Getting Things Done

Presentation at ConFoo Montréal 2017

1. GETTING THINGS DONE ConFoo Montréal 2017 Montréal, QC, Canada
2. David Zuelke
4. dz@heroku.com
5. @dzuelke
6. MODERN WORK
7. open commitments
8. unanswered emails
9. personal responsibilities
10. you're never… done
11. "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."
12. GTD
13. David Allen
16. “A vaccination against day-to-day fire-fighting.”
17. THE TWO PRINCIPLES OF GTD 1.Capture everything 2.Have next actions
18. ... and you'll have a mind like water
19. YOU ALREADY HAVE THE SKILLS YOU NEED
20. (prioritize, organize, plan, focus)
21. when were you last in the zone?
22. can you get back into it anytime it is required?
23. 1. CAPTURE
24. everything
25. the presentation to prepare
26. the email to write a lengthy reply to
27. the gift to buy your mother for her birthday each December
28. the passport that needs renewal in six years
29. the fire extinguisher that will need maintenance every five years
30. the first aid kit in your car that needs replacing before it expires
31. the bonsai tree that needs water, a lot, but only every two weeks
32. the shed you want to build in your garden
33. that world hunger problem you want to solve
34. If you don't capture everything, things will remain on your mind.
35. If it's on your mind, your mind isn't clear.
36. –Horace “Rule your mind, or it will rule you.”
37. write down the project/situation most on your mind right now
38. now write down, one sentence, the successful outcome you want for it
39. now write down the next physical action required to move it forward
40. –Ralph Waldo Emerson “The ancestor of every action is thought.”
41. 2. PROCESS
42. "what is it?"
43. "is it actionable?"
44. "what's the next action?"
45. most "stuff" is really a project of multiple actions
46. If it takes less than ~two minutes: do it now!
47. Otherwise, delegate or defer it.
48. –Greek proverb “The beginning is half of every action.”
49. 3. ORGANIZE
50. don't put tasks on your calendar, they will pile up
51. start dates and due dates are different things
52. "43 FOLDERS"
54. don't literally do that, we have software for that now ;)
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/
56. SOFTWARE
57. choose the one your brain trusts the most
58. THE HIT LIST
59. THINGS
60. 2DO
61. TODOIST
62. OMNIFOCUS
63. pick the one that works on your platforms (mobile and desktop!)
64. 4. REVIEW
65. review your lists weekly (Friday afternoon works well!)
66. WEEKLY REVIEW • "loose" papers, notes, letters, email • empty your head • review calendar • review upcoming actions • review "waiting for" lists
67. 5. DO
68. CHOOSING WHAT TO DO
 (IN ORDER OF PRIORITY) • Context • Time available • Energy available • Task priority
69. DEMO TIME!
70. PRODUCTIVITY TRICKS
71. BEND THE TWO-MINUTE RULE
72. 25 & 50 MINUTE MEETINGS
73. NO MEETINGS W/O AGENDA
74. END MEETINGS W/QUESTION: "WHAT IS THE NEXT ACTION"?
75. The End
76. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Questions? Ask me: @dzuelke & dz@heroku.com