Getting things done (or not) David Střelák Sitola, 23.11.2022 Motivation 2 New boss, new tasks 3 Problems with work / tasks / things / stuff They just keep coming ● Second law of thermodynamics Day has (almost) 24 hours, and week 7 days ● Sleep is good for you ○ polyphasic sleep is not 4 Distractions ● Music ● Code brown ● Smartphone notifications ● Emails ● Other tasks that have to be done ● Special military operation War ● … Solutions ● Drugs (only short term) ● Circle of control ● Cut the open loops ● Organization Problems with work / tasks / things / stuff They just keep coming ● Second law of thermodynamics Day has (almost) 24 hours, and week 7 days ● Sleep is good for you ○ polyphasic sleep is not 5 Distractions ● Music ● Code brown ● Smartphone notifications ● Emails ● Other tasks that have to be done ● Special military operation War ● … Solutions ● Drugs (only short term) ● Circle of control ● Cut the open loops ● Organization Getting things done (or not) 6 Getting things done - key ideas 7 Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2015) Author: David Allen Publisher: Penguin Books; Revised edition (March 17, 2015) Paperback: 352 pages ISBN-10: 0143126563 ISBN-13: 978-0143126560 Reduce stress ● of forgetting something ● of vague tasks ● of feeling overwhelmed Brain is good for thinking, not remembering ● unfinished stuff ● second brain / Zettlekasten See the light at the end of the tunnel ● clearly defined outcomes ● can create a roadmap ● see the progress ○ result is a collection of intermediate tasks Workflow 8 1. Capture Collect everything from everywhere ● things that might need to get done ● things that might be useful for you ● things that bothers you ● long term goals ● don’t include daily tasks and routines Point is to have a single (or just a few) location(s) where you store these things ● not your head Inbox ● digital / physical ○ use dummies when necessary ● keep it at hand ● keep adding stuff as it comes to your mind ● feel free to be vague ○ the point is not to forget, but get it out of your mind ● empty the Inbox regularly 9 2. Clarify Process every item of your Inbox ● clarify exactly what your commitment is ○ what is this ○ why do I care ○ what is the ideal result ● decide if there’s anything that can / should be done 10 3. Organize There’s a bunch of things we cannot ‘do’ anything about ● get rid of them ○ very satisfying & liberating ● store them for later ○ till the time is right ○ graveyard of dreams ○ source of inspiration ● it might be a reference ○ second brain / Zettlekasten 11 3. Organize There’s a bunch of things we can ‘do’ something about ● what is the next (few) action(s) that will deal with this stuff? 12 3. Organize The ‘stuff’ needs more actions ● let’s call it a Project ● keep a list of next actions ○ they should be reasonably ‘complex’ ○ but short ● might have associated resources ○ emails ○ documentation ○ reports ○ deadlines 13 3. Organize How to deal with an action? ● do it now ○ short or critical ● do it later ● delegate it to the person that should do it ○ (virtual) assistant (Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek) 14 3. Organize How to organize actions? ● do it now For the rest, use Lists ● Waiting-for ○ delegated stuff ○ keep date and mean for reference ● Calendar ○ deferred actions that have to happen at specific time ● Backlog / Pending ○ ‘at the next free moment’ ○ consider storing a context 15 3. Organize Typical lists ● Inbox ● Backlog / Pending ● Waiting for ● To read ● To see ● Errands ○ location / event specific ■ shopping list ● Projects ● Future / Tickler list ● Checklists ○ house / flat / equipment maintenance ● Calendar 16 4. Reflect Having lists is useless unless you review them ● based on context ○ errands ● when you finish some action ● weekly / monthly / annual reviews ● don’t forget to process Inbox Review your system ● implement changes if you don’t like how it works ● keep your system updated 17 5. Engage Having lists is useless unless you use them ● things from the Calendar must happen at specified time ○ meetings are problematic ● expect interruptions ○ IM / emails / incoming calls can be postponed ○ people not so much ● process next thing from the Backlog ○ pick one based on ■ context ■ available time ■ available energy (mental or physical) ■ priority 18 Pitfalls to avoid 1. Capture stuff, don’t keep it in your head ● keep limited number of places where you capture it 2. Clarify what that stuff means and what is the next action ● ‘sandals’ are good for Inbox, not for Backlog 3. Stay organized ● easier said than done ● keep things where you expect to find them (Zettlekasten) 19 4. Reflect regularly ● keep reviewing lists based on the context (errands) ● check your calendar 5. Do things ● without it the system fails ● mind your deadlines Process stuff step by step, one at the time ● you will lose track if you try to do all at once ● Projects are typically way too complex anyway Implementation Actively using GTD since September Implementation agnostic ● I opted for electronic version ○ tens of SW ○ Trello 20 Trello ● for free + paid extras ● modular ○ user-defined actions (limited per month) ■ weekly automatic summaries (good for scrum) ○ power-ups ● mobile app + website ● supports ○ attachments ○ deadlines ○ (custom) labels ○ cross-references ● can be shared with other people ● many existing templates ○ of course I did my own 21 Native support for list ● list contains cards (actions) ● card contains ○ description ○ checklists ○ history ○ labels ○ attachments ○ assigned members ○ deadlines ● cards can be emailed Trello - practical example 22 Positives 23 Positives 24 Task switching ● Based on energy, time and context Project tracking Clear head Checklists Getting rid of those little annoying things (2 min rule) Excuse for saying ‘no’ Encourages you to do one thing at the time Negatives 25 Negatives 26 The book ● very long and repetitive ● feel free to read just first two chapters, the rest is just reinforcement, anecdotes and examples ● does not highlight the need for NOT doing things and for rest ● does not highlight ‘pay yourself first’ ● does not highlight automation ● https://web.archive.org/web/20181217083456/ http://www.geekpreneur.com:80/26-reasons-n ot-to-use-gtd The system ● it’s hard and boring to keep it up-to-date ● it won’t help you to do ‘actual’ work faster ○ coz it does not affect the work itself ● might make you anxious ○ you see all things that you don’t do ● can easily backfire ○ “‘Ah, you’re done? Excellent, I need you to …” ● does not help you to decide ‘what is enough’ The implementation ● non-existent integration with email and project materials Getting things done (or not) 27 How many things can you do? 28 Say you work 8 hours per day ● the work year 2022 has 252 workdays ● that’s 2016 work hours ○ I know a person who does that in first 7 months “Generating most of the actions that you currently have in front of you are the thirty to one hundred projects on your plate.” You HAVE to ● eat ● sleep ● move ● socialize You will never be able to accomplish all the things you would like! You’ll do it when you retire! 29 Born 1936 - 1971? ● special table, the time included months, different for men / women (and number of children) ● man 1940: 60 years and 10 months ● woman 1940: 53 years (5 kids) - 58 years and 8 months (no kids) Born after 1971? ● 65 years ● need to be insured for a minimal time period ○ 26 years if you went to pension in 2010 ○ 35 years if you go to pension in the future ● you can retire prematurely at 63 (up to 55 in some cases) 30 So what should you do? 31 Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals Author: Oliver Burkeman Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (August 10, 2021) Hardcover: 288 pages ISBN-10: 0374159122 ISBN-13: 978-0374159122 “Rejecting the futile modern fixation on “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude” How many weeks do you have left? 32 1 year = 52.1429 weeks So what should you do? Your time is finite ● try to accomplish things that will really matter once you’re gone ● start spending the time ○ pursuing things you enjoy ○ on things that have intrinsic value to you ● it’s OK to say NO to things ○ limit the number of Projects you’re working on ● explicitly accept sub-optimal solutions for non-essentials ○ Parkinson's Law: “Work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion” ● practice doing nothing No need for depression ● what you do is enough ○ "Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today." (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson) ● you cannot solve all problems of the world ○ but you can improve some aspects ● keep a ‘Done’ list ○ to see that you’re not slacker ○ add little things it if necessary ● avoid routines 33 Conclusion 34 Conclusion GTD ● good tool ● don’t worship it Dealing with stuff ● you have limited resources ○ use them wisely 35 Related books What We Owe The Future by William MacAskill Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson Letters from a Stoic by Seneca The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss 36 Sources https://www.mzcr.cz/wp-content/uploads/wepub-upload/files/5/ak%C4%8Dn%C3%AD%20pl%C3%A1ny%20-% 20p%C5%99%C3%ADlohy/AP%2013_a3_EHLEIS_CR.pdf https://www.czso.cz/documents/11248/125415245/2018_Nadeje+doziti_pro+pdf.pdf/50062089-08dd-4578-ae21-0e 73e51ed3dc?version=1.1 37 Trello 38 Trello 39 Trello 40 Q&A 41