If you have followed my last post about making a start with Getting Things Done, you will now have a stack of paper with one line of writing on each piece. Yes I know it’s a bit of a waste but believe me it helps you to get a clear head! So what now?
Well now we need to work our way through the pile reacting to each, making sure that none get slipped back in as ‘I don’t know yet! In order to get really organised we need to sort out everything. If we leave remnants behind our mind will still have things to worry about!
Let’s start by making some categories in which to place each item …
The Two Minute Do
If you stumble across any items which can really be done now, and will be finished and no longer an issue then take action and do it now. Remember though no more than two minutes! More than two minutes and it needs a different approach.
Tasks
Tasks are items that cannot be completed in two minutes and need an action from you. This can be ‘book the car in for a service’, phone that friend you haven’t spoken to for months and really miss! Tasks may need you to be in a certain place at a certain time.
Projects
If you find an item such as ‘arrange your Mothers 70th Birthday bash’ then obviously it will take more than one task. These items become your projects.
Waiting for!
If you have open tasks that are outside of your control where you are waiting for someone else to do something then these can be collected together so they are not forgotten.
Reference
These are snippets of information, brochures, emails, booklets that you don’t need now but will definitely help you in the future.
Junk
The last of our categories is the one that is probably the most difficult to action. What I mean is, if your like me you might find it difficult to throw things away. After all you never know when you might need it! How many items have you got on the shelf that have not been used or even picked up for two years or more? Yes, be honest - I have (had!).
OK. I hope you get the idea from that quick scan through the options. Let’s start working through our pile of paper - be honest!
If you don’t need it chuck it! If the item is a phone call or a quick email then do it now - remember though no more than two minutes. If it is a task but needs you to be at the computer, or in town, then add it to your task list.
Your task list is items that you know will take a little while to sort and will need time or concentration. Your task list does not have to be an endless sheet of things to do. You can split it into contexts. By contexts I mean ‘where you need to be to sort it’, it can mean in the office, at home, in the supermarket, at the phone or at the computer. Ideally contexts will fit in with your life and make sense to you!
Found a project? Then we need some means of keeping the various ‘bits’ together until the project is complete. This can be in a folder, a directory on your computer or even a draw in a filing cabinet. The important thing is that you can review it easily, in other words get your hands on it without thinking ‘where did I put it, I’m sure it’s here somewhere’ ….. ‘wait a minute did I take it to the office’.
In order to keep the project progressing we need to identify a task and add it to your task list. If the party your organising needs invitations and you have asked for a quote, then you can add an item to the ‘Waiting for’ category.
Can you see what is happening here? A structure is emerging. A means for us to keep on top of things, while keeping everything under our control and out of our minds.
So carry on! Work your way through everything, being honest with yourself binning where necessary, adding to the reference library if it’s info you are sure you need to keep.
Once you have completed this exercise you will feel a overwhelming sense of achievement, satisfaction, and contentment.
It doesn’t stop here though! We have just started. From today forward we need to keep refreshing our system to keep our heads uncluttered and ensure that our task list is purged of those completed items, and kept up to date with the new items that come our way on a daily basis!
Next time I will discuss how we ensure that we keep this up week after week and don’t slip back into old ways. To be honest it’s not a quick fix, it takes commitment and determination to keep things going!
