GTD for writers
I’ll admit it: everything I do, I do it for my fiction. I honor writing as the art with the biggest powers, when considering its effects, and the degree of intimacy, elevation and sometimes “possession” it grants (writing, in its finest hour, becomes invisible, the words stop being “black boxes” with a meaning inside and become something similar to music). (more…)
Flowing with the workflow
As a product of a typically non-productive culture (sorry for the tongue twister), I have found a very useful tool for implementing the GTD method in monitoring workflow interruptions. The first thing I noticed was (more…)
Reach for the moon, but start with your (two) shoelaces
In “Getting Things Done”, David Allen affirms that the size of projects does not matter (for those who are not familiar with the GTD methodology, Allen defines “project” as any desired result that requires more than one simple action-i.e. a “pack” of actions with a defined purpose), and in terms of logic, he is right. Everything in his book is rigorously logic. But it makes me think of certain Zen masters. (more…)
Prevent your books from becoming stuck
I love books, so I always try to improve my reading system by making it as organic as possible; I intend to get a system that sort of “defends itself” from the aggressions of modern life, hurry and other everyday monsters. I’ll talk another day about the working and behavior of my reading pile, which is still evolving. Here I want to explain the tiny ecosystem of my “now reading” area and how it works. (more…)
The longest term goal
In full obedience to David Allen’s teachings (there might be taller or stronger firemen, but he is the one who took me out of the flames), I periodically review my medium and long term goals. I have them written down in a list with a deliberately conventional, impersonal format, using infinitive verbs: “work as…”, “live at…”, “become…” (more…)
Keep your brain at hand (part 2)
In addition to my previous post, here come a few more tips, taken from my back-to-basics experience using (suffering?) a vintage Compaq Presario 1200. (more…)
Keep your brain at hand (part 1)
This text is a sort of “spin-off” from my previous post “Productivity the Spartan way”, which was about my experience using a vintage computer (God bless it). Now, having spent some time back in my century, I’d like to share with you some of the enhancements I brought with me and a few general (more…)
E-mail: avoiding the “whoops effect”
In our modern, hurried days, there is always the risk of making an object of the people around us, turning our relations mechanical only because of the speed of things. Such risk is twice as common with electronic communication, whose immediateness, (more…)
The GTD First Aid Kit (and 4)
…”but I used to have a calendar!”
Don’t worry: you still do. It is just that it is not going to be that populated anymore. Allen’s methodology reduces its using to:
a) events with a fixed date (dentist, birthday, deadline set by somebody else) (more…)
The GTD First Aid kit (Part 3)
The weekly review, or where we mix 1 and 2
So now we have 1) lists of tasks (one for each context), and 2) project plans full of future tasks, grouped by sequences, priorities and components. Let’s mix 1) and 2) and we’re almost there, can you believe it? (more…)