• Updated instructions and screenshots for setting up Tasks
• A new way to track Waiting For items when you send email
• Suggestions for using ‘Quick Steps’ to process email

Read a free sample from the email section

Buy now from the DAC Store

You may know that David Allen uses eProductivity.  It’s also the GTD app of choice for his staff at the David Allen Company. If you use Lotus Notes, eProductivity is well worth a look. It’s the only app for IBM Lotus software to receive the GTD Enabled designation.

This is helpful for us in our long-term planning for GTD Setup Guides.

We appreciate your help!

David Allen Company Education Team

If you’d rather use Outlook just as it is out of the box, you’ll get value from our downloadable GTD and Outlook Setup Guides, written by David Allen and the Coaches. There are guides for Outlook 2003 and 2007. A guide for Outlook 2010 is on the way this year. GTD Times readers will be among the first to know when the release date is announced.

This is helpful for us in our long-term planning for GTD Setup Guides.

Thanks!

David Allen Company Education Team

Join us on Thursday, January 27th from 10am-11am Pacific Time.

Free for all GTD Connect guest pass, monthly and annual members. To register for the webinar, log in to GTD Connect and follow the link on the home page.

Highly recommended if you will be in the DC area next week.

Click here for all the details!

1. eProductivity for Lotus Notes
2. Blackberry synchronization with Lotus Notes
3. MindManager from Mindjet
4. ActiveWords
5. Pamela Professional for Skype

Read more . . .

If anyone is telling you a specific piece of software is required for GTD–good chance they don’t understand GTD.

We do have a few key tools that we personally use and recommend that have gone through David Allen’s extensive vetting process. You can find a link to those in our online store.  If you don’t see your software listed here, it means we do not have a recommendation at this time, but a search on GTD Times and our public Forums should give you quite a few helpful suggestions about what other GTDers are using.

Google says that Priority Inbox “automatically identifies your important email and separates it out from everything else, so you can focus on what really matters.”

So, what does David Allen say about this kind of tool and the questions about something that sorts your inbox being “anti-GTD?”

Having email sorting/filtering would be anti-GTD if you use it to avoid decision-making, but not if it’s just for evaluating what kind of attention to put on something. Using colors for certain people’s emails in  Lotus Notes (as I do) would also be “anti-GTD” if you never dealt with the non-colored ones. We’re not officially endorsing or recommending this.  Just saying it’s something that you can make work.  – David Allen

You can hear how David uses his new iPad on the latest Up Close with David podcast series on GTD Connect.

For those of you on Mac, our recommendation is OmniFocus. For those of you on PC or using Web-based apps, we have not vetted an iPhone application yet.  Rest assured, we’re working hard on this and will be sure to make an announcement when we find something that passes our rigorous vetting process.  Here are the only software applications that have earned David Allen’s recommendation.  And of those, just the Netcentrics GTD® Outlook® Add-In and eProductivity™ for Lotus Notes® have earned the coveted “GTD-Enabled” distinction.

In the meantime, tap into the wisdom and personal experience of your fellow GTDers by reading the many discussions about this :

• on GTD Times
• on our Getting Things Done Forums
• on our GTD Facebook Fan Page
• on our LinkedIn GTD Enthusiasts group

This 45 page Guide, created by David Allen and the senior coaches, will show you how to:

• Manage your email effectively on the BlackBerry–including how to get email to zero
• Use BlackBerry Tasks for your Projects and Actions–including descriptions and examples of what goes on different lists
• Use the Calendar as a critical foundation for actions–with shortcuts for switching between different views
• Create useful reference lists in MemoPad–for managing the “non-action” part of your life as well
• Move faster with speed keys and shortcuts–referenced throughout the Guide and on handy quick reference sheet
• Navigate around the BlackBerry easily–with tips on customizing some settings to match the way you work

*210 MM wide and 297 MM tall (about 8 1/4 x 11 3/4 inch), used in Europe, and rest of the world, except the US and some neighboring countries where ‘letter-size’ paper (8 1/2 x 11 inch) is used.

Does your employer block productivity apps on your BlackBerry, iPhone, or Android Smartphone?

With the recent discussions about Apps and how consumers want the freedom to find, evaluate, and purchase Apps for their Smartphones, I wonder how many users are able download and use a productivity application and how many have policies that prevent them from doing so.

If you found a productivity application for your mobile device that was proven to increase your performance, would you: a) be allowed to install it? b) encounter resistance (or refusal) from IT to allow you to install it? c) make a business case to management for why this App should be allowed?

Please take a moment to take the quick poll then scroll down to share your comments.

I’m not asking whether you think Smartphones connected to enterprise systems should be locked down or not – there are many valid arguments for both sides of that discussion. What I most want to know is what the current climate is like when it comes to productivity applications on mobile devices and what organizations are doing to encourage/permit or discourage/restrict users from downloading and using productivity applications on their mobile devices.

It’s chock-full of 45 pages of coaching advice on getting the most out of shortcuts, Email, Tasks, the Calendar and MemoPad using the built-in features of a BlackBerry (which means you won’t find any  requirements of any 3rd-party software to buy to apply what’s in the Guide.)

Download a free sample

Buy the Guide now (only $10 for a PDF)

So…the next question that’s been pouring into our customer service department today:  What about a GTD Guide for iPhone users? The iPhone is a different animal because it was built without a Tasks application.   So users need something that enables them to view Tasks on the iPhone and a service to share that information with the desktop.  We do not have a solution we confidently recommend for that yet (except OmniFocus for Mac users), based on our testing, but I am tracking this all closely (as an iPhone user and BlackBerry user) and will create a Guide as soon as I feel confident we have something solid to recommend for Tasks.

A Community Contribution from Jason Verly

For anyone who uses a Mac and utilizes the GTD method, you may eventually look into what software you can use to help manage your project and next action lists. Currently on the Mac, the leading apps to help manage your lists are OmniFocus and Things. Each app covers four of the five steps of the GTD workflow: Collect, Process, Organize, and Review. (Sorry, but you still have to do ‘Do’ on you own.)   Here is a comparison of how each application handles these four steps.

Read more from Jason Verly’s article

Editors Note: Many of you know we are partners with OmniGroup. We wanted to provide this article to our GTD Times readers, as Jason has done a great job comparing these two popular applications.  It should give you some great information from a fellow GTDer, when choosing which one is best for you.

On April 3, 2010, Apple released the iPad to the world.  A day later I completely changed how I do my weekly reviews.  Like most avid GTD’ers, I kept my weekly review to be a sacred and solemn time.  I normally did my reviews on Sunday evening in my home office so I could really dig into what was happening so I could get clear about what I had coming up the next week.  My weekly review was anchored to a time and place where I believed I needed to be to get through my lists.  Not anymore.

The weekend the iPad came out my weekly review was done on the couch sitting next to my 5y old son while he watched a movie.  I have to tell you, it was great.  I was in a relaxed place, with little distraction, and I was able to focus and process like never before.  Now before you hit enter on your comment asking how could I concentrate while sitting next to my son while he was watching a movie or stating there is no way someone could get a good weekly review done in that kind of setting, see if you can give me two more minutes to explain.  I’ll bet I can convince you it can be done in that kind of setting and it is so worth it.

Quick, think of the three most important things to you?  Got them?  Great.

Do any of those things relate to some area of focus at one of your higher elevations?  They do?  Perfect, now you can do a weekly review on an iPad.  Honest.

When I did my weekly review on my iPad I was able to do it while embracing an important area of focus for me – spend time with family.  My son didn’t care that I wasn’t watching the movie, but that night it was important for him just to have me sitting next to him.  I had my list manager open, was able to process my inbox, fire off a few emails, jot down some notes for later reference, and plan for my coming week on my calendar.  The iPad offered a lower intrusion barrier while sitting there with my son and that was what made things nearly perfect.

As I’ve continued to do my weekly reviews on my iPad for the past month I’ve learned a few things about my system and have made a few adjustments.  For example, I started to see my contexts list was starting to get out of control.  I had @computer:work, @computer:home, @computer:Maximo, @computer:reports.  Reviewing on my iPad allowed me to see that I had some contexts lined up almost 1:1 for a project list.  Culling my contexts down has made reviewing and lining up what to do next even easier.

Now I will be the first to admit that doing your weekly review on an iPad may not be for everyone.  For some, their weekly review is like I mentioned before, a solemn and sacred time for them to get clear – almost like meditating.  If that’s your style, great, stick with it.  No need to fix something that isn’t broken.  My transition from laptop and desk chair to iPad and lounge chair was probably a little easier because I’m basically using all the tools I had before.  I have an iPhone and a Mac, so most of the tools I had previously been using as part of my weekly reviews were ported almost seamlessly to the iPad.

The iPad’s form factor has also allowed me to do more mini-reviews and capture sessions.  For example, I knew for a long time there was a gap in my system where I wasn’t doing a good job capturing action items form meetings.  I have terrible hand writing and just the thought of having to try to review my notes repulsed me.  Those notes would previously gone into my paper inbox for later processing.  Now I just hold back for an extra 10-15 minutes after a meeting and capture my action items or needed follow-ups in electronic format.

OK… now you can you hit submit on your comment.

FWIW: The entire article was created, edited, and posted to GTD Staff via my iPad and iPhone.

Jason Verly is a Project Manager during the day and a tech crazy husband and father of two at night.  He is avid GTD’er, longtime GTD Connect member, and can be reached via email or on Twitter as @MyGeekDaddy.

Register now>>>

For more GTD videos, check out GTD Connect, our online learning center. You’ll find nearly 100 Videos on GTD Connect, from “2 Minutes with David Allen” clips to replays of our monthly Webinar classes.

Click to see larger image

A Community Contribution from Brian Isikoff, sharing how he manages GTD lists on his new iPad

I’m a four+ year adoptee of GTD, an IT Procurement professional since 1992, podcast producer, writer, and all around nice guy. Lastly, I’m the owner of a sparkly new iPad.

That iPad has quickly become the center of my GTD system. The form factor is the key for me.  The device is highly portable – certainly around the house, neighborhood, and many of my favorite destinations. The iPad’s planner-ish size and capabilities allow me to not only implement GTD but take many of actions captured in the system. To complement the native Apple calendar, contacts, and email, I added Toodledo (which syncs with the free web service of the same name.)

My iPhone  also running a synced copy of Toodledo (and calendar, email, safari, etc.) which provides the little notepad / Moleskine equivalent to my system. It’s also a little more discrete than pulling out an iPad – ideal for the BART train, while on a walk, coffee break or arriving at a meeting a little early.

Implementation Specifics

Click to see larger image

I set up Toodledo with the context view as the default. Rather than play around with tags or folders, I set Projects – Home, Projects – Work, and Sometime / Maybe as contexts. This ensures my central view (that context view) displays all my lists. I know from prior setups that having decentralized lists leads to a system breakdown for me.

I use an @ as a prefix for my contexted action lists. While I like using the symbol in general (it reminds me to take action), it more importantly pops all the prefixed lists to the top of my central view. This hits my central list preference of alphabetized action lists followed by projects and lastly my blue sky (someday / maybe).

For list specifics, I’ve added an @ Bills context – giving my monthly bills a scan on weekly and ad hoc reviews is a convenience for me. My @Calls has morphed in an @ Calls / Email list (since I can handle both with the phone and / or pad). With my primary @ Work and Projects – Work lists (and associated delegated, staff agendas, and focus lists) on my work laptop in Outlook, my iPad @ Work and project list serves as a capture point for actions I come up with when not at work. I merge them in my daily morning reviews in the office.

[Editors note: Although we're pretty jazzed about the iPad too, this is a community contribution and Brian's personal experience. This is not an official recommendation or endorsement for any of the tools or services mentioned.]

What: Webinar on GTD & Lotus Notes

When: Wednesday, April 28th from 10am – 11:30am PDT

Sign-up: Cick here to register. It’s free and open to the public, although space is limited.

For more best practices on GTD & Lotus Notes, check out the Webinar on GTD Connect or the Setup Guide in our store.

(The tool David mentions at the end is eProductivity for Lotus Notes. It’s what he uses personally to manage his projects and actions.  If you’re a Notes user, you can learn more about David’s setup in the free Webinar on April 28th.)

Coach Kelly: I personally don’t use the subproject feature of software.  For me, everything is just a Project. But if you do decide to use it, it can be a nice way to sort major components of a large project. For example, let’s say you are getting married.  You could have “Get married” as the project that you track, however, there would be many, many
steps that would fall under that.  Some people would choose to create subprojects for each of the major components, such as:

Project =
Get Married

Subprojects =
Rehearsal Dinner
Ceremony
Reception
Honeymoon

I’d say it’s an optional feature in the Add-In, not required. Only use it if it helps you. Don’t use that feature if it seems confusing or more complicated than you need. [Addendum: this is my universal feedback for people on creating your system.  Use as many features as you need, but as few as you can get by with.]

Exclusively for IBM employees:
On April 8th from 10am – 11:30am PST, we’ll be doing a webinar exclusively for IBM employees on applying GTD to Lotus Notes. Many IBMers are fans of GTD already, and this will give more insight into David’s master tips, tricks & strategies. We’ll also look at eProductivity – the only software tool for Lotus Notes that’s earned the distinctive “GTD Enabled” certification.

If you’re an IBM employee, sign up now.

Open to the public;
David and I will be doing another webinar on GTD & Lotus Notes on April 28th that is open to the public.  Sign-up now. Space is limited.

What does the David Allen Company recommend for implementing GTD® Task lists on the iPhone?

The iPhone was not built with a Tasks application, so you will need to find an App that will support the GTD best practices for a list manager (e.g. sort by category/context, allow but not force due dates, allows related notes to be attached to the Task, etc.)  What you choose for the iPhone would depend primarily on what do you need to sync it to.  The corresponding application you want to sync it to (Mac, PC or Web) would narrow down the best application for you to install on the iPhone for Tasks. The end result is that you would have a Tasks application on the iPhone–>syncing through a service–>that then shares that information with a corresponding application on the web or desktop.

Also, be sure you understand what makes a good GTD list manager. For example, if you read Getting Things Done, or even any of our Setup Guides, there are some key things a good list manager would need to have to work well. It’s not just about storing a flat list of To Do’s.  If you understand the best practices, then you’ll find the sea of Apps in the iTunes store much easier to wade through.  If you’re starting from scratch on all of this, read this post on How to Choose a GTD system.

The only platform we have any specific recommendations for is Mac. We recommend and endorse OmniFocus for the Mac and iPhone.  For PC and Web users, there are many options, but we do not have any specific recommendations around that at this point. We will post updates if that changes.

If you’re still searching for the best tools for your GTD implementation, be sure to check out our latest Productive Living newsletter.