I recently attended a 2-day GTD seminar. I must say that it is very different to have the GTD system presented to you versus what you get out of the book. Don’t get me wrong, you can read the book and “get it.” However, having someone there to answer your questions about the system (David Allen himself) was great.
I got 4 large things out of attending:
- New confidence in using the system
- An understanding of how detailed to get with tasks and be observant
- The power of focus
- The natural planning model
The new confidence in the system is a product of attending. The presenter, Maurice, was infectious with his love of using the GTD system and the power it provides you in managing your life. The man has 5 children and having 3 of my own I know what he is talking about when it comes to managing your life and time.
One issue I have had with using GTD has to do with levels of detail. I never knew how far I needed to drill down to with any given project or task. I took a moment at one of the breaks to ask Maurice this question, “How do I know when I’ve drilled down to enough detail?”
He responded by telling me to look at what level does the complexity not serve me. Already this is helping.
Focus is HUGE. It’s not a matter of whether you focus, but on what you are focused. We are unconciously made concious of information. We notice what’s relevant and we tend to focus on what we identify with.
Finally the natural planning model was also a great tool to be introduced to.
- Clarify purpose and guiding principles
- Define mission, vision and desired outcomes
- Brainstorm
- Organize
- Decide next actions
It was interesting to work the model on a project the first time and have it take 17 minutes, and then a second time and take less than 10. With more practice I would like to get it close to 5 if possible.
Now back to getting things done.
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