Sunday, July 10, 2011

Getting Things Done

          For the Masters course that I am taking, I have been challenged to adopt a "Getting Things Done" (GTD) workflow process (by David Allen). The process includes five steps: Collect, Process, Organize, Review, Do. Basically, the process is to be used to evaluate and accomplish anything and everything that you have on your "to do" list. To be honest, it was a difficult process for me to start. I often just use my brain and a planner to organize myself and make sure I don't forget to do things. I guess I just have a mental "to do" list and try to finish things in order of due date. So, it seemed kind of pointless to try something new when I felt like my system was already working. However, after trying the system once, I can see it does have its benefits. One of the main benefits that I can see is peace of mind. It is so nice to get rid of those constant reminders or "loops" in my head - trying to remind myself to remember to do things. Now, whenever  thought pops in my head that I need to do something, I have a reliable system of where to dump it. It takes away stress! Here's my reflection on the system. 

  1. How did you organize your process? I am using a program for mac called "Things". The program has a free trial for 15 days. 
  2. What was it like for you going through the process the first time? It was hard to take the time to collect all the items, but it was freeing to have a system to rely on.
  3. Do you think that this process will help you? Why or why not? Yes, it will help me because it will take away some of the clutter in my mind, help me to get more things done, and help me to not forget things. 
  4. Do you think you will continue this process? Yes, I will. However, it will take some discipline to keep up with it. Also, I wish there was an Adroid app for the "Things" program. 

Here's a podcast discussing the GTD concept and implementation. 

1 comment:

  1. Glad you were able to gain some positive ideas from this activity. The step of collecting, as mentioned in this program, also prevents me from constantly trying to remember everything I need to do. I place a notepad by my bed to write things down, so that I don’t think about them all night long.

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