Getting Things Done

Presentation at ConFoo Montréal 2017

Transcript

1. GETTING THINGS DONE
   ConFoo Montréal 2017
   Montréal, QC, Canada
   

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2. David Zuelke
   

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4. dz@heroku.com
   

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5. @dzuelke
   

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6. MODERN WORK
   

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7. open commitments
   

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8. unanswered emails
   

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9. personal responsibilities
   

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10. you're never… done
    

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11. "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."
    

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12. GTD
    

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13. David Allen
    

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16. “A vaccination against day-to-day fire-fighting.”
    

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17. THE TWO PRINCIPLES OF GTD
    1.Capture everything
    2.Have next actions
    

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18. ... and you'll have a mind like water
    

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19. YOU ALREADY HAVE THE
    SKILLS YOU NEED
    

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20. (prioritize, organize, plan, focus)
    

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21. when were you last in the zone?
    

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22. can you get back into it anytime it is required?
    

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23. 1. CAPTURE
    

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24. everything
    

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25. the presentation to prepare
    

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26. the email to write a lengthy reply to
    

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27. the gift to buy your mother for her birthday each December
    

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28. the passport that needs renewal in six years
    

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29. the fire extinguisher that will need maintenance every five years
    

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30. the first aid kit in your car that needs replacing before it expires
    

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31. the bonsai tree that needs water, a lot, but only every two weeks
    

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32. the shed you want to build in your garden
    

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33. that world hunger problem you want to solve
    

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34. If you don't capture everything, things will remain on your mind.
    

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35. If it's on your mind, your mind isn't clear.
    

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36. –Horace
    “Rule your mind, or it will rule you.”
    

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37. write down the project/situation most on your mind right now
    

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38. now write down, one sentence, the successful outcome you want for it
    

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39. now write down the next physical action required to move it forward
    

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40. –Ralph Waldo Emerson
    “The ancestor of every action is thought.”
    

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41. 2. PROCESS
    

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42. "what is it?"
    

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43. "is it actionable?"
    

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44. "what's the next action?"
    

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45. most "stuff" is really a project of multiple actions
    

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46. If it takes less than ~two minutes: do it now!
    

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47. Otherwise, delegate or defer it.
    

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48. –Greek proverb
    “The beginning is half of every action.”
    

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49. 3. ORGANIZE
    

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50. don't put tasks on your calendar, they will pile up
    

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51. start dates and due dates are different things
    

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52. "43 FOLDERS"
    

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54. don't literally do that, we have software for that now ;)
    

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55. CONTEXTS AND TAGS
    • Context: what/where you need to (be)
    • @phone, @errand, @web, @mac, @office,
    @printer, @vpn, @home
    • Tags: so you can pick up related or wanted tasks
    • /programming, /car, /health, /taxes, /writing, /
    cooking, /paperwork, /quick win/
    

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56. SOFTWARE
    

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57. choose the one your brain trusts the most
    

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58. THE HIT LIST
    

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59. THINGS
    

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60. 2DO
    

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61. TODOIST
    

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62. OMNIFOCUS
    

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63. pick the one that works on your platforms (mobile and desktop!)
    

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64. 4. REVIEW
    

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65. review your lists weekly (Friday afternoon works well!)
    

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66. WEEKLY REVIEW
    • "loose" papers, notes, letters, email
    • empty your head
    • review calendar
    • review upcoming actions
    • review "waiting for" lists
    

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67. 5. DO
    

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68. CHOOSING WHAT TO DO

    (IN ORDER OF PRIORITY)
    • Context
    • Time available
    • Energy available
    • Task priority
    

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69. DEMO TIME!
    

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70. PRODUCTIVITY TRICKS
    

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71. BEND THE TWO-MINUTE RULE
    

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72. 25 & 50 MINUTE MEETINGS
    

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73. NO MEETINGS W/O AGENDA
    

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74. END MEETINGS W/QUESTION:
    "WHAT IS THE NEXT ACTION"?
    

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75. The End
    

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76. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
    Questions? Ask me: @dzuelke & dz@heroku.com
    

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