Blank Page # 135

Every Wednesday at Notebookism we open a "Blank Page" -  your chance to ask, answer and discuss anything notebook-related.  Keep it nice, keep it relevant.

Blank Page, an Open Thread.

Every Wednesday at Notebookism we open a "Blank Page" -  your chance to ask, answer and discuss anything notebook-related.  Keep it nice, keep it relevant.

Blank Page, an Open Thread.

Comments

[Sophie Brown]

I wonder about the GTD system and why it's so popular. Why don't you just make a to do list and cross it off when you've finished each thing? I'm really curious. I haven't read the books. Why make this so complicated?

[Stephanie]

I think it's a selling point for people who don't think they can do it. People who are bad at planning see it and may instantly think, "Wow! This will help me!" and are willing to shell out for it because they think it will merit some results.

Just my two cents. To each their own ways, I've got my methods and others have theirs. :o)

[Mr. Blather]

GTD argues that if you make a to-do list, you run the risk of being derailed by the little to-dos that pop up during the day. However, if you're not in the busy corporate world or not juggling a lot of projects, this is not usually a problem and GTD is of minimal help.

GTD is good for helping you record your different ideas and sorting the steps in your various and sundry projects. The basic premise is that you organize not only all the loose scraps of paper in your desk, but all the loose scraps in your head as well.

By writing down everything, the theory goes, you free your mind to focus on one activity at a time because otherwise your brain will focus on remembering your great story idea, book you want to buy, etc and that will suck energy and focus from the task at hand.

In order to keep all those ideas from becoming one giant jumbled list, you organize them into different categories (@computer; @desk, etc) and train yourself to scan them quickly and decide what you can accomplish at the moment. For example, if you don't have a computer handy, you shouldn't worry about emailing someone. Just write down what you need to do and move on to something else. It also encourages you to review and edit your lists at least once a week as your priorities change.

That said, the most useful ideas I got from GTD are 1) write down everything, no matter how silly, in a way that's easy to review and 2) the notion that if something will take two minutes or less to accomplish, you should just go ahead and do it. You'd be surprised how much you can get done with just that little tip.

[WmAnthony]

I have to admit, I'm a little baffled by the GTD machine; it seems that it's for those who have seldom had the urge to write things down...as notebook addicts one and all that just doesn't make any sense.

[Sophie Brown]

It seems to me that the GTD enthusiasts spend a lot of time thinking about and perfecting this system, which many of them could have come up with on their own. I wonder if writing something down so that you don't have to think about it actually works. I'd expect negligible results on that one.

[Sophie Brown]

I always suspect that corporate spies troll this website for ideas and really that's probably almost the truth.

I wonder why there aren't Moleskine magazines, like glossy magazines on the racks, maybe broken down into creative journalling and people who are actually on a vacation somewhere. They could pay people for entries (they get so much free artwork from around the world that it's becoming a little creepy). I know it would sell well, so I don't know why it hasn't happened already. I wish I knew how to do something about it.

[Dede]

You on vaca Armand? Hope all is well!

[type]

Reader's Digest used to have a magazine about journals. It was called "Personal Journaling" and hasn't been made in years.

GTD and similar crap works for people because 1) they're interested in getting organized 2) they find a way that sounds easy 3) they have a community of ideas and encouragement and 4) they actually decide to try it and commit to it.

Whether someone goes out and buys a Palm Pre, Franklin Covey planner, GTD books, whatever.. doesn't matter. People who actively desire to be organized and act on it become organized, whatever the system.

People may try to glorify daily planners and organization, but it's nothing more than simply wanting to get organized and finding a way to do it yourself.

[Sophie Brown]

My only real problem with it is that whatever the system is I will have to come up with it on my own, nobody's the same on this front and so someone who is pushing "his" system, which I'm sure was not entirely his own idea. I DO need a system, just not one that can be got from other people. I guess I'm coming to the point where I think self-help generally is kind of a lark, and there are half a dozen kinds...

[LondonCalls]

No idea or system is entirely original. That system essentially boils down to a condensed day planner. Even if you come up with one yourself, it's likely been done. Using elements from many different systems out there would be the easiest way to customize your "own" form of system.

[bogiesan]

> My only real problem ... I DO need a system ... I think self-help generally is kind of a lark, and there are half a dozen kinds...<

More than half a dozen! Time management is a huge scam, a great moneymaker. You have already written off GTD without really diving deep into the kool-aid. You can probably find a book at your local library. Read up on it.
While you're at the library, see what else is on the shelves. I've been using the Franklin Dayplanner for about 15 years. Not because it's the perfect system. I just like it, works for me.
I thought I'd be droping my FDP in favor of the molie Woodstock weekly planner but I just can't give up all that writing space and the incorporated tools that are in my binder.
david boise ID