From: Brian Braunschweiger (brianbraun_at_earthlink.net)
Date: Mon Aug 16 2004 - 08:33:38 PDT
Paul wrote:
>Anyone using a Newton in conjuction with Dave Allen's Getting Things
>Done (GTD) system?
I'm trying to. I am still familiarizing myself with the GTD system
and am sure what I AM trying to implement I am not always doing
properly. That said, I have found the concept of the system helpful
and inspiring [see brief summary below of system], especially the
ideas of collecting everything I need to know and do into one place
and breaking down what needs to be done into bite size pieces.
Regarding the Newton's role in this, I think there are some major
limitations of using it as the primary device for implementing the
GTD system. My personal modified approach of using the Newton has
shown some of those. To this point, I have found I need for my work
(1) my Mac desktop, (2) a Newton and (3) a Palm device - in my case a
IIIxe. Both the Palm and the Newton are essentially Plain Vanilla
(i.e. no special purpose apps added to deal with the GTD tasks). On
the Mac I am primarily using Now Contact and Up-to-Date version 3.9.2
on OS 9.1. I do most of my data entry on the desktop.
I have never gotten NOW to synch with my Newton so to have portable
access to my contacts, calendar and To-Dos I need the Palm. I still
need/use the Palm Desktop software for my notes but notes are not as
mission critical in my current use as contacts, calendar and To-Dos.
I am considering alternatives to getting along with out the Palm
Desktop software for notes but have not acted on any of my options
yet.
When I am away from my desktop computer, I find that the Newton
excels at two key components of the GTD system - (1) capturing
thoughts/ideas/actions in the heat of the moment (using the stylus to
write them down or the voice recorder)
and
(2) managing my Current Projects List along with the Someday/Maybe
list. On this point the outliner in the Newton works great to expand
and collapse items and to add the Next Actions under any given
project and to move stuff around. The 2nd great aspect of the Newton
is the large screen that is much more readable than my Palm and
easier for data entry. Finally the Newton used in this way makes the
Weekly Review quite easy to do.
Here are some disadvantages I have found using the Newton with the GTD system:
- as described above, I have multiplied rather than simplified the
number of devices involved, making it more likely that key data won't
get synched or that it will get lost or overlooked. Along this same
line I have multiplied the number of "collection buckets" - my
desktop Mac, my laptop Mac, email, Newton, Palm, physical in box and
voice mail. That is far from ideal in the GTD system.
- In the notes/outliner the data limit for each note is an obstacle.
It would be best in my view to have one big list, but by the time I
get all of my personal and work projects listed with their next
actions, it spans multiple notes, making it a bit harder to find and
use the info in them
- lack of good integration with my other software and hardware.
Ideally when I am ready to add a next action to my To-Do list for a
day or week I would cut from the list on the Newton and paste into
Now Up-To-Date. That really doesn't work and what I am currently
doing is manually keying it in. It is possible that I need to migrate
to other software and/or OS on the Newton and/or Mac and/or palm to
achieve this integration but it is far from obvious to me that this
will solve the problem and I am not ready time wise or financially to
commit to a huge change at this point.
- there are few others using both the Newton and the GTD system able
to suggest ideas and answers
Hopefully my comments have been of help to you in particular, Paul,
and others in general. I welcome any comments or observations on what
I have shared above.
Now as promised a summary of the GTD system, at least as I have come
to understand it:
(1) The core for me is the idea of getting everything into a "trusted
system." I may have a hard time getting that monthly report out if my
mind has this nagging idea that something else needs doing that I may
be forgetting. If I come up with a system for capturing everything
that does or may need doing, organizing it and coming back to it in a
timely fashion, then I will be free to focus my energies on the task
at hand.
(2) Once I have captured everything into a trusted system (the
project list and the Someday/Maybe list) I break those "projects"
(i.e. anything that has more than one step) down into doable "Next
Actions." I might have goals as diverse as Wax the Cat or Conquer
Albania. If I break those projects down into the various next actions
needed to accomplish those goals in a step by step fashion, I can
better judge the status of a project, allot my time and be productive.
(3) The use of "contexts" - this was a completely new idea to me. I
am not sure if it was original to David Allen. If the next actions I
have decided to emphasize today or this week are assigned appropriate
contexts, then I can be more productive with less stress and better
track things. David recommends contexts like Computer, Calls,
Waiting, Errands, etc. Thus if I am at the doctor's office with a
cell phone and 15 spare minutes there is no sense worrying about that
spreadsheet back on my desktop computer but I could get some calls
done while waiting. Thus part of what drives what next action I focus
on is not only by urgency and importance (ala Covey) but also context.
(4) The "Weekly Review" - the only way to keep a trusted system
trusted is to set aside a time for weekly review - if I have not
already done so I enter in the new bits of info and data that I have
collected during the week, I update records to show what I have done
that week, and I update the next actions for each project and
identify for priority the ones I will act on in the coming days/week.
Other resources for GTD:
David Allen's Web site: <http://www.davidco.com/>
The Book "Getting Things Done" available from any major seller and
also on audio.com
The Yahoo Group relating GTD to the Palm (actually any PDA -
Mac/Newton questions welcome but not many with experience to share.
Mostly Windows users): <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GtD_Palm/>
Hope that helps.
Brian
-- Brian Braunschweiger "Of course there's a lot of knowledge in universities:the freshmen bring a little in; the seniors don't take much away, so knowledge sort of accumulates."- A. Lawrence Lowell -- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
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