Notes on Getting Things Done

Martial artists call a mind state "mind like water" as some thing which is clear, effortless, stress fee and constructive.
Think in concentrated manner what is the desired outcome.
Write down the next physical action to move things forward.
Put reminders for the outcome and action in a system you trust.
This constant unproductive preoccupation with all things to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy.
Your mind is stupid to remind you of something to do when you can't do anything about it. It is a waste of energy.
Five discrete stages for getting things done:
1. Collect things that command our attention
2. Process what they mean and what to do about them
3. Organize the results
4. Review as options for what we choose to do.
5. Do it

Collect:

In order to free your mind, you have to know that you have truly captured the incompletes and that at some point in near future you will process and review all of it.
Collect everything into a trusted system other than your head.
Maintain few different in-baskets to collect incompletes. e.g. notebook, voice-recording devices, e-mail, etc.
Example: If you manintain a separate list of grocery needs in-basket, then you can free your mind of grocery list to buy.

Workflow:

In-Basket-> What is it? -> Is it actionable?

  no:     Trash | may-be-need-to-Incubate(hold for review)| 
          Reference (retrievable when required)

  yes:    What is next action? 
         Takes less than 2 mins?  Do it now.
         Delegate-it | Defer-it (Put in Calendar and Next-actions list)

Organize:

This stage includes Making calendar entries, Maintaining Reference folders, Keeping list of items delegated etc.
The next-actions list can be clubbed together on the basis of context e.g. Calls to make. etc.

Review:

Review incompletes atleast once in a week.

Do:

You have more to do than you can do. You need to feel good about your choices.
Choosing what to do from next-actions list at any point is a challenge.
Four-criteria model for choosing actions in the moment. 1. Context (at home, office, grocery shop, traveling?) 2. Time Available (How long do you have now?) 3. Energy Available 4. Priority
Threefold model for evaluating daily work: There are 3 knds of activities: Doing predefined work Doing work as it shows up * Defining your work
The six-level model for reviewing your own work: 50000 Feet: Live 40000 Feet: 3 to 5 years vision 30000 Feet: one to 2 year goals 20000 Feet: Areas of responsibility 10000 Feet: Current projects Runway: Current actions