March 5, 2007 at 20:08Checklist for GTD Masters
A checklist for those who practice (or plan to implement) GTD.
- I read Getting Things Done from cover to cover
. I have a calendar that is always at hand.
I only list appointments and appointments on certain dates in the calendar.
I have an offline place for incoming documents, which I use daily (Inbox tray).
I have an email client configured to my requirements.
I have a voicemail box customized to my requirements.
I always have the opportunity to write down ideas that come to my mind in any form (notepad, pda, voice recorder, etc.).
I have an easily accessible place (or places) for storing Next Actions lists.
I have a list of projects.
I listened to GTD in audiobook format.
I have a Waiting For list.
I have a “Borrowed / Rented” list
. I have an inbox for incoming / downloaded files.
I have a reminder system located in a convenient and quick access place.
I have a paper storage system, convenient and with quick access, maybe with a machine for sticking labels.
My list of actions contains exactly the specific physical actions (and not multi-step projects).
Every week I look at my lists.
I have a Someday / Maybe list, and I regularly review and update this list during reviews.
I have a physical workplace arranged by me.
I have all the necessary stationery (p. 59).
I have a mobile office, if needed.
The directory structure on my computer is configured for maximum productivity (convenience and speed of search).
I participate in weekly GTD methods meetings.
The first 6 months of entering the GTD system, and even then, if necessary, I keep a diary where I record daily progress from using GTD.
Weekly and monthly I review the GTD diary to improve my mood and stimulate further progress.
Intermediate
I have been using the GTD system continuously for the last 3-6 months.
I read Getting Things Done twice or more.
I often listened to GTD on audiobook I can with absolute certainty to identify the voice of David Allen ( by David Allen ).
I consistently bring to the end the pending cases.
I distribute and pick up items on the Lent / Rented list sequentially.
I clean the inbox every day at five o’clock in the evening.
I clean the Inbox tray every day at five in the evening.
I sequentially empty my voicemail box every day at five in the evening.
I clean my inbox every day.
I sequentially empty all “incoming” and “baskets” (notebooks, voice recorders, other unsorted recordings) every day at five in the evening.
Every week at the same time I do a mandatory review.
Unsorted entries are not stored anywhere except the Inbox, project folders, and help storage.
In my calendar (once or twice a year) there is a day of "tidying and checking all the papers."
I have my own model of heights (p. 126), and I update it once a quarter (of course, with a reminder in the calendar).
Every week, even better every morning, I remind myself of my global goals for my own inspiration.
Weekly I check and update the list of projects.
Throughout the day, I often review cases.
I am well acquainted with the most popular GTD web and desktop tools and I know their strengths and weaknesses.
I picked up online and / or paper tools that fit best into my system and use them daily.
When cleaning my inbox, I start from the top and process the documents in order, to their logical conclusion (instead of pulling things out of the pile easier).
I am very familiar with mental cards , and use them as needed.
I know the five phases of project planning by heart (p. 38) and use them constantly.
I know by heart the triple model for evaluating daily work (p. 123) and use it constantly.
I know by heart the four-criteria decision-making model (p. 120) and act according to it, or I have something better.
I experimented with GTDGmail, or another mail management program, and I found the one that suits me best.
Advanced
I have been using GTD for the past 6 months every day.
I signed up for GTD Connect , and I listen to most of the stuff from there.
I listen to the “ 43 Folders ” podcasts by David Allen.
I have helped three people successfully implement GTD in their lives.
I read David Allen’s book, Ready for Anything, and other books on personal time management.
I work, being in a state of flow, from a quarter to half of all time.
I don’t have anything in my head that can be stored in the system, and constantly throughout the day I bring ideas, actions and projects to GTD.
I read Getting Things Done at least twice, added a bunch of bookmarks and wrote almost every page with my thoughts.
I always call back if necessary within 24 hours, usually falling within 2-12 hours, without forgetting.
I respond to all incoming mail within 24 hours (usually much faster), without loss and forgetting.
When I put something in my inbox, I am completely sure that I will do it ... or I know why I will not do it, and I am calm about it.
When I agree to do something for another, I’m completely sure that I will do it ... or I’ll immediately tell him why I can’t do it.
I do not feel anxious about all my affairs.
My mind is like water, calm and transparent, and I never try to make any decision twice.
My paper vault is always up to date.
My affairs are better organized than anyone I know (except for GTD masters!).
I never miss projects or tasks.
Recently, I don’t remember anything that would violate my system.
I am surprised to people skipping a feed because I can’t understand their prospects.
I constantly consult with anyone who has been using GTD for at least 4 years.
I know the strengths and weaknesses of GTD well, because I read and studied other productivity systems and time management.
I act on the system automatically, without coercion or reminders.
I can easily track how my daily work relates to goals at other heights.
I am so productive and my mind is so clean that new ideas appear all the time ... and I always have a way to fix them.
I easily say “No,” because I always know what I have to do and how important it is.
Mastery
I have been using the GTD system for the past 12 months every day.
My system has been completely transparent for 6 months now.
My system went through several stages of evolution with a change of tools, fully embedded in my life.
I have helped 10 people successfully implement GTD in their lives, and they have been using this system for 6 months now.
I easily come to all meetings in 10 minutes, well prepared and with a clean, peaceful mind.
When I work, I am in a stream.
I do not use rejuvenating agents (coffee, sugar) - my work stimulates me.
I try not to work with people who are late or breaking promises only if it is not absolutely necessary or this is my student of GTD.
I am known as a little promising and doing a lot.
I regularly do physical exercises that increase health, strength, breathing, flexibility, and overall fitness.
I wake up early in the morning at the same time on the alarm clock and immediately turn on the GTD stream, with relaxed attention.
I do regular spiritual practices, listed on the calendar, which I constantly follow.
I have a list of books on personal / spiritual / career growth that I constantly read, possibly allocating constant time for this.
I constantly try new tools to increase productivity, but only if it is really necessary.
When I finish something, it is done as well as possible, regardless of the complexity and the number of intermediate steps.
Planning and creating mental maps is as natural to me as breathing.
I have commissioned or automated many regular tasks, getting rid of the routine.
I am surrounded by the same productive people as myself.
I have several teachers who help me increase my productivity and whom I meet regularly.
My housing is like a Zen temple - everything is taken into account, everything is consciously and purposefully.
My workplace contributes to peace - people often say how pleasantly and calmly they sit at my table.
If I wanted to, I could easily engage in personal productivity training - people often ask for my advice in this area.
I can write a book on personal productivity ... or already done it.
I achieve my goals faster and easier than I expected.
Work - and life - is high, bliss, a game.
Page numbers are for translating the book .
Original article .