What goes on my calendar?
December 13th, 2012 GTD Times Team - Staff ContributorsCategories | Best Practices of GTD | Getting Started | Getting Things Done | GTD Toolbox | Implementation
Here’s a simple calendar guideline from Senior Coach & Presenter Kelly Forrister: If something needs to be done ON a day, it belongs on your calendar. If it can be done ANY day, or BY a day, it goes on a Next Actions list.
I’m sure this question gets asked a lot, but is there a standard GTD place for marking deadlines outside of the calendar?
I imagine that GTD would say, mark the deadline with the Next Action. Then, when you review your NA list daily, the deadline will make you feel increasingly anxious as you approach the deadline, and then you’ll do it when you feel intuitively like you need to.
Is that about right?
Hi Brent,
Yes, that’s about right. Here’s the recommendation about what to review when:
Calendar – daily
Next Actions Lists – as often as you can
Projects and Someday – weekly in the Weekly Review
People easily get caught in the trap of putting everything on their calendar, because they know they’ll see it there. If you can also build in looking at your Next Action lists, any chance you get (and there would be value in doing so), then you’ll start to build trust that you’ll also see it on your Action lists. My lists also sort due dated items at the top, so that helps draw my attention in when I scan my lists.
If I see something is looming though, and I’m not sure I’ll get to it unless I carve out the time, I may still keep it on my Next Action lists, but create a calendar entry to work on it in blocks of time.
Hope this helps!