Technical Communication and GTD?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Eric Ray wondered: <<I'd be interested in hearing more about how you  
are implementing GTD (Getting Things Done, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done) 
  as technical communicators? Have you tried it? Does it help? Do you  
have other systems/techniques you use?>>

Haven't specifically tried out GTD, but I've seen so many time  
management tools described over the years that I've developed my own  
syncretic and idiosyncratic approach that borrows bits and pieces from  
probably dozens of different philosophies. It's rare to find any one  
system that meets an individual's unique needs, so generally you need  
to do some extensive customization. Currently, I use a twofold approach:

First, I use a simple calendar program (Apple's iCal) to keep track of  
my ongoing to-do list, both for firm and floating deadlines. Here, I  
store small things that can be done in an hour or so (never much  
more). The calendar boots up automatically each time I turn on my  
computer, so the first thing I see each day is my calendar. Tasks with  
firm deadlines get categorized as "work", and are highlighted in red  
so that they stand out; I focus on them first. Stuff that needs to get  
done eventually, but that I can keep bumping to the next day and the  
next day and so on, until it becomes a crisis or until I get  
interested enough to get the thing done, are highlighted in blue. If I  
have time to fit them in, I do them; if not, I keep bumping them to a  
later time. Should they become a crisis or suddenly bump up against a  
real deadline, I turn them red and prioritize doing them. This works  
well with all the miscellaneous tasks of life (e.g., writing a  
birthday card, downloading an eBook, calling Mom).

Second, I block out (reserve) time for things that are going to take  
me multiple hours and often occupy full days, so I know how much work  
I can fit into my week and when my next available work time slot opens  
up. I developed a simple and kludgy, yet somehow elegant (i.e., it  
works well enough to not annoy me <g>) way to organize my workflow.  
Basically, I create a folder on my desktop that holds aliases (in  
Windows, "shortcuts") to folders deeper into my hard disk that contain  
the actual work files. I add dates ("would like by" and "absolutely  
due by" dates) to each shortcut, and use the aliases both to put my  
work in chronological order and to reserve work days for that work.  
Large time commitments such as weekends and vacations get their own  
placeholder in this list. The approach is very flexible and  
customizable, and can be adapted to a variety of situations. In the  
couple years I've been using it, it's worked brilliantly for me.  
Details: http://www.geoff-hart.com/articles/2008/scheduling.htm

But it's important to note that all the methodology in the world won't  
help if you lack the self-discipline to tell yourself to stop wasting  
time and simply get on with whatever tasks need doing. I'm a highly  
trained professional at the art of procrastination; few are my equal.  
Yet I possess the ability to suck it up and just buckle down to work  
when necessary. Without that ability, all the tools in the world won't  
help.

--------------------------------------------------------
Geoff Hart (www.geoff-hart.com)
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
--------------------------------------------------------
***Now available***  _Effective onscreen editing_
(http://www.geoff-hart.com/books/eoe/onscreen-book.htm)

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