Ask The Readers: How Did You Learn GTD?
A simple question today that I hope will get some varied responses. How did you learn GTD (or if you use something else, how did you learn that)? The obvious answer will probably be that you just read the book, but that wasn’t the case for me and I suspect it isn’t the case for many of you guys too. I originally came across GTD via several blogs like Lifehack.org and picked up tips from those for a few months before finally purchasing the book. I applied bits and pieces from the book as I needed them so I suppose you can say I never really had a “full” GTD implementation (the original highlights that I took from the book were contexts, next actions and, er… having a big filing system).
On a related point, I’d also be interested on your views on how you think people should actually learn GTD. I see a lot of people on Twitter struggling along, trying to apply it and use it day-to-day with mixed success. Hopefully your suggestions could help develop a few ideas on best practises for learning how to be productive. As ever, I look forward to your comments!
5 Comments
When I first got my Mac I was hunting around for nice apps to put on it and came across loads of GTD related programs. A Wikipedia search later and it sounded just what I needed! I got the book and read it as my first way into GTD. As such, I suspect I started from a pretty full implementation. I have morphed how I use it over time to meet my specific needs.
I would recommend starting with the book. I would worry that if you didn’t read the book first, you would be doing things without understanding the whole process, which would prevent you getting the most out of it.
I think that I’ve always been doing some form of GTD, although without the systems that the book provides. So when the book came out, I was able to bring together many of the systems into something more formalized.
An alternative for people new to GTD would be to just focus on capturing ideas into lists. Go for the capture with full intensity. Eventually, and with reading the book and practicing, you’ll find the other pieces falling into place. But if you don’t get the capture part right, nothing else matters because the ideas are still floating around your head.
It remains a continuous learning process but some things that helped me were, firstly, to start with organizing on paper – it’s the most flexible in the beginning. Have a note book and pen at hand at all times to take quick notes.
The weekly review is critical as well, think of it as getting gas for your car once a week. No gas and you come to a stop.
I agreed with Rich – start with the book. It will take two or three reads to start appreciating it all. The audio book is great for a quick refresh though. Do subscribe to a couple of blogs to get different perspectives as well. And GTD connect is nice to have if the company you work for will pay for it..
Merlin Mann! The amazing Merlin Mann was how I discovered GTD. 43 Folders was at the time a great GTD resource.
Pierre, I must admit I’ve never really got the whole thing with 43 Folders. I think I missed it when it was really covering GTD. All I remember of it was that it seemed to cover a lot of Apple Mac related tools and apps.
The thing with reading the GTD book first is, though you may understand it, you can’t ever really appreciate the fundamental points until you’ve experienced them yourself. So whether you read it first or later, it still requires regular recaps as you progress.