The GTD Times Team is the gang from the David Allen Company who oversee, manage and contribute to GTD Times.
The GTD Times Team is the gang from the David Allen Company who oversee, manage and contribute to GTD Times.
We’ve added more cities and dates to our schedule of one-day GTD® Mastering Workflow seminars. You can click on the city and date that interest you to get details and register.
Newport Beach, CA — June 27
Austin, TX — June 27
Portland, OR — July 16
Tampa, FL — July 18
Columbus, OH — July 25
Richmond, VA — August 8
Vancouver, BC — August 15
Indianapolis, IN — August 22
Invest a day to take your productivity to the next level.
Have you yet discovered that your mind has limited space, and it’s a terrible office?—David Allen
This Q&A about a GTD map happened on our GTD forums. It generated some good discussion, so we wanted to pass it along.
Question: I often hear David refer to having the right map in order to be properly engaged with the present. At first, I thought he was talking about mind maps but now it seems to represents a tool, a system, a checklist. I guess I am really not sure. Can someone explain to me what David is referring to by indicating that you need the right map?
David Allens’s answer: Any tool used to orient yourself. Where am I relative to today’s commitments? (Map = calendar.) What do I need to be aware of, as I meet with my boss? (Map = agenda list.) What should I know or be reminded of about the family vacation? (Maps = travel checklist, calendar of travel events, any plans or details about the content to review.) Where am I about my lifestyle and career right now? (Map = Vision Horizons of Focus.) What do I need from the farmer’s market? (Map = physical walkways of the market.)
Read the full thread here.
You already know that your email can be a source of stress. And if you’ve installed GTD in your workflow to even a small extent, you’ve found that you can reduce the stress of email by simply going through GTD’s Process and Organize phases. A recent article in The Telegraph quotes new research that “filing emails into folders also lowered levels of stress and prompted a sense of well-being because it helped people feel in control.”
That’s good, because “the study also found that people were unable to identify accurately when their body was showing signs of stress and often were unaware of their state.”
What are your signs that stress is building up?
Email ‘raises stress levels’
Email is supposed to make modern life easier, but it is making workers more stressed than ever as they struggle to stay on top of hundreds of messages per day, according to researchers.
By Nick Collins, Science Correspondent
7:00AM BST 04 Jun 2013
Reading and sending emails prompts telltale signs of stress including elevated blood pressure, heart rate and levels of the hormone cortisol, a study found.
Researchers who followed a group of 30 government employees found that 83 per cent became more stressed while using email, rising to 92 per cent when speaking on the phone and using email at the same time.
Although receiving a single message was no more stressful than answering one phone call or talking to someone face-to-face, emails had a stronger effect overall because people received so many each day.
Researchers believe that emails can add to stress levels. Photo: ALAMY
Read the full article here.
When was the last time you had what David Allen calls “mind like water?” If not lately, or not as often as you’d like, take the Guided GTD Mind Sweep webinar this Thursday, June 13 from 10am-11am Pacific time. This working webinar will give you a supportive and fun opportunity to capture what’s really grabbing your attention. It will also give you a refresher on the fundamental questions to ask to keep things off your mind and get them into your trusted GTD system.
If you are finding that long next actions often go stale, break them into even smaller chunks—even if the smaller ones seem microscopic at times. For example, instead of “Read Chapter 5,” try “Read pages 10-20 of Chapter 5,” or something like that. Smaller actions can also give you a sense of completion with what you are getting done, when you mark them complete. Then go ahead and add the next action after that to your list—perhaps with slightly different language to keep it visually fresh and appealing.
—Kelly
Kelly Forrister is a Senior Coach & Presenter with the David Allen Company.
Here’s a quick challenge: go through all your emails still in “IN” and handle all the less-than-two-minute ones. Same for your to-read stack. For those kind of things it’s time to be made of Teflon.—David Allen
The ability to quickly capture a thought and get it off your mind makes all the difference in how well you can focus on what you’re doing right now. Having a capture tool that’s with you when you’re out and about is essential. The elegant GTD NoteTaker Wallet will capture all those random thoughts that occur at the most unexpected times and places.
All styles and accessories on sale now for 30% off the regular price. It’s a great time to get one for yourself or as a gift.
“Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time we have.”
― Art Buchwald
