“Work and play are words used for the same thing under differing conditions” —Mark Twain
All good things come in three’s—just like the steps of the weekly review:

1. Get Clear
2. Get Current
3. Get Creative

Getting work done

First get clear. Collect everything in one place—the loose bits of paper, assignments, toys, (school) books and randomly ordered thoughts. Put it all in one place, like the IN basket. Then work it down until you get it is empty.

Doing this for myself regularly keeps me in control. Similarly with my children, the effects are most obvious when I am not asked where the clean socks or trousers are—the wash-IN basket is empty.

Or where that missing library book is to be found. And when my daughter has the conversation with me about doing less English at school so that she can concentrate more on her Russian. (We speak German together at home).

The balance between work and play

Then get current. Connecting with everything and identifying what to do with or about it, is a balancing act.

This is most obvious to me in the moment of now. In reviewing everything, I know how and when to keep in balance. That careful balancing act between work and play.

“The richest and fullest lives attempt to achieve inner balance between 3 realms: work, love and play. That to pursue one realm to the disregard of the other is to open oneself to ultimate sadness in older age. Whereas to pursue all 3 with equal dedication, is to make possible a life not only with achievement but with serenity.” —Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Doris Kearns Goodwin on learning from past presidents | Video on TED.com

How often do you get to play?

Get creative. Creative ideas seem easy for kids. Wild outrageous and seriously fun things are so easy for kids because it’s most like play.

Sometimes it is also important to do just nothing. Sit out in the garden and enjoy the view of how the seasons change. Or enjoy a coffee in your favorite café—doing nothing. Not even with your notebook. Just doing nothing can be the most productive time of the day. Kids do it (almost) all the time.

“Hey what are you doing?” — “Oh? Nothing!”

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In case you live under a rock and only check your email and RSS feeds every other week you might not have heard about the contest we’re having for a free day of Executive Workflow Coaching courtesy of the David Allen Company and GTDtimes.

This is your chance to have one of David’s personally certified GTD Workflow Coaches come to your home or office location and spend a full day helping you implement or fine tune your GTD workflow. The prize includes the full cost of a day of coaching including the expense to bring the coach to your specified locale.

It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to save thousands of dollars on training that has the potential to change your life by making your radically more productive. The testimonials that we’ve heard from people that have experienced this life-enhancing training are nothing short of amazing. Wouldn’t you like to add your testimonial to the list?

Well don’t delay. We’re only acceptling entries until the end of the day on October 24th so hurry over to this site and fill out an entry. THere’s nothing to buy and the hoops you have to jump through and very small. Even a caveman could do it – whether a caveman can practice GTD is debatable, however.

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Friend of David Allen and the David Allen Company, James Fallows was kind enough to give GTDtimes a very favorable mention in the Atlantic, one of the most lauded and influential publications in the country.

James, that’s high praise and a very generous compliment especially coming from a nationally recognized journalist like yourself.

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Yes!  You heard it correctly.  One lucky person is going to win a full day of Workflow Coaching with one of David Allen’s executive coaches.  This is the same coaching that the David Allen Company provides to executives in some of the world’s most progressive organizations…

Now – courtesy of  GTDtimes – one lucky person is going to cash in big and get this life changing experience absolutely free.  This prize includes the complete cost (travel, etc.) for the executive coach to come to your office  and spend a full day with you to fine tune your  GTD System, work through your current projects list, capture your commitments, blaze through piles of stuff that have been there for way too long and generally help you  to become a lean, mean, productive machine.

So if you’re the sort of person that thinks that a day with a world class GTD professional would do you some good here’s what you have to do to enter:

1. Click on this link:  <GTD Executive Workflow Contest>
2. Fill out the questionnaire (it’s short and painless, we promise)
3. Explain in fifty words or less why you think a day of workflow coaching would change your life or send in a picture of your office with a caption that sums it up (please email your image and caption to    editor at GTDtimes dot com)
4. Wait patiently to be notified who got the big win

That’s it.  Nothing to mail. No purchase necessary either.  The team at GTDtimes and the David Allen Company will select the winner from all entries within one  week of the close of the contest. *

In addition to the Grand Prize there will also be a number of “runner up” prizes awarded to a few lucky people chosen at random.

Be sure to get your entries in by October 24th, 2008  so that you don’t miss your chance to win big.  Finally, be sure to subscribe to GTDtimes via RSS or email so that you don’t miss out on other contests or special events in the near future.

If you enjoy this publication, please help spread the word.  Would someone you know appreciate the information and advice that you get from GTDtimes?  Don’t keep us a secret!

*Please note the decision of the team at GTDtimes and the David Allen Company are final.  Employees of the David Allen Company and GTDtimes as well as their families are not eligible for this contest. For this contest you must live in the United States to be eligible. Winners will be  announced on GTDtimes and the individual winners will also be notified by email and will have 48 hours in which to respond to claim the day of coaching. If the prize is not claimed within the 48 hour period, the offer will be rescinded and another winner will be declared. The coaching day must be completed by December 31, 2008. This coaching day has no cash value and may not be transferred, sold or otherwise assigned.
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On the 30th of August 2008, 2 unassuming looking Indians made GTD history in Bangalore by giving the first GTD Presentation in India by Indians!

It all started out when Leslie Harradine (a David Allen Company Trainer) flew down to Bangalore, India to train our people in Vakil Housing in GTD. We realized to sustain the momentum & excitement, GTD training within the company needs to be a regular activity. We therefore decided that we need to have in-house trainers who would ensure a GTD culture sets in within the organization.

A 3 day seminar conducted by Leslie took place where she trained the Directors – Arif & Ali Vakil and Managers – Ramesh (Business Development) and Suresh (Human Resoures) to be GTD Trainers.

After the training for the next 3 months we would meet every week to practice our presentations, giving each other feedback.
A couple of days before the event, we had a call with Leslie who cleared our doubts, and gave us lots of encouragement!
2 Seminars took place. Ali & Ramesh trained the first batch, Arif & Suresh trained the second batch. Here are some photographs below of the events:

What’s Next?
To make most of the GTD Training activities we have done so far, the following are our action points:
* Add GTD as part of the appraisal system
* Create GTD groups who encourage each other to implement the GTD methodology
* Train new employees in GTD as part of the induction program
* Ensure Top Management follows GTD, to set an example for others
* Introduce creative stationary to make GTD a fun process at work

This is the fifth post in our series of Rolling Out GTD at Vakil Housing. Earlier posts have been:

First Post: How we Successfully Implemented GTD across our Company thereby Increasing Productivity & Making Work Fun.
Second Post: Cool GTD Gear to motivate all in your Organization to Collect & have a mind like water.
Third Post: The remaining GTD Tools we used to build our Corporate army of GTD Champions.
Fourth Post: The Key to Implementing GTD Across our/your Company.

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