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Getting Things Done with Independent Classes
Chris | Jan 8 2008
Hello! I am a college student, taking independent classes. This means that, except for one online class, I have little accountability. Unfortunately, this has always been a problem with me. Are there any tips and tricks for applying to GTD to this situation? I basically am just handed a syllabus and the reading material. Although I can set due dates for the units, I still procrastinate and am not efficient in getting things done! Prior to learning about GTD, I had thought of getting a tutor. The job of this tutor would really just be a general one, to give me some accountability. So each week, I would feel pressure to make sure I had everything done. But is there some way GTD can help? I am in need of becoming a better self-starter, because putting things off in this situation is far too easy for me to do. Any comments/suggestions/questions will be appreciated! Thanks! 2 Comments
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 A calendar works wellSubmitted by dmurphy on January 13, 2008 - 3:06pm.
As long as you continue to procrastinate, you will have a hard time getting things done, no matter what organization system you use. I used to be in a similar situation at work where I had many projects that all had due dates, but I didn't have anybody watching over my shoulder to make sure I was working on them. A solution that helped me get out of that rut was to create a calendar in iCal to stay accountable to. Every time I got a new project I would break it down into multiple sub-projects, guesstimate the time each one would take, then schedule a block of time on my calendar to do it. At first I just thought of it as if I had a boss who was scheduling me to work certain hours, and I had to be there or I'd be in trouble. But once I got everything that I needed to do staring back at me on a calendar, I gained a better sense of control. Now I can instantly see how flaking out on work to hang out with my friends will impact my schedule two weeks from now. And as an added bonus I know exactly when it is ok to push a project out until tomorrow. That's my favorite principle of GTD - always knowing that what I am doing right is what I should be doing right now, even if it is hanging out with friends or just vegging in front of the tube. If you don't have a calendar I'd recommend either iCal or gCal. They're both great. » POSTED IN:
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