Getting Things Done — Notes
Open loops — thoughts that haven’t been brought to closure — interrupt your flow constantly. Your brain will keep reminding you about them whether you want it to or not.
The Five Steps
- Capture — Instead of keeping ideas, to-dos, and decisions in your head, capture them in some external platform (paper or digital)
- Clarify — What is each item and what can you do with it?
- Organize — Structure the outcomes into a system of lists
- Reflect — Review what is important to you; review the items in your system
- Engage — Pick which action to undertake at this time and do it
Natural Planning
- Purpose and principles
- Outcome visioning
- Brainstorming
- Organizing
- Identifying next actions
Calendar Items (Cal Newport framework)
- Time-specific actions (e.g., doctor’s appointment)
- Day-specific actions (e.g., calling a colleague on her last day before vacation)
- Day-specific information (e.g., files to bring to the appointment)
Altitude Horizons
- Ground — Current actions: Your current tasks, reminders, emails to answer
- Horizon 1 — Current projects: On your Projects list; generate most ground-level items
- Horizon 2 — Areas of Focus and Accountabilities: The roles and domains you maintain (leadership, strategic planning, health, finances, family)
- Horizon 3 — One- to two-year goals: Where you want to be in 1–2 years (e.g., key promotion)
- Horizon 4 — Long-term visions: Three- to five-year timeframe; career aspirations, family, external factors
- Horizon 5 — Life purpose: Why you exist. All previous horizons are influenced by your answer
See also: 6A-life-systems | deep-work-notes