Getting Things Done

In an effort to improve my own time management skills and maximize efficiency, I just finished reading David Allen's book Getting Things Done. I don't recommend rushing out to the store to pick up a copy of the book. I was looking for Allen to tell me exactly what system to use to get organized.  While I never got a concrete recommendation about what software or paper system to use, Allen did make some great points.

You should never have to think about the same thing twice. How many times have you thought about a project, errand or idea and then continued about your day? Later that day the same project, errand or idea pops up into your mind. It usually pops back up when you can do absolutely nothing to get the thing accomplished. We need a system to capture all of our to-dos, tasks, errands and ideas. When we capture these things in a trusted system, we can stop wasting mind space worrying about what we need to do. Our minds will be free to think about more ideas and tactics to actually get things accomplished.

You need to process all of your open loops. Allen suggests creating an in-box at home and at work to process all of the things you have not yet entered into a system. Take all of those piles of unread mail, magazines, meeting notes, to-do lists, project ideas, etc. and dump them into an in-box. You might want to brainstorm and just write on pieces of paper all of the things that come to mind that you need to do and want to do. Once you have collected everything that is an immediate to-do, a project idea, a like to-do or a someday/maybe to-do you can process through the material. Once you do an initial mind dump into your in-box, you'll want to add anything new that comes your way into your in-box and process through it at a designated time.

Do it, delegate it or decide the next action. Processing your initial mind dump in-box can be very overwhelming. To get through the pile or piles, Allen suggests applying the do it, delegate it or decide what to do with it rule. If it will take less than two minutes to do something do it right then as you are processing. If you need to delegate the task to someone else then get the task out of you system and into the right person's system. If you need to decide what to do with it you'll want to add the task to a list.

Lists. Allen describes several lists in his book. At home, at computer, at work, errands, calls to make, someday/maybe, etc. The benefit of organizing tasks, projects and ideas by lists is that you can easily scan a list when you are in the right place to get things done. For instance, if you are stuck in traffic you might be able to pull out your calls to make list and plug through the dials. When you are out and about running errands it will be helpful to see all of the things you need to pick up or places you need to go. How many times have you been out shopping and gotten back home only to discover you forgot the laundry soap? I am still working out my lists. As a result of reading this book, I am trying to go digital with my lists. I used to be the girl that had to-dos on the backs of envelopes, on post-its and legal pads throughout my office. I am now using Microsoft Outlook tasks to capture all of my to-dos, projects and ideas. You can create several task lists and rename the lists like Allen recommends. You can also print your lists and take it with you. (For those of us that get pleasure out of physically crossing off a completed task, I highly recommend printing your task list from time to time.) When every a new idea pops into my head I send myself an email so I can add it to my task lists when I am back at the office. (Getting my phone to sync is one of my next actions so I can eliminate the need to send this email.)

Next Action. It is not enough to just write something down on a list. Allen suggests taking the extra 10 seconds to think about the actual next action needed to get the thing done. For instance, get dog vaccinations is on my personal to-do list. The next step is to actually look up the place where I plan to go for the vaccinations and research the times available for the vaccinations. Once I know when the vaccinations are offered I can schedule a time to go on my calendar. Think about what really needs to happen first to get the things on your list done and write those next actions down.

Keep A Calendar. Most people know they need a calendar to schedule important meetings and appointments. You can also use your calendar to schedule time to complete the tasks on your lists. It's probably a good idea to schedule time to review your system. Allen suggests taking a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon to review your calendar and note any upcoming preparation needed for meetings, to review your lists and process your in-box.

Review. The system you put in place will only work if you trust it. In order to trust the system and truly stop thinking about all of your to-dos you need to review your lists and calendars frequently. If your mind doesn't trust the system it won't stop thinking about your to-dos.

I hope these points help you get more done. We have the capacity to accomplish a lot, but we need a system to keep us organized and on task. Plus, a system will keep us focused. Successful people don't let the seemingly urgent derail them from what is truly important! 

All Or Nothing

Do the people you surround yourself with help you achieve your goals or push you further away from your goals? (This same concept applies to the decisions you make, but I'll save that for another blog post). This morning I had brunch with some fabulous ladies. Some I have known for a long time while others I just recently met. Whether they know it or not, my friends this morning helped me get one step closer to a couple of my personal goals. (Grow WIN BIG to 15 strong members and write a book.)

I brought up this blog during one of our many conversations and shared with the group my purpose for starting this blog and also the guilt I feel for not writing more frequently. The response I got was very positive and relieving. Writing once a week is enough and writing short posts improves readability. Wow! I don't have to write the perfect post or fill an entire page with my thoughts? I was approaching this blog with the wrong approach. All or nothing (my competitive, type A personality at its best)!  So what if I don't write multiple times per week or if I only have time to write a few sentences here and there. Each time I  write, I am one step closer towards my goal of writing a book.

I wonder how many other people go after their goals with an all or nothing approach? While this approach can certainly produce some dynamic results on occasion, my opinion is that it hinders progress more often than not. I challenge you to do one thing every week to move one step closer to your goals. It can be something small that does't require a lot of time. As long as you are moving in the right direction, you should ultimately reach your end destination.