Getting Things Done

I haven’t always been a planner, although I consider myself to be quite organized. However, as I get older I notice more and more that the better I plan the better organized and more I become at achieving my goals. I don’t that I have been a procrastinator but someone who looks at a list of tasks and organizes them first, by due date and second, by ease of task. The next step is to hope that a few tasks on my list sort of rise to the top of the third, mental list and I try to kill two birds with one stone. On several occasions, mostly due to unforeseen circumstances, I have waited to the last minute and that feeling of overwhelming dread surrounds me.

In David Allen’s Getting Things Done, he discusses 5 steps to help prevent becoming overwhelmed, overloaded, and overworked. The most important idea behind these steps is prioritization; the ability to know what task needs attention and when to begin another. His first stage is called:

Collect: this is the gathering of information about tasks that need to be completed. He stresses the importance of physical lists in order to prevent memory loss. When possible, I try to keep 2 lists: one a printed version on my refrigerator (thanks, mom!) and another, either stored on an online Cozi Calendar, FaceBook or on my phone. Either way my list of tasks is always handy.  

The second stage is Process: this is where decisions need to be made in order to act, so you must ask yourself: What is it? Is it actionable, does it need to be done now? If not, toss it or put it in a file for later. What is the next action? Will it take less than 2 minutes? Yes, do it. No, then: Defer or delegate.These questions help build a list of tasks that quickly become manageable.

The third stage is Organize: this is more of a sorting stage, where I am able to decide the importance of each task and prioritize accordingly. Here Allen provides task buckets: Projects: must finish, Calendar: tasks that are due at a particular time or date, Next Actions: tasks to be done ASAP and Waiting for: other tasks & projects that you’re supposed to do and care about

The fourth stage is Review: Allen advises to review your lists or check your buckets weekly to make sure each task in on target for completion.

The last stage is Do: here the implication is obvious. Make sure all your ducks are in a row and tackle each task as you have prioritized. Ask yourself the following questions and Allen says you will have greater success:

·         What can you do?

·         How much time do you have?

·         How much energy do you have?

·         What are your priorities?

Using these steps, both personally and professionally, may eventually lead to greater organizational capability and a stress free work environment.