My Killer GTD Setup

Here’s my entry in the Killer GTD Setup meme started at Getting Things Done. 

My killer GTD setup: 

• I carry a full-size pad of paper with me at work at all times. It has my Master List of all projects on the top page. Subsequent pages have my lists of next actions, divided into the following categories: @computer, @home, @work, @anywhere. I used to have a separate list of calls to make, but the truth is, I seldom need to make phone calls. For me, it makes more sense to put phone calls that must be made from work on the @work list and calls that can be made on my cell phone on the @anywhere list. I also have a Someday/Maybe list.
• I schedule a Weekly Review for 3:30-5 every Thursday. That time slot works for me because Thursday and Friday are my slowest days at work, so I know I won’t be interrupted on Thursday afternoon, and if something comes up and I don’t get to finish my Weekly Review on Thursday, it’s usually pretty easy to schedule a slot to finish it up on Friday. 
• I use Microsoft Outlook mostly because my employer provides it. When I schedule things using Outlook, if I have related notes or papers, I put two asterisks after the name of the appointment. Then, down in the notes section of the appointment, I specify where the notes or papers or whatever are. 

• Above my desk I have two bins like this. Mine are actually a little deeper, which is nice because a lot will fit into one. 
  • One is labeled “IN.” That’s my in basket. Anything I can’t deal with immediately goes in there: notes from meetings, papers to grade, requests for letters of recommendation, advertisements for new textbooks/films/whatever related to my job, and notes I jot to myself. I usually don’t do anything in my IN basket until Thursday’s Weekly Review, when I go through everything in it and either do what needs to be done or schedule a time to do it before the next Weekly Review. Nothing goes undone for more than a week, which works with my job. If something comes up that must be done before the next Weekly Review, I schedule a time to do it immediately. 
  • One is labeled “READ,” and that’s where I put short articles or brochures that I can read quickly in short bursts. When I have to go to a meeting, I usually grab something from the READ bin and take it with me; that way if the meeting starts late (and most do), I can get some reading done. The READ bin is only for short items—books and items that require more concentration go into the IN bin and I schedule a time to read them when I do my Weekly Review. 
• I have subfolders in my email inbox for Action and Waiting For. I also have folders for all my projects, committees, supervisors, etc.

• My desk at work has two file drawers. One has my tickler files and the other has my project files. I use the tickler files mostly to hold documents that are directly connected to an appointment in my Outlook.

Why does this set up work for me? I’ve used this set up for two years now. It’s the only GTD set up I’ve ever used, with a few tweaks. Like I said above, I used to have a Calls to Make list, but I phased that out. The main reason this system works for me is that with the Weekly Review scheduled for Thursday afternoon, nothing can ever fall through the cracks for more than a week. Since I started following the GTD system, I have honored my Weekly Review religiously. I have the Weekly Review scheduled in Outlook as a recurring appointment until the end of time, and in the notes section of that appointment, I have a checklist reminding me of everything I need to do.

Tag: Clancy and anyone else who is Getting Things Done.

tags: gtd  organizing  

links: del.icio.us    technorati