GTD update

Two pretty full days of processing stuff in the office according to the GTD method. I'm almost there, but took a few breaks and didn't completely finish. The email inbox is EMPTY except for a ghost message that Systems needs to make disappear. Messages somewhat haphazardly placed in Outlook's Next Action and Tickler folders, but they're out of the inbox anyway and ready to tackle in January. Office shelves are much much neater and many pieces of paper filed, 2 minute actions taken, three or more piles of books searched and sent to their next destination in the workflow. Also dusted to start the new year sparkly clean. The inbox still has a healthy pile of paper in it, plus piles on my little meeting table.

Listening to the audio version of David Allen's Getting Things Done was really useful during this work. He was reading the text, so wasn't as lively as he probably would have been if I had hired him (if I could have afforded it) or attended one of the seminars, but that's okay. Hearing his voice was enough to keep me in the groove of the project.

So 2006 will start with a pretty clean slate despite the remaining piles, and how about that email inbox!!!

New Leaves

What an exciting time! Reeling from Christmas activities. Family encounters on both sides provided all kinds of "food", ranging from the partially drunken emotional conversations that clear out all the junk built up over the decades to episodes that too easily satisfy the desire for gossip and indulgence in negativity. In between those two things (you see, the former is really a positive thing, despite the psychic hangover) are many good times, laughter, and yummy enough food (the most stellar being some excellent sushi rolls from last night).

Back at work after all of that for a 'tween holiday cleaning session. The GTD roundup is going well so far, most things taken off of the shelves and put in and around my inbox and on top of my conference table and chairs. The post-lunch strategy is to tackle the inbox and desk first and then move clockwise around the table from about the 4 o'clock position (the stack that is likely the most in need of attention. There's also one book truck included in "in". Shelves are dusted off and clean as a whistle too. I should have taken pictures to show before and after, but alas did not bring the camera....

This next year promises the turning over of many new leaves in areas of family, work, body, spirit.

Mind like water, nose like... eeeuuuww!

I have been misdirecting my focus in all of my excitement about productivity and the drive to do do do before the holidays. Yet again I fail to keep perfect balance and succumb to the little germies out there. I closed the weekend barely dribbling, turning into a full-on internal broil over the weekend, easing off but still meriting a day off from work. So here it's Monday on a Tuesday and may not last too long with it. I can conveniently blame a whole room of preschoolers with their lack of hygiene and my daily (M-F anyway) interaction with them. I know this is only part of the reason for the latest illness. It's also about not pampering myself enough while I'm well, driving a little too hard in some areas and not spending nearly enough time/energy in others.

So, trying to realign myself slowly.

GTD for Library Materials

Only a few more days until the banzai GTD session. I think I may have cracked the library-materials-too-big-for-a-file-folder nut. I think what I'm going to do is replicate the GTD categories on my library shelving. I'll have to maintain two separate streams, one for paper and one for books, but I think it will work out. I'm designating one of the shelves close to me as the Next Action shelf so all I have to do is reach around and pull something off.

Above that is my Tickler shelf. I've just printed out little flags that can stick off the shelf to indicate what part of the calendar we're in. If it works out I can do something more formal/permanent and maybe laminate them. Also, I elected to go by the week for the Materials Tickler instead of the day-by-day method that I have for my paper tickler file. I've already started using the Tickler shelf for appointments next week (associated paper also on shelf), but will wait to stage the Next Action shelf until I go through everything in the 2-day session in... 11 days!

The goal is to use a minimum of shelving for active GTD streams and totally rehaul the reference shelves for maximum information retrieval (since we're in the information management biz as librarians, we'd better get our own stuff straight, eh?).

The bigger goal is to get to "mind like water" in a place that is frequently beset by long, drawn-out consensual processes, document sediment (Strategic Plan from 1984 anyone?), frequent dead-end "waiting fors" and institutional time-warp (geologic pace, see #1 above). Aaaahhhh.

Lightening the Loads

Well, down to 387 messages and starting to move content from email messages to Triggers in my Outlook calendar as well as deleting. Funny how messages from certain people seem really important at first but with some aging are so easily deleted (I won't say who those people are). I like the progress to zero and email mind-like-water and am excited about the goals for the end of the year. The energy level is picking up and feel the brainspace opening up to work on other projects--room to address key strategic goals in many areas of life not just work.

Speaking of non-work: today marks the beginning of a new gym membership, which is fraught with anxiety but also hope of another way of adding to the energy level. I was a gym member many many years ago when I was not so smart about the health thing, so I was in it for all the wrong reasons. There's a little gym-rat vibe going on (and the people working the place don't seem like my kinda smart, if you get my meaning), but I have to put that aside and just work it for me. Here's to momentum in that direction.

This weekend has in store a nice work-related holiday party and a matinee performance of a children's holiday show, both of which should be fun each in its own way.

GTD Play-by-Play

Email inbox: 498 messages. This sounds awful, but it really is a big improvement. Before I had messages split between the campus account and the library server totally some 800-odd messages. They are now consolidated into one inbox and are being trudged through at a good clip with many deleted altogether. The Yahoo account went down from 200 some odd to 4, and now back to 40--a weekend processing (and unsubscribing) session is in order.

Desk is looking better, with folders in their appropriate locations and more empty space--fewer piles. The inbox and outbox are being emptied on a regular basis--daily triage taking place there.

Did not do my weekly review after lunch as I had planned on, but can do this weekend. Overall feeling good, feeling in control and fewer open loops.

Life Mastery in Analog

Continuing the ramp-up to full GTD implementation, and can definitely feel the shifts in productivity, mental control and effectiveness. The audio CDs are here and ready for the holiday bridge days of December 27 and 28 for full office reorg. There are stacks of papers here from my predecessor that date well into the previous century and are not necessary anymore (some are still good references, but much can be tossed).

This morning had a dentist appointment and took my trusty binder in. The hygienist asked if I was in school, and I said, "no, my life's in there.... actually that's my PDA." Small laugh. Not much else was said about it until after the session when I was at the desk scheduling my next appointment. I was able to flip into my calendar pages and turn down one of those reminder cards that I always seem to lose. The hygienist said how organized I was and while I didn't mention GTD specifically, I did say how much more productive and on top of things I felt.

It is true what David Allen says: with complete collection of open loops, at least now I know what I'm not doing.

It's already December! Thanksgiving trip to see family was good--great interaction of the cousins. Christmas prep includes thinking about "Advent" as well as gift-giving. There may be a church for us on the horizon.... The music is still not where I'd like it to be (Scott at All Saints and then Brent Bourgeois and co. at the Warehouse certainly set a high bar!), but I think the heart of the church is in the right place and I can see our family fitting in there.