Poll: GTD. Use it? | Hacker News Reader

Poll: GTD. Use it?

10 pointsnostromo6 comments

I've read Getting Things Done (GTD) and a number of articles on 43 Folders about implementing it as a geek, but found myself never really able to implement it for long periods of time. I've heard other people on HN talk about it, so I thought it would be interesting to see how many people out there actually use it.

Is it worth the effort?

I'd love to see comments about if you do or don't use it and why or why didn't it work for you.

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I fall in and out, but I'm coming back to it more and more consistently. I use the 43 folders, I have a filing system, and when I decide to get back on the horse, things go really well.

But after a while I feel like I'm a rapidly spinning mirco-kernel, and I feel that there are probably things I'm not getting to, so I let it relax for a bit. After a while the filing accrues, the email accrues, and I feel compelled to get it all back under control.

But it's working - I just need my own spin on it.

Last year I got busy with lots of small organizational things that were overwhelming. I read and implemented GTD and it helped me out a lot. Lately, I'm not quite that busy so I don't rely as much on some GTD things like the weekly review. I think it's worth going through and organizing everything at least once. Then you'll find some things that work well for you and others that don't. I still use a inbox/outbox system for my desk and a filing cabinet for everything. Overall, the busier and more fragmented your schedule, the more you'll get out of it.

Like RiderOfGiraffes said:

> I fall in and out, but I'm coming back to it more and more consistently.

It's the same with me.

I've always used a custom task list tool and printed a PocketMod of next actions each morning. I'm more lax on other things, I don't have 43 folders but one with 12 compartments, because I never have much paper to process. Also a lot of my "archive" and "reference" workflow is in flux as I'm still trying to settle on the best way to store and organize this information.

Simple text file with TODO and highlighting works perfect for me. 3 types of tasks: not started, finished and in question.

Stick notes (physical ones) work as well.

I tried GTD once, until I found a much simpler technique I like better:

http://gradhacker.com/2009/12/11/make-lists-not-too-much-mos...

Make lists. Not too much. Mostly do.

I use it all the time, without cloistering myself into any particular methodology.

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