43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Walk me through a day in the life of your gtd system

Most of the posts/sites I read discuss setup and technologies people use for GTD. I feel like I have a handle on the concepts and getting set up. WHere it falls apart for me is using it in practice. As soon as the flood of daily email enters my inbox, I can't maintain all my lists.

I'd like to see some "day in the life" walk throughs of how people use GTD throughout the day. As the emails, requests from co-workers etc come in, how are they tracking them and keeping them in the system.

I hope my question makes sense LOL.

abosio's picture

- While at home in...

ops30;6654 wrote:
- While at home in the morning: Turn on my cellphone and check my calendar for any items to do before leaving for the office (ex: trash p/u day...take trash can to street). I don't generally check my @Home NA list unless I find I have a little extra time in the morning, which usually never happens.
- Get to office & check calendar on phone again for any items that need to happen that day at the office. Do those first unless they are time specific (meeting at 1pm)
- Open my Word doc titled "To Do". I keep my office related projects & NAs in this document. They are loosely in order by priority/due date, which is recorded under each item.
- Open email: see if anything needs to be added to the Word doc. Respond to anything that requires < 2 min.
- Check voice mail & add to Word doc if necessary. Respond to anything that requires < 2 min.
- Open the Hipster to the @Office card. What is recorded on this list are items that are usually not related to any work project (since those are in the Word doc). For instance, I may have NA (Project) as: "Call store regarding order (Buy new widgets for home)." This would be on my @Office card if the particular store is only open during the hours that I'm in the office.
- Decide what to do next & do it.
- Return from lunch. Repeat starting with "Open email" above. I leave the Word doc open.
- During the day, collect items as needed in Word doc or on blank index cards in Hipster if not office related.
- Prepare to leave office. Check calendar on cell phone for any day-specific errands. Look at @Errands list in Hipster. Decide if I have time to knock anything out on the way home (or wherever).
- Arrive at home. Look at calendar on cell phone (catching on?...). Do any items. Check the mail. Respond to anything less than two minutes. Anything else goes into the inbox. Look at @Home or @Home-Yard card (if there is enough daylight). Then decide what to do next.
- Sit down and process items from the day into my trusted system. This usually takes @15 minutes. So worth it.
- Look at calendar for tomorrow to see if there is anything I might need to do to prepare.

Sorry for the checklist style of writing. It kind of came stream of consciousness. Hope this helps you.

Thanks for this. Very helpful.

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »