Personal Action Management: Getting Things Done WF ED 597E, Scholarly Inquiry in Workforce Education & Development

How Do You Get Things Done? WF ED 597E, Scholarly Inquiry in Workforce Education & Development

“ Get everything out of your head. Make decisions about actions required on stuff when it shows up — not when it blows up. Organize reminders of your projects and the next actions on them in appropriate categories. Keep your system current, complete, and reviewed sufficiently to trust your intuitive choices about what you're doing (and not doing) at any time.” aka GTD ®

According to Wikipedia , GTD ® is an action–management system that… Move tasks out of the mind by recording them somewhere Frees mind from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks Distinguishes itself from other time– or action–management systems by grouping tasks by the context in which they are performed

Move tasks out of the mind by recording them somewhere

Frees mind from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks

Distinguishes itself from other time– or action–management systems by grouping tasks by the context in which they are performed

Today, for GTD ® … Workflow process Levels of focus Assignment

Workflow process

Levels of focus

Assignment

Workflow process… Collect Process Organize Review Do

Collect

Process

Organize

Review

Do

Collect… Collect everything into a “bucket” Your bucket could be e-mail, a physical inbox, a PDA Get everything out of your head into the bucket Empty the bucket at least once a week

Collect everything into a “bucket”

Your bucket could be e-mail, a physical inbox, a PDA

Get everything out of your head into the bucket

Empty the bucket at least once a week

Process… Start at the top Deal with items one at a time Never put anything back into bucket Requires action-- Do it (<2min.) Delegate it Defer it No action required-- File for reference Throw it away Incubate for possible action later

Start at the top

Deal with items one at a time

Never put anything back into bucket

Requires action--

Do it (<2min.)

Delegate it

Defer it

No action required--

File for reference

Throw it away

Incubate for possible action later

Organize… Next actions —For every item, decide the next action that you can take. Organize by context Projects —Require more than one action Waiting for —Delegated actions or external events for which you wait Someday/Maybe —Dreams; time–available items (e.g., skydiving)

Next actions —For every item, decide the next action that you can take. Organize by context

Projects —Require more than one action

Waiting for —Delegated actions or external events for which you wait

Someday/Maybe —Dreams; time–available items (e.g., skydiving)

Review… Put items in strict order…and follow order Otherwise, you procrastinate by doing easy or favorite items Review daily…or at least weekly Outstanding actions, projects and “waiting for' items” Enter new items Is all up to date?

Put items in strict order…and follow order

Otherwise, you procrastinate by doing easy or favorite items

Review daily…or at least weekly

Outstanding actions, projects and “waiting for' items”

Enter new items

Is all up to date?

Do… Hey, you! Follow the plan!!!

Levels of focus… Current actions Current projects Areas of responsibility Yearly goals Five–year vision Life goals Consider weekly Use opportunities to organize Set priorities

Current actions

Current projects

Areas of responsibility

Yearly goals

Five–year vision

Life goals

Great GTD ® resource… Brief summary Links to free software Links to additional resources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done

Brief summary

Links to free software

Links to additional resources

Great GTD ® resource… Detailed summary Links to free articles & newsletter Links to tips & tools http://www.davidco.com/

Detailed summary

Links to free articles & newsletter

Links to tips & tools

Assignment… Submission of printed copy of brief paper (1–2 page) describing your own personal management approach You do not need to adopt GTD ® but Describe an approach that makes sense for you Adopt an existing approach that is usable by you

Submission of printed copy of brief paper (1–2 page) describing your own personal management approach

You do not need to adopt GTD ® but

Describe an approach that makes sense for you

Adopt an existing approach that is usable by you

Personal Action Management: Getting Things Done WF ED 597E, Scholarly Inquiry in Workforce Education & Development