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Importance of the right tools for using GTD consistently
A.S. | Oct 5 2007
Just wanted to throw some thoughts on the table to get some other feedback on regarding GTD as it intersects with software/web apps. How important is it to have the right tools, i.e. the killer app, for doing GTD? My own thoughts I waver between two ends of the spectrum on this one. On one hand, the right software can't fix lazy and undisciplined. On the other, I have seen the effect that really great software has had on certain aspects of my productive life. GMail has transformed my use of email, Google Docs has allowed me to work on documents anywhere, Qt has allowed me to design realistic GUI prototypes quickly, Picasa has allowed many of my non-computer-literate friends to get more joy from their pictures, and most importantly, Quicksilver has completely changed the way I use my Mac. Yet I consistently find myself avoiding my weekly review, collecting my thoughts, or processing things, and falling back to "I'll do it when I think of it" because all the software and web apps that I've used, including the one I wrote for myself, have enough of a barrier of entry that eventually I stop using them. Could it be that there's just no killer app for GTD to fit my lifestyle, or maybe it's just the lazy, passive part of my personality that keeps me from participating in the GTD process? 5 Comments
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 Yes, Yes, and NoSubmitted by wood.tang on October 5, 2007 - 3:05pm.
You're not going to find one piece of software that does everything for you; for most people, a successful system is a combination of software plus pens, paper, and other Dilbert-type tools. The secret sauce though, the ingredients that no developer can build into a tool (though I wouldn't put it past the Quicksilver guy), are your own habits. Look around here and you'll see people getting it done with a plain piece of paper and a pencil; it's not about the bells and whistles and lovely Cocoa interfaces, it's about their methods. So if you feel like there's a soft spot in your routine, it's probably the old habits you've identified. Not to sound like a scolding headmaster, because we've all felt like saying, "I got yer contexts right here David Allen," but you have to address that stuff before you start worrying about finding the Swiss Army knife of productivity software. » POSTED IN:
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