In my earlier blog post about getting your email inbox down to zero, GTD’er Gil asked the question, “So, what do you suggest when the problem seems to be the sheer quantity, not just mail management practices?”
There are two things I would look at: Speed + Input
One angle to consider is to get really good and faster at processing. Speed will be required when you’re getting tons of volume every day if you hope to get through it all without it consuming your entire day.
I think it’s also helpful to look at what you’re getting with a fresh eye, now and again. Do you need to be getting everything you’re getting?
If you’ve ever tasted Inbox zero, you know there’s no going back. It’s a powerful reference point in mastering GTD. The key is knowing how you did it, and how to repeat it on a regular basis. (Yes, it’s not just about getting it there once–anyone can do that with Ctrl+A, Delete. ) The answers are all in the GTD workflow diagram. Download a free copy here.
The good news with the GTD model is that the thought process is the same no matter how something comes in (email, paper etc.) But since email plagues so many people, we’ll use that for our example.
The GTD Tweekly Review today was great fun for me and seemed like it worked well for those who followed. I will do another one. Don’t know when yet, but will be sure to post on GTD Times, GTD Connect and Twitter when I come up with a date and time. And, please don’t wait for me to do a Weekly Review on your own! It’s all in the book, in the free article, System Guides and more. I know there’s a special sauce factor of having a David Allen Coach lead you through it, but you can always find those motivators for yourself too! Make it fun, give yourself a reward, find a buddy, give yourself a time limit like I did, or focus on one step and do it completely–whatever works.
Here are all 11 steps to the GTD Weekly Review, for your reference:
GET CLEAR
GET CURRENT
GET CREATIVE
“Best to not be too tied up in how often you “should” be doing a Weekly Review. Then, like avoiding writing your relatives because there’s just too much to catch up on, if you’re not getting to the Review regularly, you’ll just think it’s too much to catch up with, and you quit. Any time, any frequency, is better than not at all.” - David Allen
Until we meet again…
Kelly
Follow the Twitterfountain: http://www.gtdtimes.com/gtd-tweekly-review-twitter-fountain/
Follow GTDCoachKelly: http://twitter.com/GTDCoachKelly
Search on the hashtag: #Tweekly
I’ll Tweet the 11 steps of the GTD Weekly Review, one every 5 minutes.
- Kelly
The response to my blog post on the first Worldwide GTD “Tweekly” Review on Twitter has been amazing! I’ll be leading whoever wants to join through the 11 steps of the GTD Weekly Review. Some of you have asked me to change the time. We’re going to keep it at the scheduled 10am California Pacific Time. Sorry, I know for some of you that’s wee early. So if I do another one, I will certainly take that into account.
Here are the particulars:
Thursday, May 28th - 10am - 11am Pacific Time (California) time. Find your local time. Here’s a sample of local times:
A few of you have asked how much of GTD should you know before joining the guided Tweekly Review. I would highly recommend understanding the essential Mastering Workflow principles of GTD:
The GTD book, is one of the best ways to learn those principles. Part one (about 86 pages) will give you a great overview. If you’ve been through a GTD class with us, review your workbook. Short on time or just want a refresher of the best practices? I would at least download these free articles from the DAC store:
Here are three different ways to follow:
