Are daily to-do lists and GTD compatible?

One idea that comes up regularly for GTD practitioners is the idea of keeping a "daily to-do list," i.e., a list of tasks (Next Actions in GTD-speak) that should be done that day. Keeping one of these is a traditional time management staple [1], and one that Allen turns on its head. The reasoning is:

1. The pace of modern life changes so fast that such daily plans are often invalidated by the first unforeseen event (e.g., an email from a client at 8:15 AM that requires your immediate attention).
   
2. Having tasks on the daily to-do list that don't absolutely have to be done that day numbs you to other items that really do have to get done, leading to things slipping through the cracks and decreased trust in your system.
   

In addition, the regular copying forward of un-done tasks every day is tedious, and also leads to numbing or dropping them altogether (which makes the list out-of-date).

Allen's somewhat radical approach of eliminating daily to-do lists is reflected in two aspects of GTD: The calendar (which contains items that can only be done on that day), and a list of Next Actions (a running list of items to be done as soon as possible). The way it works? During the day you first check the calendar, which determines the shape of your day, then check the Next Actions to see what to fit into the remaining time.

However, to help me focus I sometimes find it helpful to save the result of my daily review in a temporary plan. For example, today at work I was feeling a bit scattered, so it helped to write down my goals - read a paper, research an internal blog post, and check-in with my office-mate. None of these had to happen today (as opposed to my calendar's items for today, which I had to work around), and these tasks were all on my Next Actions list, but given my intuition, this was what I wanted to try to accomplish.

Crucially, at the end of the day, after checking off those I'd done from my Next Actions list, I tossed my temporary plan. No tears, and no long goodbyes. And if something came up that invalidated the plan? Great! I could recycle the plan at any second, knowing that everything was out of my head and in my system.

In sum, my recommendation is if it helps to write up a temporary daily plan/goal, fine. But make sure it doesn't morph into a traditional daily to-do list:

• Create it based on your Next Actions list, i.e., as part of your daily review.
  
• Make sure to update your Next Actions list each time you finish an item.
  
• Avoid the siren song of keeping the list around longer than one day.
  
• Keep the list small - you want it to be just things you'd like to do today. Remember, you'll be throwing it away, so don't invest any time in it.
  
• Beware avoiding your system. As andersons puts it,

  If you don't like looking at your lists each day or don't like reviewing them even when you truly need to, then something is not working for you. You will have to figure out whether you need to change your system, your habits, or your motivation. Or maybe all three.

Related

As usual, the davidco forums have tons of great advice. You may find the following threads helpful:

• Too many pages to look at
  
• daily to do list
  
• Does a daily to-do list reduce the efficiency of GTD
  
• Is a !Today list dangerous?
  
• Missing My To-Do List

References

• [1] For example see To do list tips and Creating a daily to-do list

How to process stuff - A comparison of TRAF, the "Four Ds", and GTD's workflow diagram

As part of my self-training to be a personal productivity presenter and coach, I'm reading [1] every related book I can get my hands on. (My goal? Be a world-class expert [2] in the field.) One thing I regularly come across are relatively simple ideas for workflow management, esp. "TRAF" (Toss, Refer, Act, File) and the "Four Ds" (Delete, Do, Delegate, Defer). How do these compare with the more complex GTD workflow diagram? Read on!

The players

In this section I'll describe the three approaches to managing inputs that we'll be comparing - TRAF, the "Four Ds", and GTD's workflow diagram.

TRAF

TRAF is Stephanie Winston's system, as described in her books Organized for Success and The Organized Executive (the two I've read). As she puts it:

... there are only four and a half things you can do with a piece of paper. you can throw it away, refer it, act on it, file it, or (the "one-half") read it.

So we have:

• Toss it,
  
• Refer it (i.e. pass it along or discuss it with someone else),
  
• Act on it personally (includes now or 'resurfacing' it later, and reading), or
  
• File it.

You can read more about the idea in Staunching The Paper Flow - Tips For Time Management and The Art of Organization. (You might enjoy the acronym variations in Chunking Your Inbox by Bert Webb.)

The "Four Ds"

The Four Ds - Delete, Do, Delegate, Defer [3] - is a classic workflow management idea whose origins I haven't found [4]. There are many sources on the web, including 4 Ways to Take Control of Your E-mail Inbox By Sally McGhee, and Information Overload by Kathy Paauw. This gives us:

• Delete it,
  
• Do it (now),
  
• Delegate it, or
  
• Defer it (act on it later).

(Note: McGhee, whose work is closely related to Allen's, uses the same two minute rule as GTD for the Do it step.)

GTD Workflow Diagram

As opposed to the first two approaches, David Allen's workflow diagram (showing GTD's Processing and Organizing phases - their Rosetta Stone) is graphical rather than verbal [5], and is more complex. The official version is here, but you have to "buy" it (for free). A more accessible rendition is on Doug Johnston's site. I won't go into the diagram's details here, but briefly, the center "trunk" shows the processing steps, as stuff flows from the top down.

(Note: You may prefer Sally McGhee's diagram, which is closely related to Allen's. You can find more detail in her book Take Back Your Life!: Using Microsoft Outlook to Get Organized and Stay Organized.)

Comparison

So how do they stack up? Here's one way to compare them:

Actionable?	Organizing Bucket	TRAF	Four Ds
N	Trash	Toss	Delete
N	Someday/Maybe	-	-
N	File	File	-
Y + delegate	Waiting For	Refer	Delegate
Y +<2min	Do it	Act	Do
Y + >2min	Defer it (Calendar, Next Actions)	Act	Defer

For simplicity I've used GTD concepts as a reference point, mostly because it seems to subsume the others (more below). Notes:

• The Actionable? column refers to Allen's "Is It Actionable?" step
  
• The Organizing Bucket column refers to GTD's organizing scheme (i.e., where to park things so that they map to meaningfulness)
  
• Y + delegate means the item is actionable and can be (should be) delegated.
  
• Y +<2min means it's actionable, can't be delegated, and can be done in less than two minutes.
  
• Y + >2min means the same, but longer than two minutes.
  
• - means no direct equivalent in the method.
  
• As I understand it, Winston's Act step includes immediate, and deferred action.

Analysis/Questions

As you can see in the above table, GTD is more comprehensive than the other two, and subsumes both. But there's a trade-off in both communication and learning: TRAF and The Four Ds are more readily explained and applied (due to their relative simplicity), which probably makes them more memorable too. However, I want to be fair by pointing out the simpler ideas are often presented in the context of a larger system, which typically includes many of the missing elements identified here.

Of course when it comes down to it, the point is to find a set of tools and a methodology [6] that helps us be more productive, and that is ultimately a personal choice. Will I be giving up GTD for these others? No. But I am glad I know about them.

What do you think? Do you have a comparable system that you like?

References

• [1] I've had to build some reading skills to keep up with the demand. They're summarized in How to read a lot of books in a short time, for those interested.
  
• [2] What's the definition of an expert? From this article:

  So how do you get to be a world-class expert? By working your butt off, according to the brilliant cognitive psychologist, Anders Ericsson (e.g., Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Rèomer, 1993). Ten thousand hours of deliberate, well focused, thoughtful practice will turn you into a world-class expert, whether that expertise is in music, sports, dance, chess, science, or politics. And Ericsson's research suggests you can only do about 20 hours of this intense work per week.

  I also like the analysis in Building a Niche of One. You may also like Notes on the Psychology of Expertise.
  
• [3] Some of the other "Four Ds" I found: stress reactions (Denial, Dismissal, Deferral, Development) and Steps for Coping With Withdrawal (Deep Breaths, Drink Water, Do Something Else, Delay).
  
• [4] I found this comment by Judy Gleeson intriguing:

  The 4 D's have been in over 12 books on time management and every course notes I have ever read on the topic. It's derived from the 4 quadrants of time management from an urgency/importance matrix.

  I haven't been able to verify it, though...
  
• [5] To get a sense of the complexity of converting the workflow diagram to text, see Matt Vance's excellent GTD summary.
  
• [6] As Eric Mack points out in Methodology + Technology = Productivity, tools by themselves don't necessarily make us more productive - we need the knowledge of how to use them.
  
• On the back of my US paperback edition of Allen's book it says:

  Apply the "do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it" rule to get your in-box empty

  Interestingly, "drop it" isn't mentioned anywhere in the book, that I can determine.
  
• In How to Declutter Your Life the author finishes talking about TRAF with:

  Some people swear by this system, but for me, it’s a goal rather than an absolute. I just encounter too many in-between items ... and you probably do too.

On the goal of meeting three new people a week - A ten week retrospective

At the start of the year, I decided to try an experiment (see A geek "gets" networking: The strange magic of connecting with others): I was going to grow my personal network by three people per week for a year, a goal that seemed both audacious and possible, given a bit of stretching (which Alvin says is The Most Important Thing to Do).

In the last ten weeks I've connected with about 50 new people, which actually exceeds my goal of three per week (30 at this point). Even this early in the experiment, I've had a number of lessons and questions come up, which follow. However, the short story is 1) it's fun, 2) it's work, 3) it's personally challenging and rewarding, and 4) I don't know where it's going!

Effort

Growing and managing a personal network takes work. For example, I take notes at almost every meeting, which means I collect lots of notes that need processing (see Dealing with Meeting Notes - GTD to the Rescue!). It also means talking at night with folks from other time zones when I'm tired, managing appointments and cancellations, etc. I definitely enjoy it, but it was a bit of a wake-up call.

Surprises

I've made a surprising number of connections via people reading my blog (see the upper-left portion of the network above), and my comments on others' blogs. Some recent examples: Bob Walsh, Joe McCarthy, Michelle Crane, Chris Brogan, Pascal Venier, Pamela Stewart, and a host of others. All very wonderful people.

Another surprise was an attitude change I had about what I considered a persistent problem: Years ago I transcribed a bunch of pop tunes and put them up on the net, way back before SPAM was a problem. This might excuse the fact that I included my "real" email address in them at the bottom where I asked for corrections. Well, I keep getting corrections (and SPAM) as a result. However, since I began thinking about networking, I've had a mental shift from from annoyance to opportunity. And this shift applies to everything in my life.

Tools

I'm using a combination of FreeMind and a plain text log file (see My Big-Arse Text File - a Poor Man's Wiki+Blog+PIM) to help manage the growing network. I've uploaded a shrunken version of the map here. Also, Skype is very helpful, esp. when talking with people overseas (I've called the UK, Australia, and Jordan, so far).

(As an aside, I've created a "like to know" section of the network, which I use to set goals. It's a kind of "visualize wild success" thing, which as already started panning out. (Currently, the list partially includes: Merlin Mann, David Allen, Steve Pavlina, Sally McGhee, Stephen Covey, Larry Burdick, and a bunch of local people including my University's Chancellor.)

Questions

Doing this made me ask early on "What's the point?" I'm still not clear, but I still feel networking is a crucial part of my process. However, there are times when I can't confidently explain my purpose to others. The issue sometimes arises because I'm doing this for multiple reasons: to meet people (anyone interesting, really), to practice networking and listening, to be open to new directions/opportunities (esp. my effort to become a productivity coach, to find information/work in productivity, and to learn about related/other fields.

Also, I'm focusing more on deciding who I should talk to - what's the use to them, and to me? I want to retain the "wild" quality of my initial vision, which means being open to meeting anyone. (My good friend David Marshall called it "following scents," which is, if unfair, at least graphic! BTW - check out my favorite painting of his: Tangerines and Kisses!) However, I'm now putting the most energy into meeting people in which there's a clearer mutual benefit.

Lessons

I've found it invaluable to prepare before talking with people. As Ferrazzi says in Never Eat Alone, with Google there's no excuse to not read up on someone you're going to meet with. And these days, given the folks I want to talk to, they almost always have some information available on-line. Preparing gives me starting points for understanding and listening to them, and helps me think of ways to help them.

I've also found it useful to have a backup list of questions in case conversations stall. For example, in my case: life/career changes, networking, reading for education, and personal productivity. Questions like: "Have you ever initiated a major career change?" and "Do you have a book that changed your life?" are always fun to hear answered.

Lastly, to help ensure I don't forget something, I use the following post-networking checklist:

• Send a thank you email within 12-24 hours. mention specifics, genuine praise, etc.
• Send a thank-you to referrer (the person who made the referral or introduction). This is one place where good mapping comes in handy.
• Set a reminder in one month to check-in again with the person.
• Record the event in my FreeMind network and text file diary/journal (see above).
• And of course, follow-up on any commitments you made - offers to introduce or help the person are a gem.

Related Posts

Here are some other networking-related posts:

• From No Time to Network, Keith Ferrazzi says:

  If you're stressed out because you can't fit in any time for networking, my advice is this: Don't.
  
  That's right. Don't even try to squeeze it in. Instead, focus on meeting people more often during the things you already have to do. That way, you can relax and let networking time come to you.

• As Ian Ybarra says in The best way to prepare for your career:

  The best way to knock the dust off your skills or tame your nerves...the best way to prepare for your career...is to start doing the work you want. Now.

• On having courage and being audacious (something I find necessary when reaching out), Jason Womack says his aunt's passed along this advice:

  Until you ask, the answer's "No."

• In Networking surprises - Some recent unexpected (but successful) outcomes I talk about dealing with surprises when talking with folks.
• See my post The most important networking question for what you should always remember to ask.

Where's the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for personal information?

I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on. -- Beryl Pfizer

I've dreamed up an information-managing tool that should exist, and it's driving me nuts working without it. Here are a few initial notes; comments are very welcome.

In training myself to be a productivity consultant, my information tracking and capturing needs have gone through the roof. For example, I need to manage things like:

• networking information (who, when, how I connected to them),
  
• blog ideas,
  
• useful productivity tips for myself and clients,
  
• marketing and web site ideas,
  
• notes from books I read [2],
  
• notes/ideas for projects,
  
• lessons learned and personal challenges,
  
• inspirational reading,
  
• contact information,
  
• project hours (for example, in a coaching exchange I'm doing with someone),
  
• ...

(Note that I don't use this file for my GTD implementation; for that I use a paper planner with sections for my calendar, Next Actions, projects, etc. [3])

As I've described before [4], I use a plain text file with simple formatting to break it into individual records, and WikiCase (AKA CamelCase or WikiWords) to help navigate and find needed information. Here's an excerpt:

  ----
  IDEA: IdeaMatt: from JasonWomack: you teach what you most need to
  learn. in my case: ...
  (2005-11-15 21:40:42)
  ----
  IDEA: IdeaMatt: the irony of trying to set something up (take action)
  with people who need help taking action - slow email responses,
  unreturned phone calls, etc.
  (2005-11-15 14:38:14)
  ----
  IDEA: IdeaMatt: idea of copying todo lists when reach 1/2 full
  from "Time management for dummies"
  (2005-11-15 13:40:49)
  ----
  ...
  ----

After using this scheme for over a year, I've realized the tool is ready to grow up, and what it wants to be is something akin to a programmer's tool for information. Now I'm the first to admit that I'm an information "power user," and that a tool that works well for me would probably make most people run screaming with tears streaming down their faces, but hey - my readers are smarties!

What I've in mind is something like the next level past Wikis (think Jot meets Dabble DB outside the mad doctor's castle, and gets attached by half-crazed Lotus Agenda townspeople carrying pitchforks and torches, runs smack into Chandler, and gets stabbed by Planner Modefor good measure). It would work like an information IDE, something like the stellar IntelliJ IDEA, but for semi-structured data.

Here are some of the features, with programming comparisons to IDEA:

• Views: The UI would have multiple views, including a hierarchical one like wikidPad, a graphical one like MindManager, and a chronological one like Lifestreams (the one my text file tries to emulate).
  
• Editing: Smart completion of WikiWords, time-stamping of entries, etc. NB: Completion is crucial for efficiency, and for consistent use of tags.
  
• Navigation: Basic link following, including Find Callers and Jump To Definition, bookmarks, and forward/back functionality. (Note: the graph view may be better for higher-level navigation and abstraction.)
  
• Reports: One thing I'd love to have is a histogram showing who I've talked to (WikiWords, more generally) on a timeline so that I can see who I've not had contact with in a while, what kinds of entries I've been focusing on, etc.
  
• Refactoring: Often I'll find that I've duplicated some concept (such as a blog idea or a project), and I'll want to do the equivalent of XP's refactoring, including Extract Entry, Create Link, Inline entry, Rename Entry, etc.

That's the initial thought. However, there's something deeper that goes beyond these relatively straightforward operations. On top of them, I see the need for what I've been calling "self-structuring" operations, ones that support emergent organization of the data, esp. for records with more traditional database-like structure [5]. More on this later, but it would move the idea from a tool to a framework for information applications, enabling it to specialize itself (with guidance) to tasks like finances, expenses, contacts, and what I call "semantic bookmarks."


Related Reading

For additional thoughts on this, interested readers might enjoy the following drafts:

• CRAM - a Contextual Relational Augmented Memory for Personal Data Mining
  
• An intelligent email system
  
• Ideas on a next-generation personal information manager

Note that they refer to our research project Proximity. It's a system supporting relational knowledge discovery (advanced data mining), but my original interest was as a framework for implementing some of the above ideas.


References

• [2] You might enjoy How to read a lot of books in a short time.
  
• [3] My current GTD setup is described in Fare thee well Hipster PDA - I barely knew ye.
  
• [4] You can read more about the text file format in My Big-Arse Text File - a Poor Man's Wiki+Blog+PIM, Pickle jars, text files, and creative idea capture, and Photo Blogs, Wikis, and Memories for Life.
  
• [5] My friend David Phillips also talks about this in Gems in a treasure chest.