A common question we’re asked is, “What’s the best day to do a GTD Weekly Review?” Friday is certainly the most common day, but truly, whatever day works for you to get clear, current and creative is the best day!
What’s your favorite day to do your Weekly Review? Take a quick poll:
I have followed astrology over the years as a fun hobby. I have heard that it takes something in the ballpark of over five million years for someone to have the exact same astrological chart as another person. I am new to GTD, but I would venture to say that the same goes for one’s GTD system. The investment banker may not have the same GTD system as the soccer mom, just as the CEO of a fortune 500 company may have a very different system than the ambitious entrepreneur. My job for the David Allen Company could have a very different set of lists than the equivalent job at another company. We all have our own needs, goals and routines that will make us our own unique star in this vast galaxy of purpose.
So where did I start, and where did I end up? The funny thing is I have not added many more than the lists David Allen recommends we start with. [Read more →]
One of the things that helps me stay current with my GTD system and not have the Weekly Review feel like a major renovation, is that I review my Next Actions lists whenever I feel like it and as often as I can. Whenever I coach people who have slipped out of regular reviews (call it daily quick scans and weekly thorough reviews) I see them start to triage all of the “important stuff” onto their Calendar, which they know they will look at. Then the calendar becomes an fuzzy merge of the stuff that really belongs on the calendar (time-specific and day-specific) with the “stuff-I-put-on-the-calendar-so-it-doesn’t-get-lost-on-a-list.” Inevitably, they find themselves carrying things over from day to day just to keep it alive.
Do you need to review every list every day? Of course not. But use those weird windows of time that show up in your day to pop over to a list for a little visit. You might start to find it’s like meeting up with a good friend who is happy to see you.
We received this email from Paul, about his journey from chaos to productivity with GTD:
GTD has transformed (and I do mean transformed) my life. From chaos and stress two years ago, I have found peace and order today, mainly as a result of implementing GTD across my life.
It occurred to me recently when watching one of David’s talks where he explained that we are all trying to operate in a digital world with a stone-age brain, that there are a lot of parallels between physical and mental exercise. We need both in this world we have created that evolution has not prepared us for. In the face of this challenge it’s as though GTD and mindfulness are to the mind as cardio and weights are to the body.
Thank you for all you guys do.
Best wishes,
Paul
