collect a physical object, such as a toothpaste tube, in

order to remember that you must buy more. Or a business card, in order to remember

to update the agenda or make a phone call.

Thanks to the technological tools, you can also collect emails, URLs (web addresses),

voice memos, fragments of web pages, electronic documents, pictures, videos, etc.

Thanks to the smartphones, you can also take a picture using its camera, and annotate

something.

Must you distinguish between home and office things in the

collecting?

It is very common to doubt whether to use the same inbox to collect things for home

or work, or if you use a different one.

The collecting is a spontaneous task. No one can predict when or where or what. For

this reason, it is better to use the inbox that is handy at that moment.

Have we got a laundry basket for white clothes, one for colored clothes and one for

delicate clothes? No. We collect all clothes in the same basket, without worrying about

the type of clothes. Later, we will select and separate the clothes to be washed.

Similarly, when you process the things of the inbox, you will identify what is each thing

and where does it should be. In the organization phase, everything will be deposited at

the corresponding place.

My memory is magnificent to forget.

Robert Louise Stevenson


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PROCESSING In the moment in which the things are collected, they are imprecise and incomplete,

mere sketches that caught our attention for consideration. Later, the things in the

inbox are processed, recovering each thing, becoming aware of what really are, asking

if they require of some action and deciding what to do accordingly.

The process involves making a filter in order to know what has been collected, if it is

useful and decide when must be run. The ultimate goal is to be clear about what we

have and what to do with it, besides empty the inbox for new collectings.

Preliminary advises

In order to achieve the most efficiency, it is advisable that the processing:

is agile and quick. Processing each thing should take a few seconds.

applies the rule of “what come out don’t come back”. Those that is

being processed must be concluded. You must avoid the procrastination.

takes and processes one by one each thing contained in the inbox,

from the first to the last.

finishes with the inbox emptied. There should be nothing left

unprocessed.

must be performed whenever possible and necessary. If the inbox has

one or two things, and you know these are urgent, will be necessary to

process them as soon as possible. If the inbox is filling up a lot and you have a

moment, you can process the inbox in that moment. This is our own choice.

How is it processed?

Processing is basically a method for filtering and preparing the things contained in the

inbox. To accomplish this filter you must extract each thing at a time from the inbox,

analyze it and decide what to do with it, in a sistematically way. This valuation is

obtained making a flow of questions that will allow you to valuate and decide what to

do next.

What is?

Sometimes, knowing what the things we have been collected is not so obvious. You

need to know what is exactly each thing, in order to value their importance and decide

if this one requires some action.


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Does it take action?

If the thing does not take an action:

Could it take an action in the future? The thing must be in the "Someday" list.

Could it be useful as information in the future? To the "Consultation" list.

If you answered NO to both questions, then the thing must be discarded.

If the thing takes an action, ask yourself"What is the next action?":

Can it be done in about two minutes? Do it immediately! (Rule of two minutes).

You must avoid accumulating these microtasks in a “infinite way”, as well as

procrastination and disorganization.

Are we the right person to do it? If not, delegate it to the appropriate person.

The thing must be in the "Waiting" list for its tracking.

If you answered NO to the previous questions, postpone the thing, moving it to

the "Next" list.


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ORGANIZATION

Processing gives the answers to organize things, classified into two possible groups:

without action and with action. Noting the flowchart of processing, you can see

some processes in black colour. These processes form the organizational system..

Things without action

Discard

Those things that do not require an action nor serve as reference are discarded.

Incubator

Those things that do not require an immediate action, but might be interesting to

perform in an uncertain future, can be incubated. They are stored in the “Someday”

list.

Some examples can be:

Visit “El Prado” Museum.

Learn French.

Build a pond for turtles.

Scan old photos.

Visit a special wine winery.

Taste a special dish.


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Consultation

Those things that can be useful in the future as information or as reference material,

are stored in a list called “Consultation”. They can be documents of any type and serve

for certain purposes. A good organization of this material is critical in order to the

searching and accessing are quick and easy. It is advisable to organize the information:

by a specific theme and area: contracts, invoices, payslips, catalogues…

by general reference files, in which you store information that does not belong

to a default category: instruction manual, travel guide, article about something

interesting…

Things with action

Waiting

If it requires action by others, you save a reminder in the “Waiting” list, with the

following information, in order to perform an efficient monitoring:

Name of the person or entity to which its execution has been delegated.

Delegation date.

Estimated completion date (if applicable).

Comments/Notes (if applicable).

Schedule

If something requires action for a certain date (for example, the dentist’s appointment,

a meeting or dinner), is annotated and managed in the calendar. You must avoid the

daily task list. You have to stick only to appointments (specific date and time), to

actions of a particular day (date time) and useful information for a particular day (call

reminders or birthdays).

Next actions

In the “Next” list, you must move reminders about those things that require a next

action to be performed as soon as possible.


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Projects

A project is a set of two or more next actions, in s the short / medium term, aimed to

the same result.

For example, a project called “Barbecue”, could have the following actions:

Clean barbacue.

Buy food and drinks.

Confirm attendances.

Tidy the house.

Cooking food.

The actions are executed until produce the final result. At that point, we can say that

the project is completed, even if not all their actions are executed.

One of the key points of the organization is the list of projects, which is a simple index

of ongoing projects and projects to be performed. That list does not require an

ordering or classification. The information, material and actions of each project are

stored and managed separately, in a dedicated file.

Contexts

A context is a classification method that defines the scenario or the tool in which the

action will be performed.

The most common contexts are the following:

Office.

Home.

Errands.

Computer.

Phone.

Email.

Ubication (common places).

Success is not achieved only with special

qualities. It is, above all, a work of

perserverance, method and organization.

J.P. Sergent


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Can we improve the organization system?

In his book “Getting Things Done”, David Allen revealed the initial organizational

patterns, which give great results. The above can be seen as the best GTD

organizational practices in general.

As you master the use of GTD, you may identify the need to implement any

improvement personalized organization system, based on specific cases or special

scenarios.

For example, a list “Historical” could be useful to save information about completed

projects, as well as some important actions already completed. This file is a very useful

system for knowledge management, a library where you can find and view important

and interesting information to address, in the future, similar projects, or to learn and

improve with the experiences gained. Also can be used to store information about

actions that have been critical and, in the future, could be recovered for use it to

justify anything in a strategically or preventive way.

System organization, processing and organization

The mission of the processing is to filter the inbox, deciding what to do with those you

compiled. That is, at a glance, resolves what is each thing and where it must to go.

The organization’s mission is to perform tasks appropriate to take things to the

corresponding lists, according to the processing resolution.

The organization system is the structure on which the decision of the processing is

managed, and about which the organizing things is carried out.


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STUDY CASE

Collecting

Today I have compiled the following things in my Inbox:

Dental appoinment. 2012, 27th July, at 18:00 p.m.

Guide of places to visit in Egypt.

Call back to Carmen.

Catalog and deals for hotels and attractions at Costa Dorada.

List of prices of hardware.

Catalog for youth furnitures.

Car repair.

Preparation of the weekly Quality Report.

Perform graphical proposal for the scorecard.

Trip to London on 26th July.

Inform to Luis about the state of his project.

Processing

These are the actions to process the Inbox:

Dental appoinment. 2012, 27th July, at 18:00 p.m..

o This requires an action and is planned for one specific day and hour.

This goes to SCHEDULED list.

Guide of places to visit in Egypt.

o I always wanted to visit Egypt, but is not the moment yet. “Maybe” I

can realize it “some day”. This will be a project, which it will be realized

when the circumstances be favorable. This goes to the SOMEDAY list.

Call back to Carmen.

o This task requires a time aproximately of two minutes. This task will be

executed now, and will be deleted from the Inbox (Rule of 2 minutes).

Catalog and deals for hotels and attractions at Costa Dorada.

o I have not planned my holidays yet for this year. In the next two

months, I will take a decision. Meanwhile, I will compile more

information. Therefore, I will create a project named “Holidays 2012″,

and I will deposit this catalog here.

List of prices of hardware.

o At the moment, I don’t need to renove any computer or device, but, in

any moment, it could be necessary. This information does not require

any action. This goes to CONSULTATION list.


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Catalog for youth furnitures.

o My daughter is 10 years old and will need a new room with youth

furnitures. At the moment is not urgent and is not a project. This

information goes to CONSULTATION list.

Car repair.

o Today I have taken the car to the garage. I delegate the reparation of

the car to the mechanic. Therefore, this task goes to the “WAITING”

list, with a notation that describe who is the person that execute it, the

date in which I delegated the task and the scheduled date for its end.

Preparation of the weekly Quality Report.

o This is an office task, and must be executed in the next days. This

goes to the NEXT list.

Perform graphical proposal for the scorecard.

o This is an office task. This does not have a scheduled date, but it must

be ended in the next two weeks. This goes to the NEXT list

Trip to Londres on 26th July.

o I must to travel to London, in order to help to my colleagues. I must to

assist to two important meetings, extract information and provide

solutions to the current problems. Independently of you registry this

task on the SCHEDULED list, this requires the creation of a project, and

this project requires some actions:

Searching flights.

Searching hotel.

Plan the meetings.

Elaborate the agenda for each meeting.

Prepare presentations.

Prepare documentation.

o Create a project named "Trip to Londres on 26th July ".

Inform to Luis about the state of his project.

o At the moment you I’m processing this reminder, Luis already obtained

this information. Therefore this task is not necessary. I discard this

reminder.

NOTE: The collecting introduced, in the same inbox, personal

stuff and work. The processing analyzes everything and decides

what to do with it: DO NOT HOLDING IT. Bringing each thing to

the corresponding list is a task for the organization, as well as

organizes the project actions. Optionally, you can perform a first

classification by context.


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Organization

When organizing, you can also classify the context of everything, in order to identify

where and how to execute actions. For example, being at home, to review the next

actions, will be sought only those in this context. If you want to spend the time

available to make or return phone calls, will look for actions in that context.

The inventory of tasks will be organized as follows:

Without action:

o Trash (discard).

Inform to Luis about the state of his project. [Office].

o Someday (incubator).

Guide of places to visit in Egypt. [Personal].

o Consultation.

List of prices of hardware. [Office].

Catalog for youth furnitures [Home].

With action:

o Waiting.

Car Repair. Xanadu Garagae. Delegated at 2012/07/12. Due date

at 2012/07/14 [Personal].

o Scheduled.

Dental appoinment. 2012, 27th July, at 18:00 p.m. [Personal].

Meetings at London. 2012/07/26 [Oficina].

o Next.

Preparation of the weekly Quality Report. [Office].

Perform graphical proposal for the scorecard [Office].

o Projects.

Holidays 2012 [Personal].

Catalog and deals for hotels and attractions at Costa

Dorada.

Trip to London on 2012/07/26 [Office].

Searching flights.

Searching hotel.

Plan the meetings.

Elaborate the the agenda for each meeting.

Prepare presentations.

Prepare documentation.


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REVIEWING

If we want an efficient GTD system, we must have a routine of review of this one, in

order to have the control and know in any moment what things we have, when we

need manage a change or when we must do or execute anything.

The aim of the review is to reorganize and update the inventory information, preparing

the next actions to be executed, selecting the useful information and discard the

information that is no longer needed. The review checks the elements of all lists in

order to plan the things to do and update the inventory, according to current

circumstances. This elements update entails an adjusting of its properties (such as the

priority) and the movement of elements from one list to another list.

All the principles of GTD are important and fundamental. But the review is, possibly,

the most determinant principle.

Recommendations for an efficient review

Given the importance of the review, it is essential:

To have a dedicated time, exclusive and uninterrupted.

To have a quite place in order to review with the maximum concentration.

To acquire the habit of reviewing with often enough.


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Daily review

The daily review checks the system and prepares the working plan for the current day.

This review should be the first action of the day, with the following tasks:

Review of the agenda, in order to know the commitments today, obtaining a

composition of the tasks, the time allocation and the identification of free plots

to locate other tasks on the day.

Review the tasks by context, in order to put focus in the current context.

Reviewing the “Next” list in order to identify if a task can be dealt today. It is

also possible to identify changes in other tasks, which can be reclassified and

reorganized in other schedules.

Instant review of the “Pending” list, in order to know if a delegated task will be

ended today or soon.

Optionally, you can perform other daily review for verification at the end of the day.

The first review makes a preparation or planning of the activity for that day. The

second review would serve to verify if the plan is fulfilled, identifying deviations,

analyze errors and evaluate and assess the most important events.

Weekly review

At the end of the week, you will need to execute the most important review, whose

goals are the following:

Reorganize and update all the lists, adapting them to the circumstances and the

current goals.

Have the inventory up to date, in order to get a clear vision of it and of all its

tasks. This gives you control, provides carefree and relieves stress.

Review and execute things pending, leaving empty the inbox every week

(golden rule).

Evaluate which tasks have not been completed this week and why.

Define the objectives of next week, updating the agenda in consequence.

Review and update projects, updating their progress and identifying and

preparing the work of the week.

Remember reference material and the tasks “incubator” (“Someday”),

evaluating if can be necessary and feasible to start a project about it.

Clean redundant, duplicated or rejected tasks from the inventory.


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How much time do you need to review?

The time required to perform the review will depend on factors such as workload, the

number of commitments, of how much meticulous we are, the organizational chaos or

the complexity of the tasks.

Once implemented GTD, the acquired habits will improve your efficiency and time

taken to review. In my particular case, I do not usually need more than 10-15 minutes

to the daily review, or 30-45 minutes for the weekly review.

Classifying actions

The classification of actions defines or adjusts the properties of each action, thus

facilitating the decision making in different scenarios.

The classification criteria suggested by GTD are the following:

Context. Defines the location or the tool in which the action is performed:

office, home, phone, computer, email, errands…

Urgency. Urgent tasks overlap the rest, because they acquire the focus and

require completion as soon as possible. These tasks must allow renegotiate the

delay of other ongoing tasks. The value of this criterion should be: High,

Medium and Low.

Priority. The priority criteria will depend on several factors, such as the

importance, the level of complexity or the dependence with other important

tasks. This value criterion should be: High, Medium and Low.

Estimated time for execution. Estimating in advance how many time need

the actions for implementation, will allow you to select the appropriate task

according to the available time or adjust the plan or schedule.

Estimation for physical/mental effort. When an action is undertaken, it

will require a type and amount of effort or concentration. Estimating this

information will facilitate you the decision of what action to take. To assess this

estimate, it is necessary to indicate whether it is a physical or mental effort

(concentration), and the level of effort required: High, Medium or Low.

NOTE: Classification is essential in order to have the most

concise and accurate information about each of the actions

contained in our inventory. This information is key in order to

make the best decisions for the organization and the execution of

tasks, resulting in efficiency and productivity.


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The revision is the most crucial principle of GTD, because it

updates the system and aligns with the changing circumstances.

It always offers the latest and updated vision, and gives

consistency and robustness to the entire system. It gives control,

mastery, knowledge, safety and certainty in decisions.


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EXECUTION OF TASKS (DO)

What to do?

The revision reorganizes and updates the inventory of tasks, also providing the

planning of things to do. All that is scheduled must be done on the scheduled time.

The first actions to be executed are those found in the “Next” list. But when the time

comes to decide what actions to perform, how to know what action is best or what the

most suitable candidate to execute?

David Allen proposes a model of four criteria for making this decision:

1. Location or context. The action is limited to the current location (eg home or

office) and / or tools available (eg, computer or phone).

2. Time available. We must appreciate the time available and what actions can

be performed in that time.

3. Energy available. Depending on the physical or psychic status, and the

energies of the moment, you can choose a task that requires more or less

concentration, creativity or physical effort.

4. Priority. If despite the above three criteria there are doubts about the actions

to take, it will be convenient to discern which of them will be the most

benefitial or helpful. Own intuition and personal judgment play a decisive role.

Tips to improve productivity

In order to become more efficient and improve the productivity, we must always keep

in mind that the current task is always the most important task, and you must to avoid

or mitigate, to the extent possible, any interruption or distraction.

Here are some tips to improve productivity:

Avoid the use of social networks and the web navigation, if it’s just for

entertainment. Create a dedicated and exclusive action in these activities.

Avoid all kinds of notifications: incoming emails, chats, messaging, etc.

Disconnect the cellular phone if not expected something really

important. You can dedicate an action solely for its review and management.

Addressing only the calls that are really important.

Ensure that any interruption be as short as possible, advance warning is

now engaging in something important and urgent, recommending a new

contact in a better time.

Create an action dedicated and exclusive for email management.


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For any incoming request, it should be clear that it will be evaluated

and addressed when we finish the work in progress.

Any incoming request should be as short as possible, collecting it in

the inbox.

If the incoming request is urgent, you must negotiate its priority. You

must warning about the importance of ongoing tasks, report the impact and

risks associated with the change of priority. Involve and engage to the

petitioner in order to he/she assume that responsibility.

The prospect of the actions

Everything has a purpose, and we consider the purpose for our choices in the current

circumstances. David Allen proposes a model of six levels or horizons in order to

contemplate the prospect of our actions:

1. Current actions: list of actions to be carried out.

2. Current projects: short-term results to be achieved.

3. Areas of responsibility: Areas in which results are to be achieved, and where

we have responsibilities.

4. Annual or biannual goals: Everything you want to experience within one or

two years.

5. Goals of 3-5 years: This vision puts focus on a long-term career, on goals

and personal and professional circumstances, considering external factors such

as political changes, economic, social, trends, etc.

6. Life: Overview of our own life or the life of our company.

Thanks to the constant revision we can see all perspectives, analyze when we must

progress in each level, the relationships between each of these perspectives, adjust

policies according to external and internal factors, etc.

If you know what to do and you do not, then

you are worse than before.

Confucio


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Rafael Hernamperez Martin

(1971), studied High

Engineering of Computer

Sciences and is specialized on

several disciplines related

with Information

Technologies: programming

languages, databases,

methodologies,

management skills, etc. He

worked on several technological

consulting companies, with multinational

experience at EEUU, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, United

Kingdom, Ireland, Scontland, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy y Poland.

As a writer, he has written tutorials and manuals on programming languages, design

tools, methodologies and databases. He has written articles in some magazines

("Current Programming", "Internet Online" and "Linux Only"). He also writes in some

blogs "The Corner of Happiness", "Homo Estupidus", "Commandcat" and "

Technological Moments".

In addition to several unpublished trials, he has written several books: "The Corner of

Happiness" (I, II and III), "Be happy, here and now", "Neraclem", "Restless Legs

Syndrome: the demon that awakes me while I sleep "and" Reflections of a Estupidus

Homo ".

In 2012 made the jump to coaching and personal and professional consulting,

addressing new and interesting subjects such as personal organization, writting the

book "Improve your personal organization with GTD".

Para seguir al autor:

Web: http://rafaelhernamperez.com

Twitter: @rafinguer y @rhernamperez

http://rafaelhernamperez.com/

Improve your personal organization with gtd

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