Are you always late for your appointments, inbox full, stress all the time? – GTD will help you

GTD is an easy-to-learn personal productivity methodology because everything it teaches is common sense, but difficult to practice, at least at first. You have to implement a series of habits, and creating habits that you don't have can be hard. It's a bit like starting to exercise or quitting smoking. It's easy to start because we all understand the benefits it has for our health, but it's just as easy to quit after a while if we can't stick with it.

Here are some tips on how to implement GTD. I think they can be useful both for those who start or want to start with GTD and for those who already use it, but have the feeling that it does not work as well as it should:

1. You must have the intention. As I said, to implement GTD you will have to create or eliminate habits, and that requires work, time and discipline. Of course, the benefit will be directly proportional to your investment, but it is not free. You are willing? Are you committed to doing what you have to do to achieve your goal? If you are going to try to try, without intention, you will surely waste your time.

2. Read the book first... but well read. Organize yourself effectively is David Allen's book where the GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology is explained is the title in its original version). Don't read it like a novel, because when you finish it you won't remember half of it. It is a book to learn, so do a productive reading. While you read it, underline the most relevant, make small summaries and outlines, and make lists with the actions that you should start doing.

3. Worry about the method, not the technology. Many recommend starting with a low-tech system, and buying good equipment and enough material (folders, trays, filing cabinets, etc.), which requires a lot of space. It is not necessary, unless you particularly like that way of working. Of course, you will need some basic material (a physical inbox, a notebook, at least) but you don't have to go back to the XNUMXth century. There are digital applications that you can connect with your email and your work tools in the cloud and, in combination with your computer, tablets y smartphoneThey will make things much easier for you.

“One of the best tricks to improve your personal productivity is to have organization tools that you like to use.” ~David Allen

4. Take an initial capture. David Allen recommends an initial capture of 100% of the things you have pending, which may well take a couple of days. That's a pretty tough exercise and I don't think it's totally necessary. You can do an initial capture of whatever comes to mind for, say, a couple of hours, and then incrementally collect things as they come to you. If you do the Weekly Review correctly, you will correct the initial capture and in a short time you will have 100% of your things in your system without going through such an exhausting process. Capture or collection is always the entry point to GTD. If you ever fall off the wagon, the way to get back on again is to collect everything you have left over (empty your mind).

5. Process and organize your initial capture. Take a break, because this will take time too, but when you're done, you'll have your GTD system up and running. For each of the things you have collected, you must think about exactly what it is about, write its statement clearly and put it in the appropriate list (or do it, if it can be done in less than two minutes).

6. Play with the 5 phases of the workflow. Collect, clarify, organize, reflect, act. In the first days of implementation, repeat the entire workflow as often as you can to assimilate it well, but above all, so that you feel the benefits of the methodology. Everything under control and without stress.

7. Now that you're in control, go for perspective. After a few weeks in which you have already mastered the flow of control and have reached some stability, it is time to go a step further.

Everything you do, your everyday projects and tasks, should serve larger goals and give meaning to your life. It is what is called perspective or vertical focus in GTD.

Now you can define your purpose, objectives and areas of responsibility, and make sure that your projects and actions are aligned with them. If not, you may be living the life that others want you to live.

8. Final tip: Simplify. Don't try to make it perfect. Over-analyzing can lead to paralysis and a loathing of your organization. Use as few tools as possible, because the mental work you have to do to keep a set of systems in balance can be overwhelming. Keep the number of inboxes to a minimum (one is ideal), because if you have to go to several places to process your stuff, you'll get tired soon. Use the minimum number of contexts and categories so that classifying your stuff is useful, but not cumbersome.

In Costa Rica The workshop will be held “Getting Things Done” two days on November 8 and 9, 2018. For more information visit www.gtdcr.com. This workshop is open to interested people and/or companies that need to improve behaviors and productivity habits of their collaborators.