In my last post I wrote about changing my relationship with technology. I reached a point where I was overwhelmed by work, social media and a digital life. I sought solace in reading, writing and a more contemplative life, and I found it. In feeling much more balanced I wondered how I could live a life of contentment, while not giving up ambition. It seemed you could have one or the other but not both. Enter Getting Things Done.
I can’t remember how, but a few weeks ago I stumbled across a productivity method designed in 2001 by David Allen called “Getting Things Done”. He wrote a book by the same title, and for decades has been teaching its principles. I have read many, many productivity books, and somehow this one escaped my journey. And I am glad it did. This process arrived at just the time I needed it. Any earlier and I would have likely dismissed it or given up.
The central premise of the book is that you can be extremely productive while maintaining a peaceful, stress-free life. David writes about how in today’s “knowledge worker” era we have an ambient anxiety problem: a feeling of general anxiety that there is something more I should be doing, something I am forgetting, or somewhere I am supposed to be in life. To regain a peaceful, yet productive life, you must learn to manage your life in a sustainable and stress free way. Here are the core concepts:
- Capturex
- Context
- Organize
- Reflect
- Engage
Rather than elaborate each concept, I recommend reading the book. Instead, I will just share with you how I have been using them. The core of my organization is an Apple Shortcut for quick capture, Obsidian as a central database, and a few AI Skills for helping me with task management.
Capture
- Apple Shortcut: Capture
- iPhone shortcut is on the Home Screen.
- Mac shortcut is bound to
Control + Shift + Space. - I relentlessly use this Shortcut to capture all thoughts that cross my mind and put them in my
Inbox.md
Context / Organize
- Run the
gtd-review-inboxskill at least once daily to sort captures into Next Actions or Projects. - Use
gtd-update-projectwhen a Project needs a new Next Action.
Review
- Run the
gtd-weekly-reviewskill to walk through every Project.
This has been an incredible improvement to my quality of life. At first there is so much to offload to the Inbox, but once you do that it becomes much easier. I love hitting my shortcut and adding any and every thing that pops into my head. I try for once a day to sort through the inbox and contextualize and organize. As with any new habit, the challenge is sticking to it.
this post certified clanker-free