Projects are listed by the outcome you will achieve when you can mark it as done (what will be true?). Think of your Projects list as a current table of contents of the current outcomes on your plate. David Allen created his cult-like following for GTD with his “next action” idea. I discovered GTD in 2006 when I was poring over my daily to-do list.
- The more ideas you put out there, the better your odds of having some great ones in the pile.
- The last piece of this puzzle is project support material.
- Our brains become cluttered with information, ideas, tasks, etc.
Everything should have been moved to the appropriate project or working doc so that the next time you check your Inbox, you’re triaging brand new tasks. The best way to capture all of this stuff is to use a virtual system—not an analogue one. Written gtd system to-do lists provide the wonderfully satisfying feeling of crossing something off, but they’re also the worst way to keep track of your to-dos. In reality, a written to-do list is often disorganized, prone to mistakes, easy to lose, and ineffective.
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For years I have used a system of folders based on my Areas of Focus. This system holds all of my digital files and reference materials not just for my projects but for all areas of my life. Projects have their own folders inside the relevant Area of Focus containing their support materials.
It’s Friday and you’re heading to work, thinking about what you want the evening to have in store. You decide you want catch a movie and dinner with friends. Then you’ll probably start picturing the evening itself — drinks over spicy Thai food and something funny on the silver screen.
Using GTD and Toodledo to get organized and be productive!
Plans that are written down on scraps of paper go into drawers, or piles on desks or folded into notebooks. They are never around when needed and sometimes you just have to re-plan something to get the next action. This is the stage when you determine what can actually be done now, and who’s going to do it. Once you’ve determined that you’re planning a project and why you’re planning it (your purpose), you naturally begin to envision what it’ll be like. This is the physical feel, look, and sound of the project.
