any interest in a GTD support thread? - Page 5

[dawningmama]

Are you doing this in RTM, Aoife? I think I'm going to go back to Things for some of my larger tasks (ie, set up home school room, the current project) and the put the smaller bits (measure, go through Ikea catalog with Rob, check thrift stores, etc) in RTM/on my google calendar.

I'm stuck today. It's my day off of work and I've got a budget to shop with and I've been sitting in the living room pretty much all day. Well, I've done housework and yoga, but I haven't gone anywhere yet. I don't know why. I'm overwhelmed with my home school deocrating thing, I think.

[SusannahM]

Sure, no problem. Here's a few examples:

Have an annual exam (1)
*Call ob/gyns to get an appointment on a Monday

The first line is my project (the number in parentheses is just a project number I use so I can reference back to it on my actions list), the starred line is my next action for it. Since we moved last year and I'm not established at an ob/gyn here, my previous actions I took on the project were make sure my insurance allows me to have an ob/gyn without a referral, look up a list of ob/gyns in my area on their website, talk to DH about what day of the week he can keep the kids while I go for a doctor's appointment.

Here's another one, our dining room air is broken, we think we might know the problem but we're not sure:

Fix dining room air (9)
*See if giving duct more room in attic fixes dining room air

Here's another one, I need to sell these stools:

Sell Ikea stools (35)
*Take picture of Ikea stools

Sometimes, my tasks are less then David Allen's 2 minute rule, because well, I have kids and if something involves leaving them unsupervised for 2 minutes it needs to go on my list instead of me doing it right then.

I also have actions sometimes that don't involve a project, they're stand-alone. Here's an example from my actions list:

Iron couch and chair slipcovers (no associated project)

Occasionally, I have to go back and make a project out of something I originally thought was simple, for example, if the car inspection fails and the car needs to get worked on or something like that.

[fullofgrace]

Thank you! This is exactly what I need. It makes much more sense now. So often I just put things off because I have such all or nothing thinking "I don't have time to get this all done. I'll do it later" And then it becomes later, and later and later. Well, I don't HAVE to get it all done, do I? Most times things that I look at as tasks are really projects that don't have to get done all at once. Where if I would just slow down and break it down, I'd get more accomplished and likely more quickly, too.

Aha! I like how my thinking is changing - already I feel a little more positive and productive.

[fullofgrace]

Originally Posted by dawningmama

Are you doing this in RTM, Aoife? I think I'm going to go back to Things for some of my larger tasks (ie, set up home school room, the current project) and the put the smaller bits (measure, go through Ikea catalog with Rob, check thrift stores, etc) in RTM/on my google calendar.

I am. I haven't given Things a real trial yet. I think I'm going to plan out my projects and actions using Susannah's style, and see where mine will fit better - RTM or Things by implementing it into both and trying them out together.

[SusannahM]

I like keeping a list of my actions separate from my projects (so, the actions are actually typed in 2 places, under the project and then in the actions file) because I've sorted my actions by category, like computer, phone calls, discussions, etc. I can usually knock out a few actions while I'm sitting at the computer just by looking at the computer list.

[fullofgrace]

OK. So, for example, lets say my project is to clean my messy desk (let me know if that works -- I have notes on that version).

Project:
Clean the Whole Desk Area

Actions:

• Put the shoes onto the shoe rack
• Schedule a donate date for the books in the book bin
• Compile all of the scrapbooking materials (sorting them and finding them a proper home will be another project)
• Take the full binders laying out on the desk and put them onto their proper shelves
• Compile all the loose items into a box (sorting should be a later project I am assuming?)
• Compile all of the empty binder and folders (finding ways to use them as my 43 folders will be a later project)

Like that? At least I can do some of those right away and feel like even though I haven't cleaned my desk completely, I've gotten a good start.

Cass ~ I like the idea of having a little post-it with the three Must-Dos of the day. I used little post its as reminders for myself in college all the time. I'd forgotten how good of a tool they were for me then.

[dawningmama]

The pic worked, Joss. I think your project deets look good.

Um, I went hog wild at Ikea. I have a lot of furniture building to do! Also, I'm one leg short for the big table. Hmmm. I got a $50 gift card because I had a coupon (spend xx ,get xx in gc) that isn't good until tomorrow but if i take my kids back there this week, I think they'll hate me. lolz

[fullofgrace]

We do not have an Ikea here. Sadness.

What did you buy?

[dawningmama]

Couple of tables, chairs, bookcase, doodads for organizing the desk area. I'll take before and after pics and start a new thread here. You should do the same w/ your desk!!

[Cassiopeia]

Oh, the desk pic is nice. It looks like the area surrounding the desk is neat and clean at least!

No Ikea here, either. Sigh.

[fullofgrace]

Originally Posted by Cassiopeia

Oh, the desk pic is nice. It looks like the area surrounding the desk is neat and clean at least!

True, but only at the expense of my desk.

[SusannahM]

Looks good, Aoife. I usually only identify the next action, or occassionally, next couple of actions for a project. If I allow myself to go past that, I'm usually falling into the trap of procrastinating by planning and not actually doing when I could be doing. Sometimes for a large project, of course, more planning is required unless you plan on redoing work (like a bathroom remodel, you're going to have to plan carefully).

One thing I still need to do is to get my reference stuff together. I don't plan on having a lot that is actual paper. I like to go ahead and get it on the computer as much as possible. We've still got our files for financial stuff, but random info like phone numbers, babysitter's names, etc, I like to just keep it all on the computer.

[fullofgrace]

Originally Posted by SusannahM

I usually only identify the next action, or occassionally, next couple of actions for a project. If I allow myself to go past that, I'm usually falling into the trap of procrastinating by planning and not actually doing when I could be doing.

That would be what I do. So great tip!

[fullofgrace]

I'm using this to help refine my Remember the Milk setup. It's getting it better organized.
http://blog.rememberthemilk.com/2008...-remember.html

[Cassiopeia]

Yeah, that blog covers sort of how I do it.

Each project gets a list. I brainstorm as many steps on to that list as I want and then tag one or at most two items as an NA. I'll also tag "waiting fors" then I make a smart search that gives me all my NAs. You can block some lists from your smart search so that you can get an NA list just for work or home or school or whatever.

[Cassiopeia]

And I am just nuts for RTM in Gmail. It's awesome.

[fullofgrace]

I love having RTM right in there, too. I finally realized that I had to turn on the starring = tasking feature , but now that I've done that. It's brillliant!

I'm going to set aside a block of time this evening to follow that blog to the T and get RTM all set up just right for me. I'm back to preferring this over Things.

Do you sync your RTM up to a mobile device?

[dawningmama]

I need to play more with RTM. I want to like it because it is so convenient to have it there on igoogle/googlecalendar & yes! especially gmail!! That is an awesome combo. However, I am not really getting how to set up my longer range goals and the lauguage of seraching & making smart lists is new to me and not intuitive. So, I'm working on it.

[fullofgrace]

:

So it took awhile to get RTM setup, because it was all new to me, too. I still have a few minor tweaks I want to make (trying to figure out how best to work my monthly home zone focus cleans in there) but my lists are all organized!! I can help you dawning, if you'd like.

Also, I sent an invite to my DH so I can add him as a contact, put us in a group, and put some of the shared tasks in there, since he doesn't need to have my yoga and such on his daily to do.

The two tabs that I kept were the Inbox & Sent tabs. I added several others based on the blog I referenced above. After that I have project-ish tabs divided by ps (personal) and wk (work) ---

Inbox
ps-Daily
ps-Growth
ps-HomeImpr
ps-HomeMng
ps-Pool
ps-MDC
ps-Someday
wk-Daily
wk-Website
wk-Someday
Sent

Broken up a bit more than others might since I will be sharing some of the lists with my DH. And then, after taking a bit to figure it out, I have some smart lists ---

@Calls
@Errands
@Home
@Web
@Work-MIT
@Zones
ps-Wait (delegated stuff)
wk-Wait (need input stuff)
Home-WeeklyStatus
Work-WeeklyStatus

[dawningmama]

Ok! I think I finally understand how to use RTM! Took me long enough, eh? I'm still working on it but I finally get why it gets such high praise. I was lost in the details of the difference between "locations" and "tags" but, for me, I realize it doesn't really matter. I pretty much do stuff at home or on errands. I might refine that a big (uptown/down/outoftown errands) or something but for now I'm clear enough.

Ok, so, now I need a budget gadget! Does google have one? Because it would be awesome to have something that plugged into my google calendar. I generally work on a weekly budget and it would be great to have like a weekly budget "count down" on the calendar or on my igoogle. (for now, I keep it on a post-it note in my wallet but this means dp doesn't know what's up unless he asks me---and w/ our schedules we tend to do the money-spending/errand-running separately.)