Black Belt Productivity

This is the last chapter discussing the 5 Phases of Getting Things Done^®. It is time to take our lists and make some things happen.

- Michael

Chapter 9: Doing: Making the Best Action Choices

There are many different ways that you can get things done…once you have a system in place to tell you what needs to be done. The methods described here were briefly mentioned in Chapter 2, but I did not go into any detail then, knowing that they would be covered in depth here.

The first model that Allen discusses is ‘The Four-Criteria Model for Choosing Actions in the Moment’. It is defined by the criteria:

1. Context
2. Time Available
3. Energy Available
4. Priority

You decide what you want to do by evaluting against the four criteria. Allen says,

“At any point in time, the first thing to consider is, what could you possibly do, where you are, with the tools you have?”

This is the essence of the context lists. They define the circumstances in which you complete your actions. Your @Calls will require a phone, @Computer will need a computer. If you don’t have a phone with you or nearby, or you are not near your computer, then you do not even have to consider any item on those lists. If you are in your car heading to the store, then you might want to check your @Errands list to see if there is anything that you can finish while you are out and about.The same hold true for Time Available. You do not want to start drafting an Annual Report when you know that you have a staff meeting in 5 minutes. This is one place where having a good up-to-date hard landscape is vital to your productivity.

There are some times when you do not have the energy to start a project, or hit that next action. That is ok. As long as you know that you have some High Energy items on your list, you can save those for those High Energy times. Allen suggests that we keep a list of actions that “require very little mental or creative horsepower”. I have not tried this, but I think that I am going to work on this list (add to @Someday/Maybe).

Deciding your priorities is a subject of much debate in the GTD world. Some people shun them entirely as not necessary within GTD. Others fight that they are essential for them to know how to get their work done. Allen does not do away with priorities in GTD. He says that we need to feel, at the end of each day, we got accomplished what we needed to do. If we need to prioritize certain item higher than others, so be it. Get done what we need to get done.

The next model that Allen discusses is ‘The Threefold Model for Evaluating Daily Work’. This is probably the simplest model of the three, and the one that I follow most of the time. It makes the most sense for me in an IT Support role that I am in. It is defined by three types of activites:

1. Doing predefined work
2. Doing work as it shows up
3. Defing your work

This model is pretty self-explanatory. You do your predifined work until something else shows up. You decide if it has a higher priority than what you are working on. If so, you change tasks; if not, place it in your system and move back to what you were previously working on. Once you start to feel comfortable in your system, you will be able to shift your focus from one task to another easily.

The last model covered is, in my opinion, the most difficult to get my hands (and head) around. It is ‘The six-Level Model for Reviewing Your Own Work’. It sets its criteria in terms of altitude:

1. 50,000 ft: Life
2. 40,000 ft: 3- to 5-year goals
3. 30,000 ft: 1- to 2-year goals
4. 20,000 ft: Areas of Responsibilty
5. 10,000 ft: Current Projects
6. Runway: Current Actions

Allen suggests that you start your evaluation from the bottom and work your way up the ladder.

Runway: This is where all of your action lists reside. Keeping them up-to-date is essential in keeping your runway clear. When this level is in order, you have a better sense of how your work is laid out, and what order things need to get done in.

10,000 ft: Your Projects will give you a greater sense of your responsibilites and commitments. This will give you greater control in making decisions with your time. You may also find that there are steps that you were not aware of that you could do to move a project forward.

20,000 ft: This is where your areas of responsibility live. Professionally, this is usually the job description of your current job. Personnally, it is the many hats that your wear in your life (parent, spouse, coach, teacher, etc). Allen recommends creation of an Areas of Focus checklists for your personal and professional life. It will serve as a guide for your next actions and projects in each area.

30,000 - 50,000 ft: The top three levels are grouped together as the ‘future life’ levels. We mostly live at the bottom three levels, but they must be in sync with the things in the top three levels for effective life management. Allen does not discuss much at this level, since his focus is on the implementation of GTD, not necessarily goals and visions. You need to have a feel for items in the top three levels so that you can effectively work towards those goals by the things that you do in the bottom three levels.

Honestly, I have been very bad about thinking about the top three levels. I think that may be a missing piece in my life. So I have begun to think hard about goals for my life in the 30k and 40k levels. I think that it may lead to a major overhaul of my GTD system. But I feel that it will be beneficial for me and my life.

Well, this completes the Five Phases of GTD. I hope everyone is enjoying our Primer here at Black Belt Productivity. There are four more chapters to cover in the next two weeks, then I guess I will have to come up with some original writings here. Please send any comments regarding the Primer or anything else here at BBP to management@blackbeltproductivity.net.

Michael Ramm GTD, GTD Primer