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Getting Things Done

Methodology - To do list - List Management

Section titled “Methodology - To do list - List Management”

Follow todotxt approach based on David Allen’s Getting Things Done.

  1. Priority - Set which tasks are important. e.g. A, B, C
  2. Project - break up large projects into tasks. e.g. +Project1, +Project2
  3. Context - place, situation, people to do tasks. e.g. [cite/t:@Mary], [cite/t:@phone], [cite/t:@computer]

Explanation and syntax

Other items:

  • Completion status and date
  • Due date (optional)
  • Create date (optional)
  • Description of task (optional)

Methodology - Significance

Section titled “Methodology - Significance”

Source: How To Multiply Your Time | Rory Vaden | TEDxDouglasville - YouTube

In addition to rating tasks by urgency and importance, give yourself emotional permission to also evaluate:

  • Eliminate it / delegate it

  • Its significance (make a better future) and ability to save time in future like through automation

  • Leave it for later on purpose

  • Think like a “multiplier”. Example is investing money to make more money in future

Methodology - Personal Kanban

Section titled “Methodology - Personal Kanban”

Based on: Benson, Jim, and Tonianne DeMaria Barry. Personal Kanban: Mapping Work Navigating Life. Modus Cooperandi Press, 2011.

Principles are below

Rule 1: Visualize your work - for big picture, context

Section titled “Rule 1: Visualize your work - for big picture, context”

Columns of Kanban board:

  1. To do
  2. In progress (limit = #)
  3. Today
  4. Waiting / In Pen
  5. Done

Plus an archive of past “done” cards

Pull work into your WIP. Do not let work be pushed to you.

Rule 2: Limit your Work in Progress (WIP) - for focus and effectiveness, getting the right stuff done

Section titled “Rule 2: Limit your Work in Progress (WIP) - for focus and effectiveness, getting the right stuff done”

For #2, example is limit WIP to 4 items.

Creating Backlog

Section titled “Creating Backlog”
  • Only spend enough time on creating tasks to add value, do not over plan projects and sub tasks. Use colours, shapes, etc. to differentiate tasks
  • Prioritise on urgent and important, then important but not urgent, then urgent and not important and finally, not important or urgent.
    • Ideal is important and not urgent for value and freedom

Evaluation

Section titled “Evaluation”
  • Consider using other columns related to WIP, such as today or a specific process step to measure process effectiveness and issues.
  • Check cycle time (creation date to finish date) of tasks

Retrospectives:

  • Subjective Wellbeing Box/Column - evaluate how you felt about tasks, add a note to them after completion and reflect on your feelings to check what to refuse/delegate/change/improve/balance in the future
  • Retrospective column after done, each week reflect on completed tasks and learn from them
  • Root cause of problems are often nested problems, so ask 5 (number depends on context) “whys” to get into the cause or use a Socratic method to question assumptions and beliefs

Implementation

Section titled “Implementation”

See Also

Section titled “See Also”