I'm not entirely sure where to post this, I thought about the Business Talk thread, but it's not business, and I'm no entrepreneur.

But I'm really acutely aware of things I have to do in order to stay on top of my job, because it's got a lot of potential for chaos, and emotionally and psychologically, I'm in high crisis mode.

I've been spending a lot of time reading up on productivity, poring through Lifehacker and its ilk through many back issues. I worked out that GTD stood for Getting Things Done, but I didn't realise it was a specific methodology. It's been kind of what I've been stumbling towards, in terms of externalising what I rely on to just...get shit done. I've been going through and experimenting with tools of many sorts (high tech and low), trying to work out what sort of automation, to do lists, shortcuts, etc, I can implement to streamline both my work life and my home life, and kind of making less concrete distinction between them--just getting what needs to be finished finished.

Has anyone here used GTD specifically? Something like it? When your life is going to shit inside your head, how do you stop it from following suit outside? I've been doing a crazy and probably self-destructive overcompensation in the office, and have been letting my home slide terribly. I need to even shit out. I need to stop filling in for everyone at the office, and I need to clean my apartment and feed myself and make sure all my bills are paid in a timely fashion.

How do you guys do it? I mean, I'm only trying to cope for one person. I don't have anyone in my immediate vicinity relying upon me, thank god, otherwise I'd be letting down more than just myself. But I have to stop letting me down too.

One of the commenters said they knew someone on House Hunters International, and they didn't even start on the show until they'd already bought their house--that's how much of a fix was in on the show. It wasn't that they knew what they were going to buy, and the rest was for show--they had already signed on the dotted line.

This is also true for HH-- the persons on the show are in escrow on one of the houses (from the perspective of production, there's no wasted effort in filming people who don't buy any of the three). Once you know that, it's not exactly that the fix is in, but it also means that all the drama/tension is faked (humorously). But it's fun to use that knowledge to figure out which house they already bought-- I've already noted here before that they are generally most annoyed at the problems in houses they've already purchased. All the others are theoretical. It's also well-known that in the domestic version, they never buy the furnished one -- clearly the owners haven't moved out of that one.

Has anyone here used GTD specifically? Something like it? When your life is going to shit inside your head, how do you stop it from following suit outside? I've been doing a crazy and probably self-destructive overcompensation in the office, and have been letting my home slide terribly. I need to even shit out. I need to stop filling in for everyone at the office, and I need to clean my apartment and feed myself and make sure all my bills are paid in a timely fashion.

I don't have your specific issue. But having used GTD, the one thing I can say is that reducing all your to-dos to paper has an incredible effect on mental clarity -- it tends to quiet all the "must-dos" that keep cycling in your brain. But I didn't keep up with GTD; I don't have a sense of the permanent effects of the system. Even so, the book is useful and has lots of tips that has made me more organized and cleaner in the past five years.

It's also well-known that in the domestic version, they never buy the furnished one -- clearly the owners haven't moved out of that one.

I didn't know any of that! I figured some of it must have been figured out beforehand, but I didn't know they were already in escrow.

How do you guys do it?

I figured out a long time that the only way that really works for me is paper, and all in one place -- my wall calendar. And endless lists, all in the same place on my desk. I tend to make two columns -- one work stuff, one home stuff, or list them on separate pieces of paper.

Balance is the hardest, though. When I was behind on the book, I did *nothing* around the house, and S. picked up most of the slack with the kids. It's a good thing I'm not on a deadline now that he's working again, because I'm getting much more done around the house. But when that changes, I have no idea.

When did you do GTD, bon, and how long did you do it for? Why did you stop? Did you drop it all at once, or slowly fade away? Has stuff still stuck with you?

I've spent the entire day fiddling with apps for my phone and iPod. Some of it was to amuse myself, like the Sephora app, but that was respite inbetween trying to work out the productivity software that looked like it bridged best the way my mind currently works, and what I need to accomplish. It'll obviously take longer than an idle day, and I hadn't thought that there was a book *specifically* about this shit that could speed me up, but it's interesting.

When did you do GTD, bon, and how long did you do it for? Why did you stop? Did you drop it all at once, or slowly fade away? Has stuff still stuck with you?

I bought the book in ~2006 or so. I followed some of the things it advises -- the initial cleaning/to-do list making, but never really started the 42 folders/Friday cleanup thing. I just didn't have the motivation for the weekly review. In the long run, I know that filing makes things easier, and file most things; I make to-do lists with discrete tasks (but not contextual ones-- I think that's most useful for salesmen but not for office workers); I very frequently do time-dashes. Even if you do none of the ongoing tasks, I recommend the book to everyone because there are simple tips in there that are surprisingly useful. Like getting a label maker and labeling files -- you're more likely to file things and be organized. It's totally worth the cost.

I used GTD. I never implemented it fully, but the label maker was surprisingly helpful. And I used the tickler file. Getting things out of the brain and onto paper is vital for me. I used Toodledo quite a bit to organize my to do list - I get overwhelmed easily, but could star just three things and then only see the starred tasks. Also, a simple but effective thing for me - making every item on my list start with a verb. Like, "write draft of TPS report" instead of "TPS report." Also, setting a timer for stuff at home if I'm tired. I'll just do dishes for seven minutes, for example.

You people sell me on an iPhone every day.

It's really brilliant. Semi-useless for phone calls, but brilliant otherwise.

If you get it on Verizon, the phone actually works.

Like getting a label maker and labeling files -- you're more likely to file things and be organized.

Above and beyond just writing on the file folders? Presumably because of a sense of formality and investment?

Filing is completely an Achilles heel of mine, both at home and at work. The majority of the mess at home is mail that hasn't been opened and shredded or filed as needed, and my desk is notorious for the layer of paper that covers it at all times. But it is honestly (at work, no excuses for home) a situation of having all my information within hands reach--I write down what I feel I should have on the top of my head on printer paper, one topic per sheet, and I don't file/stack it until the paper is filled up (or perhaps some time afterwards). And then there's an array of post it notes with notes from ad hoc short conversations.

I think I should give that book a go. I need to take this all more seriously and get a grip.

Above and beyond just writing on the file folders? Presumably because of a sense of formality and investment?

There's probably a little of that. But IIRC the idea is making filing easier than the alternative. So in this case the file folders are easier to read. He also advises having enough filing space so that you're not forcing files into the drawer-- another reason people will just not like filing. Simple stuff like that that has a larger psychological effect than you realize.

You don't have to make a lifetime commitment to GTD; just a weekend with it will seriously make you more organized in the long term.

Oh, dear god. The Bloggess wore an actual wolfskin to the Breaking Dawn premiere.

[link]

So. Awesome.