Getting Things Done - Speaker Deck

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GETTING THINGS DONE ConFoo Montréal 2017 Montréal, QC, Canada

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David Zuelke

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dz@heroku.com

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@dzuelke

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MODERN WORK

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open commitments

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unanswered emails

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personal responsibilities

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you're never… done

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

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GTD

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David Allen

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

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

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

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YOU ALREADY HAVE THE SKILLS YOU NEED

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(prioritize, organize, plan, focus)

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when were you last in the zone?

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can you get back into it anytime it is required?

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1. CAPTURE

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everything

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the presentation to prepare

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the email to write a lengthy reply to

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the gift to buy your mother for her birthday each December

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the passport that needs renewal in six years

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the ﬁre extinguisher that will need maintenance every ﬁve years

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

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

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the shed you want to build in your garden

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that world hunger problem you want to solve

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2. PROCESS

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"what is it?"

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"is it actionable?"

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"what's the next action?"

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most "stuff" is really a project of multiple actions

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

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Otherwise, delegate or defer it.

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

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3. ORGANIZE

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

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start dates and due dates are different things

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"43 FOLDERS"

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

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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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SOFTWARE

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choose the one your brain trusts the most

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THE HIT LIST

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THINGS

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2DO

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TODOIST

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OMNIFOCUS

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

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4. REVIEW

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review your lists weekly (Friday afternoon works well!)

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

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5. DO

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CHOOSING WHAT TO DO  (IN ORDER OF PRIORITY) • Context • Time available • Energy available • Task priority

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DEMO TIME!

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PRODUCTIVITY TRICKS

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BEND THE TWO-MINUTE RULE

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25 & 50 MINUTE MEETINGS

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NO MEETINGS W/O AGENDA

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

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The End

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