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GTD Flowchart
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nathan.nontell

Posted: Jul 27, 2009
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I thought some of you might enjoy this. It's a very nice (and extremely detailed!) flowchart of the GTD system from the GTD Summit in San Francisco.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petrmara/3411358390/
Tyler

Posted: Jul 29, 2009
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Cool, thanks!
KeithStone

Posted: Jul 29, 2009
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Cool. I think this is a nice view of how the parts of GTD fit together, as a refresher for those who've been living it. It's really a 1-page visual outline of both "Getting Things Done" and "Making it all Work".

But personally, I think it's too much for a day-to-day workflow reference. Also, I think it could scare away a GTD novice, because it looks a lot more complicated than it really is. (If you are considering GTD, don't let this scare you away!)


This message was edited Jul 29, 2009.
Proximo

Posted: Jul 30, 2009
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Got it.

I bit more confusing than the original GTD Flowchart, but I still like it.

Thanks
nathan.nontell

Posted: Jul 30, 2009
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Proximo, you must have got it just in time, as it appears that the Flickr user who had posted it has taken it down. Wonder if David's company issued a take-down notice or if he just did it of his own volition.
Anders

Posted: Jul 30, 2009
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I think this is the same one: http://korayem.posterous.com/gtd-poster-by-david-allen
It's actually all over the Internet. Just do a Google image search. Even the might DA won't be able to stop it at this point.
Michael Ramm

Posted: Aug 01, 2009
Score: 1 Reference
David Allen Co (DAC) is about to start selling the new poster from GTD Times

This new $49 product will include:

A full-color 20″x30″ (51×76cm) poster
A full-color 11″x17″ (28×43cm) poster
An in-depth DVD of David Allen giving a guided tour of the Map

I love DAC and the GTD concepts, but they are starting to (I think) focus too much on the business markets and price things WAY TOO HIGH. They need to remember that it is the grass roots, regular joes that made GTD a phenomenon and not the business world.

Michael
Anders

Posted: Aug 01, 2009
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Wow, $50! No wonder it is being removed from photo sharing sites. Do they sell just the poster alone? I doubt most people need 2 posters and an explanation DVD.
Proximo

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
Score: 1 Reference
Posted by Michael Ramm:
I love DAC and the GTD concepts, but they are starting to (I think) focus too much on the business markets and price things WAY TOO HIGH. They need to remember that it is the grass roots, regular joes that made GTD a phenomenon and not the business world.

Michael


I agree 100%
Lance

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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Ditto! Keep in mind that their marketing strategy targets those who have disposable incomes that will buy an $80 leather note-taker wallet (or $50 poster), capitalizing on the GTD buzz.

For less than a dollar, I can pick up a Mead notepad and slip inside my 15 year old leather wallet. Coupled with my 5 year old Fisher space pen, I have my ubiquitous 'capture' device that goes everywhere.
nathan.nontell

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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Posted by Lance:

For less than a dollar, I can pick up a Mead notepad and slip inside my 15 year old leather wallet. Coupled with my 5 year old Fisher space pen, I have my ubiquitous 'capture' device that goes everywhere.


The Fisher Space Pen is amazing isn't it?

I do, however, spend a few extra dollars and buy the Moleskine Volant Ruled Extra Small notebooks. If you haven't ever used them, you should check them out!
Anders

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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Love the space pen. Moleskins are nice, a little pricey, but worth it. What is the Volent?
Claudio

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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See: http://www.moleskineus.com/volant.html

For those of you that use a Moleskine, do you also carry around a calendar, an address book, and a cell phone?

No snark intended. Serious question.

Thanks.
Anders

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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No snark taken. I honestly don't use moleskines much anymore. I used to use these ones: http://www.moleskineus.com/moleskine-cahier-notebooks.html
But I have never seen those Volant notebooks, and they seem very nice. I like the Cahiers, and still use them occasionally because they are incredibly portable. Anyway, I use notebooks by these guys now: http://www.riteintherain.com/

To get back to your question, I don't have a physical calendar or address book anymore. All that is electronic. I use my iPod Touch, and WM phone for pretty much everything when I am not on my netbook. I still find some uses for good old fashioned paper though. I often like to jot notes on paper because I find it difficult to abbreviate myself while typing, and onscreen keyboards, despite their great progress with the iPhone keyboard, are just not fast enough. I also use paper for outlining and what I suppose could be considered rudimentary mind-mapping. I just don't find electronic devices as appropriate for those things. Also the batteries for a notebook last forever, and don't have to be recharged.
Claudio

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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Thanks Anders. I also use paper, sometimes.

Have you come across Zen to Done (ZTD)? http://zenhabits.net/2007/04/zen-to-done-ztd-the-ultimate-simple-productivity-system/

Leo Babauta says:
ZTD asks you to pick a very simple, portable, easy-to-use tool for capture — a small notebook or small stack of index cards are preferred (but not mandated), simply because they are much easier to use and carry around than a PDA or notebook computer.
I agree with the basic principle of using a notebook but I don't think that it's easier than carrying around an iPhone, especially if I'm going to have a cell phone anyway.
Anders

Posted: Aug 04, 2009
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It's good that it isn't a mandate because I agree with you. A stack of 3x5s may be easier than a notebook, but not a PDA. Especially if, as you said, you're going to be carrying your phone around anyway. Perhaps that was written before PDA-phones when PDAs were more primitive and cumbersome with styli, etc.
Proximo

Posted: Aug 05, 2009
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Posted by Anders:
Perhaps that was written before PDA-phones when PDAs were more primitive and cumbersome with styli, etc.


I think many of the productivity books and systems where written before things like the iPhone where invented.

The one complaint about Dave Allen's book "Getting Things Done" is that the tools suggested in the book are so out of date and not practical for today.

I have not read the second book, but I assume it was written with today's tools in mind.

Can anyone who read the second book confirm this?
nathan.nontell

Posted: Aug 05, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Posted by Claudio:

For those of you that use a Moleskine, do you also carry around a calendar, an address book, and a cell phone?

No snark intended. Serious question.

Thanks.


Unfortunately, I do not have an iPhone. I assure you that I will the moment they are no longer officially tied to AT&T, but that's another matter.

I do not have a paper-based calendar or address book.

I use Google calendar, which my Outlook calendar at work synchs to. Then my girlfriend and I both share our calendars with each other, and we have a shared Maybe calendar that we can both update with potential things to do. I am able to add items to my Google calendar through SMS on my cellphone, but I generally choose to write it down and add it during processing time.

I use Gubb.net to keep lists (grocery, movies I'd like to see, etc). I can check these lists, or add items to them, through SMS, and I frequently do. If you haven't tried it out, I recommend it... but it is pretty slow and I don't TRUST it like I do Toodledo.

Lastly, there's Toodledo. This is where I keep my projects and actions. Often times, when I'm out and about, I think of something that needs to get done. If the next action is self-evident, then I might send a direct tweet to Toodledo and add it to my Next Actions. However, frequently it takes further evaluation before a next action can be arrived at. So, I write it down in my Moleskine. Yes, I know that I could just send it in with no context, or a variety of other ways to indicate that it is part of my Inbox, but I just simply prefer to write it down.

Also, I find it comes in very handy when I need to do some impromptu brainstorming. Not to mention, it is just always handy to have a pen with you. :)

I took a couple quick pics of my Moleskin and Spacepen, so that you can see just how small they are. If you are not familiar, the spacepen is 3.75" long when closed.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3791752353_4fb76a4ea0.jpg
Anders

Posted: Aug 05, 2009
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Plus you can write upside down with it, or in those pesky zero-gravity situations :)
BTW, thanks for the shared "maybe" calendar idea. I think that could finally hook my wife into using Google Calendar.
Lance

Posted: Aug 05, 2009
Score: 1 Reference
@Proximo

I'm in the process of reading the second book. He speaks more to the philosophy than to the tools of the trade. Defining areas of focus and clarifying some of the more ambiguous stuff in the first book. But the nuts and bolts of the system still remain the same.

I used a hybrid system between outlook and paper for several years. It wasn't until I found a system in the cloud was I able to be completely universal between home and work. RTM was it, but I spent far too much time trying to make it GTD friendly until I happened upon Toodledo. Never looked back.

@Nathan

I do use a Moleskine on my desk. I have an iPod and 90% of the time I use it to capture everything. I still keep a small notebook and my trusty space pen with me almost everywhere. In the car I call into Jott. But when I'm in a meeting at work, the Moleskine shines. As I get better and better at typing on my iPod (in the over 40 crowd who is learning thumb typing) I find myself using my little book less and less.

I agree that sometimes, there is nothing that beats paper for rapid brainstorming or a good data dump of ideas. I'm pretty close to typing 60 wpm, but with a keyboard I have a tendency to backspace over what could be a really good idea. On paper, erasing takes to long so you just keep going.

I think one of the things that makes Getting Things Done so universal is that you can go entirely paper or electronic. A list is a list and it really doesn't matter if its in electrons or ink. Every now and then I get the notion of going back to the elegance of a paper based system.
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