Managing (seemingly) endless tasks | Practicing GTD
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Managing very large projects using the GTD methodology can be difficult. Here is my take on it.
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Although I am a GTD Coach with GTD Focus, I use this channel to document my personal GTD journey as a working single mom. This is not coaching advice nor should my set up be considered the "correct" set up.
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This was tremendously helpful in showing me how to think about a massive project of which I have a few! I love the concept of the separate lists per 'room' and then when you are working on that 'room' selecting what is most appealing to you that day. That definitely helps tame the overwhelm of the massive list! Thank you.
Another great video! You have a gift for bringing light to actual challenges that are not always covered in the book. Keep up your good work!
Thanks, Wayne!
For big projects I always chunk them up into smaller projects, and then prioritize based on what needs done first/now. If I have a long project, say that lasts several months, I've found I end up wasting tons of time putting in all the milestones, steps I think will be needed, etc. First, I see a massive project full of sub-projects and I loose all motivation. Second, life happens, and if you are truly iterating on your work all that stuff will change by the time you get to it anyway. But if I chunk up the projects, then I have the benefit of seeing end goals MUCH sooner, I can track progress better, and I have a very clear stopping point for that chunk of work. Very important, as we all have a way of fuzzing the boundaries of different work... continuing to fiddle with it long after it should have been wrapped up, or doubling back due to someone's "great idea" in the middle of the project, when the planning phase is way past. So many benefits to breaking up large projects into smaller ones.
That said, I've also learned to be absolutely brutal about those boundaries. Collaborators will inevitably ask for my time to workshop or whatever something that is weeks or months into the future. I always turn this down, knowing its a total waste of time. When we get there, if it's still relevant, I will have my opportunity for input. And in the mean time, I'm getting done what needs to happen right now. And it feels so good to close the doors on a phase of work and move on! And from the other direction, I can shut down attempts from others to randomize the project work. When you are thinking in terms of "we will have everything done in 4 months" you tend not to make decisions and commitments that allow you to move forward. It remains an infinite field of possibility until the inevitable due date starts looming, and then crunch time ensues on a product that is far less than it could or should have been. But if you instead are thinking of "Plan for milestone 01", and then "Build/do milestone 01" and then "Launch milestone 01", and then "Plan for milestone 02", you are able to stop yourself (and sometimes others!) from spending time on Milestone 05 when you aren't anywhere near that stage.
This works on my home projects too. In your example of moving... I would also do a mind sweep, make little projects for all the different things to do, and then park most of them into "someday maybe". Just pick the stuff I can do within the next week to put any attention towards. Priorities are pretty easy in the beginning (hook up utilities/services, unpack food/cleaning supplies and buy what is missing, set up home office, fully leave or sell old place, etc). When those are out of the way, it can be more spontaneous, or based on what I feel pulled to.
One thing to point out here is that I never use a "waiting for" list for tasks. I do for email, but not for tasks. I found those loops usually stay open forever, or far longer than need be. Or they generate more work as I track down people to ask them to reply. Took me years to work this out, but it set me free! Instead, I send the email, ask for my work to be reviewed, whatever. But I also say, "if I don't hear from you by X date, I will assume you are fine with this and move forward". Then I check that task off the list, and close out that part of the project. Gone! Then I create a new task for that response due date, assuming it's me moving forward on the work without the "waiting for" response. If I get the response, great. Integrate the work, and that task is still relevant. If not, I didn't miss a deadline, didn't get blocked, etc. This realization is what led me to understand how well chunking projects works for me. For instance, write up a proposal, send it off to the people to review. Close the project. NOTHING exists as a task or project until I hear back from them. Nothing. Because they may not want to move forward, they may have big changes, and the timeline will almost certainly be moved around. When/if they get back to me, I make new projects and tasks that are relevant at that point, and blend them in to whatever work I was doing in the mean time.
Everyone needs to find their balance between number of projects vs size of projects. For me, "Move" is a huge and repeated press on my fail button! But 30 small projects I can bang out in a few days or less each is the focus I need to get things done and still feel happy and relaxed.
Wow! Thanks for your detailed response.
I resonate when you talk about setting milestones and then making progress on those without getting ahead of yourself. I've been in plenty of group settings were people spend a lot of time planning and thinking and not enough time doing.
I love your videos. Thanks for your ongoing efforts. I'm trying to set up a BCC rule (as you suggest - brilliant!) to have specific emails drop into my "Waiting for" folder. I've searched online for a while for advice about how to do this. I'm on outlook web app. Any ideas? your guidance would be much appreciated. There are CC options but no Bcc.
Thanks.
I wish I could remember how I specifically set it up in Outlook (I use Gmail at work now) but I think one part of the rule was that emails were sent from me and I was not in the "to" line. I used the rules wizard and you have the option to create your own filters. I hope that helps at least a little bit!
I am in the process of moving and finding it overwhelming. Your suggestions about your room by room list for moving in is helpful. I can do that. But I’m overwhelmed with the moving out of my old place. That’s where the 7 year old box is (actually more than one box and more than 7 years). Might it work to organize the rooms I’m moving out of the same way you did the rooms you moved into? Or if you want to do a video about that, count me in. Thanks!
Really helpful as I'm getting GTD set up. Thank you!
Glad it helped!
Now that I no longer have cable, all I do is watch your videos and other gtd video.
Thanks for watching!
What is the link to the other channel you mentioned? I love your videos! :)
Thanks! Here is the link for the GTD Focus Channel. Also put it in the description.
ruclips.net/channel/UCiSkK3jzS2J7VBbzqe_aihAfeatured
Helpful tips. I have that box that hasn't been unpacked "for seven years." ☺
It's so easy to just leave the boxes where they are! Thanks for watching. :)
Like her folders in the background
Thanks! I talk about my desk set up in this video. ruclips.net/video/SkAEMYzZHdw/видео.html