Getting Things Done

[pickeringmt]

Hey, I just wanted to open up a thread and talk about the ways we build the habit of success into our lives.

I am a big fan of David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" and have been working towards the full implementation of his system with a few twists of my own. I recommend reading this book if you haven't already.

Day to day, I use a next actions list to keep me on track, and I manage it through Google Calender and the task list it has. I bought an app that puts the G Tasks (called GTI) on my phone in a really clean way.

I also am a big fan of my personal mission statement/ accountability statement, which I have on my Kaizen chart (thank MJ) to rewrite by hand 3 times a day. It is just a written affirmation that plays on the consistency principle to hold myself accountable for the things I claim to be. I am finding that this is EXTREMELY powerful for making positive change in my life and holding myself to it.

Anyway, just wanted to hear about some of the things other people on the forum were finding success with.

I couldn't post this without a prefix, sorry for the "rant" tag.

 

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[FionaS]

I like Getting Things Done, but it is a little... much for me. I do use a lot of it, though, as well as a lot of the philosophy of the 12 Week Year.

I have a long term vision and a 3 year vision, and then I draft my 12 Week Year plan from the 3 year vision. So all my goals for the 12 weeks are working towards my long term vision.

I then break that into my week and my day. Have one weekly planning session and I do 15-30 minutes in the morning as part of my Miracle Morning. It's been super helpful.

Of course my tasks are broken down into Next Action, Waiting For, and all of that - I use Evernote to manage all that. Calendar is Google Calendar and I sync it to all my computers/phone. It works great for me.

I think the 12 Week Year has a little stronger influence than GTD, but I do like it a lot. Miracle Morning is another big one (you rewriting your mission statement reminds me a lot of the Affirmation part).

 

[IceCreamKid]

I also am a big fan of my personal mission statement/ accountability statement, which I have on my Kaizen chart (thank MJ) to rewrite by hand 3 times a day.

I did this back in the day, but it lost its impact over time. It's sorta like living next to the beach...at first it's refreshing and amazing, but after seeing the beach all the time then it no longer feels special.

I don't really have any productivity hacks anymore. At its core, you don't need any fancy journals/calendars/apps to be productive. Pen and paper yo. I just make sure to get up in the morning, write a list of things that I MUST get done for the day then make sure it gets done.

Always have ONE task that must be done before the day is over. Having ONE task done per day eventually compounds into you creating a real business while everyone else is just reading stuff and theorizing what they would do if they started a business.

It is that simple. As long as there is momentum and forward movement every single day, success is inevitable...hence the saying, "Take action daily. Get the ice cream."

 

[randomnumber314]

It is that simple. As long as there is momentum and forward movement every single day, success is inevitable...hence the saying, "Take action daily. Get the ice cream."

You can't quote yourself as a saying!

I don't use many high tech or hacks to be productive. I just have a list on a piece of paper. If I make a promise or say I'll do something by X date I put that on my paper calendar. Another thing I do is ask myself, at least once a day, what do I need to do to make sure we're growing and making more money down the road.

 

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[BGLefty]

I have been doing The Miracle Morning for a couple of weeks and I am just reading The ONE Thing now on MJ DeMarco's recommendation. The Miracle Morning has really helped me get my day started on the right foot everyday and The ONE Thing has helped narrow down exactly what I should be doing each day. Both have been extremely helpful.

I've also just started using Asana to keep track of the jobs I need to get done. It's free and very good.

 

[RogueInnovation]

formula for peace

do enough a day to get fed



formula for wealth

use the spare time to get better leverage


"If you have 6 hours to chop down a tree, use 5 sharpening your axe" ~ proverb


When I need to get stuff done, I spend days HONING MY MIND, sitting with the problem, slowly removing distraction
Works well

 

[Gymjunkie]

Started using app called Productivity Wizard. It's based on GTD and even makes you go through the process of setting goals for next 1-3 years, then asking yourself why and answering etc. Then adds some short term goals and let's you track daily tasks. You can synch with iPhone reminders etc. Every morning you log in you see the main goal on top and then today's task list, do a little morning ritual (adding tasks, ideas, what's a concern for today etc). So it's a mix of long-term and now.

There are many of these but once you test few and like one, just stick to one. For each his own.

 

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[GuestUserX15]

Hey, I just wanted to open up a thread and talk about the ways we build the habit of success into our lives.

I am a big fan of David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" and have been working towards the full implementation of his system with a few twists of my own. I recommend reading this book if you haven't already.

Day to day, I use a next actions list to keep me on track, and I manage it through Google Calender and the task list it has. I bought an app that puts the G Tasks (called GTI) on my phone in a really clean way.

I also am a big fan of my personal mission statement/ accountability statement, which I have on my Kaizen chart (thank MJ) to rewrite by hand 3 times a day. It is just a written affirmation that plays on the consistency principle to hold myself accountable for the things I claim to be. I am finding that this is EXTREMELY powerful for making positive change in my life and holding myself to it.

Anyway, just wanted to hear about some of the things other people on the forum were finding success with.

I couldn't post this without a prefix, sorry for the "rant" tag.

I was going through the same dilemma a few days ago, i searched through this forum and found this. Hope it helps you, its definitely working for me!

posted by @zen******* https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...gles-with-time-management-organization.51481/

"
I used my uber advanced tool for time management.
a notebook.

here is the 1 habit you have to master

every day BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE you write in the note book the 10 most important things to get done.
then you do the most important one first, and on down the line.
at the end of the day, you have either crossed them all off, (not likely) or most of them.

the next day, you take the uncrossed off ones and start the list new.

1 of 2 things will happen to the list. either the undone gets more important, and moves to the top of the list
or it becomes less important and it falls below the top 10. and falls off the list entirely.

if you ignore something to long. it just jumps to the top of the list.

THIS is how I rand a public company as a CEO. worked for me, worked for some of the big dogs that gave me the idea.
works every day.

I like paper, because i can take it places, and i like writing it down, as well as the act of crossing it off.
some people like apps. (simpler is better) me, paper.

find your inner manager. get it done
Z"

 

[Bowden]

I did this back in the day, but it lost its impact over time. It's sorta like living next to the beach...at first it's refreshing and amazing, but after seeing the beach all the time then it no longer feels special.

I don't really have any productivity hacks anymore. At its core, you don't need any fancy journals/calendars/apps to be productive. Pen and paper yo. I just make sure to get up in the morning, write a list of things that I MUST get done for the day then make sure it gets done.

Always have ONE task that must be done before the day is over. Having ONE task done per day eventually compounds into you creating a real business while everyone else is just reading stuff and theorizing what they would do if they started a business.

It is that simple. As long as there is momentum and forward movement every single day, success is inevitable...hence the saying, "Take action daily. Get the ice cream."

ICK speaks the truth

Not much more to it other than get the shit done that you need (or want) to do.

 

[Mattie]

I'm with ice cream kid. I don't think about all that stuff. I just know to act and do something. I create or co-create. If I'm not doing one of those things, I'm not accomplishing anything. The future isn't here yet. Today is the only thing that matters. When I focus on today, I don't get overwhelmed. When I concentrate on the moment and hour I am present. My mind isn't on the past. It isn't on the future. I'm more productive that way.

I may use a timer to divide up my time through out the day. Schedule if there is appointments. If I have to be somewhere. One thing I've always learned is to be flexible. The creative mind really has to be limitless and expand beyond the horizon. It is just learning to use your time wisely.

It just should become natural. Perhaps that is all my mentor had to do was teach the simple lesson of are your creating or co-creating something. If you're not you drifting off day dreaming either in the past or future.

 

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[Aidan]

I'm reading The Miracle Morning right now. Amazing Book, can't recommend enough. It's currently 5:55am, and I've already had a quick shower, ate, and I've been learning PHP/SQL for the past 40 minutes. Great thing, is that you can design it around any work time, and you can get things done EVERY DAY (imagine that) without feeling tired or exhausted.

I've also started reading 48 Laws of Power. Crazy powerful book.

As for getting organized. I've been using Google Calendar the past three years, and an android widget called "Countdown Calendar" that looks to your google calendar, and displays all the events coming up for the year as a giant list on your screen, with the days until the event happens followed by colour coding for quick reference.

 

[pickeringmt]

I see where everyone is coming from with a simple list and just banging it out every day, but a list just doesn't cut it for me.

From a business perspective, all i use is a list.

When it comes to bills, kids, classes, PTA, meetings, and just getting life squared around - I gotta have a system.

The point for me is the fundamental core of GTD; you take the monotonous stuff off of your mind by using a framework. So, when I am playing with my kids, I am not worrying about forgetting something. I have way too many mental "cracks" for things to slip through. My brain is way to small to keep all the plates spinning without some help.