Getting Things Done

[Marmot]

Anyone else here know or have heard of the life management system known as Getting Things Done or GTD, popularized by David Allen?


A brief summary, it's a system where one takes all their thoughts, ideas, projects, and ideas, and rather than storing them in your brain, documenting and organizing them in a separate place, such as on a computer (there are many applications out there for doing this).

Most people do this to an extent. For example, if you have a Dentist Appointment, you'll put that on your calendar. Where this deviates is when you document less tangible things. For example, if one thinks "I need a new cast iron skillet", they might not do anything about it beyond this thought. Instead, by the GTD system, one would take that idea and document it somewhere, to be reviewed later.



This is kind of a bare-bones explanation for this system, but what I'm curious if anyone else is familiar with it, or uses it, or thinks it's just utter baloney. And if you do use it, have you found it effective?

[G-Man]

I've been known to write out lists on paper for short-term and long-term goals to cross off. I use something similar at work each week- I have a list of all the weekly stuff that has to get done no matter what and I use a different color highlighter for each day of the week to signify which day the task was completed.

Taking it to the next level for smaller purchases is a wild thought. I could actually use a running to-do list though as I prepare for my cruise at the end of June.

[dunya]

when someone finds a fool proof way of getting things done, hit me up.

[Lunalee]

Thank you for sharing, Marmot! I need life-organizing tips. My current method is to try to write important stuff on a whiteboard on my fridge. But my default is to just keep everything in my head.

[ColinIsCool]

I don’t think I want to document all my thoughts, wants, and things I need to get done, honestly.

[Tangrowth]

This sounds 100% up my alley. Need to look into it. Thanks, Marmot.

[Mongoose]

I'm big into dot journaling, which is a little OCD but very effective. It could be done online, but I'm super analogue, so I have a tangible paper journal that I handwrite in.

[Elohcin]

I have heard this to be called bullet journaling. I know some homeschool moms who do it. No offense to Mongoose who seems to be doing somewhat of the same thing, but with all the things I have to get done, I don't have time to write them all down in artistic form with pretty fonts and colors. I have to get my butt out of bed every morning and just get started with my tasks if I want to complete them. I make grocery lists on my phone and I keep cake orders in a spreadsheet and on hard copy in my kitchen. That is all.

[juliets]

I never noticed this thread before. We worshiped David Allen where I worked. People said he changed their lives. I adopted several of his practices or sorting and keeping track of what I had delegated and other things. I had his book which I referenced often but I gave it to my supervisor where I volunteer.

[G-Man]

So far this year I have made a list of four or five things I want to accomplish by the end of the night in an effort to purge some of the unnecessary stuff we have lying about the house. I’ve grown tired of messes and needless stuff. So far I’ve made progress in the basement and two rooms on the main floor. Minor progress, mind you, but I have a long-game strategy in mind.

[Long Con]

I got something done.

Before shots:

Spoiler: show

After:

Spoiler: show

[dunya]

nice work, LC! that's super impressive. do you have a lot of building experience? @Long Con

[Grand Scheme]

nice work, LC! that's super impressive. do you have a lot of building experience? @Long Con

Thanks! I worked landscaping for a few years as a teen, and that experience helped me do it right.

[Long Con]

*sigh*

@sig it happened again!

[sig]

*sigh*

@sig it happened again!

I literally lol'd at this

[dunya]

nice work, LC! that's super impressive. do you have a lot of building experience? @Long Con

Thanks! I worked landscaping for a few years as a teen, and that experience helped me do it right.

very nice! i've studied construction and worked as a contraction manager for most of my adult life, and a few years ago took on renovating a house myself...slowly but gradually. it's a different experience when you do things by hand! and one i enjoyed a lot.

[G-Man]

My wife and I have been cleaning up the house in search of amusement park tickets that are good until June 30th. We haven’t found the tickets yet but we’ve thrown out quite a bit of junk that’s been cluttering up the place.

[DaughterOfOmega]

I don't often feel comfortable talking about my weight, but for years after I dropped out of high school I started to struggle with how much I ate.

This past year I've gone back and forth on weight loss/gain. Working on various systems and trying to understand my issues so that I could find something that would help me not only lose what I want, but to stick to that weight for my entire life.

Now getting to the point of the post, I was reading about this and found it to be similar to what has been working for me these last three weeks (except on this vacay where I gained 3lbs.) I've found that I had to preplan my entire day of diet/exercise, and write down how I was feeling at each point of the day. Things like "this breakfast food wasn't very filling for the calorie count" or "this lunch didn't give me the same energy I needed to complete my workout goals." Journaled all of my physical and mental stuff after all meals/exercises, and now I've found a certain plan that is not only comfortable enough for me to follow, but also effective enough to lose the weight I want off my body.

It's tough, and I have so much longer to go. This has been worked on for six months now, and I'm really hoping it's the thing I needed to seriously get where I want to go without any more roadblocks.

[Syn]

I don't often feel comfortable talking about my weight, but for years after I dropped out of high school I started to struggle with how much I ate.

This past year I've gone back and forth on weight loss/gain. Working on various systems and trying to understand my issues so that I could find something that would help me not only lose what I want, but to stick to that weight for my entire life.

Now getting to the point of the post, I was reading about this and found it to be similar to what has been working for me these last three weeks (except on this vacay where I gained 3lbs.) I've found that I had to preplan my entire day of diet/exercise, and write down how I was feeling at each point of the day. Things like "this breakfast food wasn't very filling for the calorie count" or "this lunch didn't give me the same energy I needed to complete my workout goals." Journaled all of my physical and mental stuff after all meals/exercises, and now I've found a certain plan that is not only comfortable enough for me to follow, but also effective enough to lose the weight I want off my body.

It's tough, and I have so much longer to go. This has been worked on for six months now, and I'm really hoping it's the thing I needed to seriously get where I want to go without any more roadblocks.

Good luck.

[DaughterOfOmega]

I don't often feel comfortable talking about my weight, but for years after I dropped out of high school I started to struggle with how much I ate.

This past year I've gone back and forth on weight loss/gain. Working on various systems and trying to understand my issues so that I could find something that would help me not only lose what I want, but to stick to that weight for my entire life.

Now getting to the point of the post, I was reading about this and found it to be similar to what has been working for me these last three weeks (except on this vacay where I gained 3lbs.) I've found that I had to preplan my entire day of diet/exercise, and write down how I was feeling at each point of the day. Things like "this breakfast food wasn't very filling for the calorie count" or "this lunch didn't give me the same energy I needed to complete my workout goals." Journaled all of my physical and mental stuff after all meals/exercises, and now I've found a certain plan that is not only comfortable enough for me to follow, but also effective enough to lose the weight I want off my body.

It's tough, and I have so much longer to go. This has been worked on for six months now, and I'm really hoping it's the thing I needed to seriously get where I want to go without any more roadblocks.

Good luck.

Thanks Syn, I used to make light of weight loss. I don't think I could have known how some people feel till I struggled myself.

[Syn]

I don't often feel comfortable talking about my weight, but for years after I dropped out of high school I started to struggle with how much I ate.

This past year I've gone back and forth on weight loss/gain. Working on various systems and trying to understand my issues so that I could find something that would help me not only lose what I want, but to stick to that weight for my entire life.

Now getting to the point of the post, I was reading about this and found it to be similar to what has been working for me these last three weeks (except on this vacay where I gained 3lbs.) I've found that I had to preplan my entire day of diet/exercise, and write down how I was feeling at each point of the day. Things like "this breakfast food wasn't very filling for the calorie count" or "this lunch didn't give me the same energy I needed to complete my workout goals." Journaled all of my physical and mental stuff after all meals/exercises, and now I've found a certain plan that is not only comfortable enough for me to follow, but also effective enough to lose the weight I want off my body.

It's tough, and I have so much longer to go. This has been worked on for six months now, and I'm really hoping it's the thing I needed to seriously get where I want to go without any more roadblocks.

Good luck.

Thanks Syn, I used to make light of weight loss. I don't think I could have known how some people feel till I struggled myself.

I understand it. I was 281 lbs August 2020, dropped down to 223, and now back up to 253. I haven't been able to figure out how to effectively counter the binge eating, so I'm glad you've found something that might be the answer to your own burden.

[Scotty]

Every person has their own journey to getting where they want to be, and not every fad diet works for everyone.
But like..,I love food. It’s something that I have come to terms with- no matter what, I still like eating, and I will continue to splurge sometimes. When i’m getting to the point in my journey where I need to drop some body fat, I have vices with the type of food I like that i have to deal with. So. I make conscious little decisions to replace that type of food.
I used to eat a chocolate muffin every day. So instead, I replaced that with an apple. Still simple carbs, and natural sugar, but not processed. I still want that chocolate muffin, but I still have other sugary crap I allow myself to eat.

The other thing that I have to force myself to do is eat things in moderation.

Easier said than done.

I’ll eat a whole bag of chips in one sitting if I’m not paying attention. They make those bags too damn big for me to just,,.put it away before it’s finished, ya know?
So when I have a snack that isn’t in a little container, I always put it in a container- a small bowl, perhaps- that forces me to ration it for that moment and not go overboard.

@DaughterOfOmega i like your idea of journaling how foods make you feel. I’ll have to try that!