Some of the ideas in the book are not new, and in fact, I would call them common sense; however, I never took the time to think about such mundane things as how to organize my files or email folders. Allen suggests putting all files in alphabetical order. It is a small, common sense change, but I can find things I need much faster now than when I organized my files based on my perception of importance. He also suggests adding a few specialty email folders for organization. I had over 800 emails in my inbox, and have now cleaned it out.
The three folders I added were @Action for items I needed to take action on, @Read/Review for items where no action was required other than reading, and @Waiting On for items I am waiting on from others (I use the @ sign in front of the folder name because it puts them at the top of the folder list in Outlook). Surprisingly, after going through the 800+ messages in my inbox, only 16 are currently in my @Action folder, 37 are in my @Read/Review folder and 14 are in my @Waiting On folder. The rest have all been filed for future reference if needed, or deleted. After two weeks of using the system, my inbox is still clean. With this system, I am confident I will not miss anything. It's a great feeling.
A couple of other ideas I found interesting and not-so-common sense were the tickler file system, the next actions list and the two-minute rule. The tickler file is 43 manilla folders numbered 1 through 31 and labeled January through December. This filing system acts as an automatic reminder, similar to a calendar, but it allows you to store entire documents, like directions, receipt confirmations, memos, etc. in the folders. Here is how it works - today is June 16. I pick up the folder numbered 16 when I wake up. In it should be anything pertinent to that day's activities. As I receive information about future events and actions, that information gets filed in the appropriate day's folder. Say I make a dentist appointment for a week from today and they give me one of those business cards with the date and time of the appointment on it. I would put the card in the file numbered 23, as the appointment is on June 23. Say I get an email from a client for some things she wants me to cover when I visit her in August. I print the email and put it in the August folder. The files always represent the next 31 days and the next 12 months. The order of the files today would be as follows - 16 through 31, July, 1 through 15, August through June. At the end of the day today, I will file the 16 folder behind the 15 folder. It went from representing June 16 today, to representing July 16 tomorrow. When the July folder comes up, I will distribute anything in that file into the appropriate numbered folder and put the July folder at the back of the pack. Simple, but powerful.
The next actions list, to me, was the most innovative idea. Allen contends that most "to do" lists do not result in much actually getting done because they do not actually represent things to be done and are incomplete. He suggests that instead of putting "decorate the living room" on a to do list, put "decorate the living room" on a projects list and "decide what color to paint the living room" on your next actions list. The project list is the big picture of what you want to accomplish. The next actions list is just that, a list of the next physical action you can take. "Decorate the living room" is an overwhelming thought, but "decide what color" is much more manageable. In addition, the next actions and project lists must be complete. If not, the system will fail. It doesn't take much more effort to write these things down or type them than it does to think about them. Breaking down projects into their next actions and keeping a complete next actions list really results in getting things done.
Allen discusses examining your energy level before deciding which item to tackle from your next actions list. He alludes to keeping a separate list of low energy actions so you have a readily available list of actions you can complete when you don't feel like doing much of anything. I don't like having multiple lists as it would complicate things for me, so I have designated each of my next actions with an HE, an LE or an M (High Energy, Low Energy and Mindless). This way, when I am in any of these three states, I can see from my list which tasks I am best suited to take on at that particular point without having to think about them, which, as you might imagine, comes in handy when in a mindless state.
Finally, there is the idea of the two-minute rule. This one is pretty simple, but again, is very powerful. The idea is that if something will take two minutes or less to get done, you do it now. It is amazing the number of items I was able to clear off my old "to do" list and keep off my next actions list by adhering to this principle.
While I am still not 100% converted at home, I have made significant progress. So much so that my wife is starting to worry. Things are getting done around the house, and she is not used to that. The other day, she asked me if there was anything she should know. I gave her a puzzled look and responded that I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. She replied that, "Oprah says one of the warning signs to watch for in your spouse is big change." Fortunately, she doesn't have anything to worry about, because this change is a positive one.
First posted in profit blog.
Check out these other sites for more information on the Getting Things Done system:
43 Folders
M Vance
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