How much discipline does GTD take?
December 4th, 2012 GTD Times Team - Staff ContributorsCategories | Best Practices of GTD | David Allen | Getting Things Done | Implementation | Inspiration
“People often remark to me that “GTD does take a lot of discipline!” Actually, it doesn’t, any more than taking showers and brushing your teeth require discipline, once the initial unfamiliarity has been overcome. How long does it take to get there? As long as it takes. You’ll be another day older tomorrow, no matter what. So just keep returning, when you stray. Write things down. Decide outcomes and actions. Organize and review them. And you’ll feel more and more uncomfortable when you don’t.”
–David Allen
It took me a couple trials and re-reads before I felt I had it “implemented,” which required discipline. But once in place, the rewards are so immense that it becomes pretty easy to stick to.
I think it’s much more routine instead of discipline, at least at the end of the day. In the beginning it is discipline which then should become routine.
Integrating GTD into my life required 5.5 things
1. A no turning back decision. I removed plan B. I left myself no other options.
2. Young eyes. I have learned again in the last 10 or so years that my younger self is more open to adventures and risk and that my younger self absorbs new things much faster than the older me. So I play a little game with myself where I imagine that I’m looking at this new thing, in this case GTD, through my 9 year old eyes with the same playfulness I applied to everything when I was 9. The coolest question I use is …. I wonder what this does or that does or I wonder if that will …. If it breaks I beg for forgiveness, but more often than not I discover newer cooler things that open up new ways to get things done.
3. Time. I’ve broken a bunch of old, ineffective, even harmful habits. Some of them I broke instantly, others took time… Old habits can be broken and new ones can be brought to life but accept that it will likely take more time than you imagine and then move in that direction one step at a time.
4. Patience. Teaching yourself to focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want requires discipline. And many of us are highly evolved at seeing what we don’t want. Example: When something doesn’t go like we want we have a tendency to focus on the problem and then begin seeing problems everywhere we look instead of saying wait…. I wonder if or I wonder what.
5. Compromise. I’m not a GTD purist and I feel no guilt. I’ve modified it to make it work for me and although I might be leaving a little margin on the table, I’m ecstatic with the margin I’m getting and I’m getting it free from tension and stress which makes my world a very cool place.
5.5 Apps. I use Evernote and their suite of complimentary apps, Google Apps and Drop Box to rock GTD.
GTD has been a big help in reducing my stress. I am refining my practice, but it is already making a big difference after 2 months. So in my experience it works. It doesn’t feel like discipline, it feels like a more relaxed way to get my thoughts into a system.
I’ve just started the implement GTD and due to my work and life style I know it’s going to take a long time to have a “full” system. But the stress relief started almost immediately, and I can foresee more benefits as I implement each part.
It’s hard to change habits, I think that’s the hardest part of the system. And that to re-train yourself you need time, which in my case is very limited.
But in the end, it’s worth.