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GETTING ORGANIZED EXPERIMENT - WEEK TWO+THREE ASSIGNMENT

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Arjen:
vrgrrl, I found the following article recently; if you don't like systems and todo lists you might find it interesting!

It's called: Time Management for Right Brained People (Or-What to do if to-do lists are not your style) (PDF).

app103:
vrgrrl, I found the following article recently; if you don't like systems and todo lists you might find it interesting!

It's called: Time Management for Right Brained People (Or-What to do if to-do lists are not your style) (PDF).

-arjendk (September 12, 2006, 01:51 AM)
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THANK YOU!!!

Your reply has brought a smile to my face.   :)

Up until now, I have been a silent about a problem I was having with the whole GTD concept...the fact that it seems to come from another planet that I don't live on and is all in an alien language I can't really comprehend.

It was starting to get very frustrating to just think about it...and I react very poorly to frustration....it usually makes me cry. But I kind of felt obligated to continue with it because I said I would, and didn't want to be a disappointment to myself, and those that know me, by quitting....and being the first to quit.

That article seems to make more sense than all of the others I have read, put together.

I think I am going to start with some 'What have I Done' lists. (something not mentioned there but I think is necessary for me)

Then take a really good look at them and start making some 'Not ToDo' lists.

And use the 'Not ToDo' lists to help me learn how to say 'No'.

Then maybe I will have the time, energy, and desire to do the things I want to get done.

In my life I have too many ToDo lists...and most aren't even mine. Too many people around me use me as their ToDo list, knowing if they don't do it, I will.

Pretty good deal for them...after all, what other method of keeping a list guarantees that if you don't do everything on it that it will magically get done by the multi-talented list itself, doing it all for you?

Not a good deal for me though...I end up feeling drained of my energy and then lack the desire to work on my very short list.

I need to stop being so dependable, stop being the one that always picks up the slack for others, learn to say 'No' and stop being a doormat....and stop giving all my time and energy away for free.

tomos:
didn't want to be a disappointment to myself, and those that know me, by quitting....and being the first to quit.
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i reckon that prize is long gone :)


Then take a really good look at them and start making some 'Not ToDo' lists.
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i love it! (i could even list: stop thinking i cant do things ...)


And use the 'Not ToDo' lists to help me learn how to say 'No'.
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i think thats a big one for lots of people (I'm learning myself!)
good luck with it all

Arjen:
Up until now, I have been a silent about a problem I was having with the whole GTD concept...the fact that it seems to come from another planet that I don't live on and is all in an alien language I can't really comprehend.

It was starting to get very frustrating to just think about it...
-app103 (September 12, 2006, 04:31 AM)
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Remember that this experiment is not about you having to do GTD, but about finding out what works for you. If GTD frustrates you it might not be for you. It might be interesting to look at what frustrates you: is it the concepts of GTD itself, or just the fact that it's explained in a way that is not your style? Or both?

Your todo lists sound a lot more like others-expect-me-to-do-this lists. Maybe you could try to make them I-want-to-do-this lists. Of course they could still contain stuff you want to do for others.

I used to think about getting organized, planning, setting goals etc. as something very stressful. (And I still do regularly.) But I'm trying to see it as exactly the opposite: getting organized as a way to make sure I can relax. If I have all my "stuff" organized I don't have to think about it and I can just do what I choose to do at that moment.

mouser:
well said arjendk!

remember, the goal with this 3 month experiment is not to get you to use GTD or any specific pre-existing system, it's to help you FIND or CREATE a system that works for you.

I am 100% convinced that having SOME kind of specific "system" for yourself is a good thing - but what that system looks like is up to you completely.  Maybe you will find an existing one that is perfect for you, or maybe you will have to invent a totally new system.  But commit yourself to figuring out some kind of system of rules and techniques to help you stay organized.

Btw:
Mark Forster, who we will start looking at next week, makes a big deal about not liking TODO lists, and instead advocates WILL DO lists for each day.  The idea is to make lists that are completely achievable for each day, and contain only what you can accomplish for that day, and not let lists get bigger after you make one, so that you really can finish it each day.

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