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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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 Perhaps the wrong approach to the question...Submitted by MEP on October 5, 2007 - 5:55pm.
Most people seem to focus on finding the one application or suite of applications that support their method of doing things or encourage them to do something. They're looking for the killer app to help them create their new life-changing routine. But as has already been stated, that's the wrong way to go about it. Don't look for the greatest software application that pushes you forward and drives your GTD system. Ultimately, what pushes you has to come from within, no matter what tools you are using. There is simply no way around that. Create a methodology that works for you first, then find the software or other tools that don't interfere with that methodology. It doesn't have to support your way of doing things so long as you can still do things your way using the tools you have. The true "killer app" in GTD is the app that is the best at getting out of your way. If you can hack up Palm Desktop to support GTD (which is what I believe David Allen does, or at least that's what he's stated in the past), then you found your killer app. Most of the best insights of GTD are the little tricks that keep us from getting in our own way. The same applies to our tools. Use whatever doesn't get in your way, and it will work perfectly. » POSTED IN:
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