Seven tips to Get Things Done with less Time and Stress

Getting Things Done is a method for processing the mountain of todos, emails, calls, letters and ideas that modern workers chose to do. Here are seven tips for GTD

1. write tasks that you can follow as if you're a robot

 

From The art of the doable list http://lifehacker.com/software/geek-to-live/the-art-of-the-doable-to+do-list-270404.php

Think of your to-do list as an instruction set your Boss self gives your Assistant self. Like a computer program, if the instructions are clear, specific, and easily executed, you're golden. If not, you'll get undesirable results, like fear, procrastination and self-loathing.

At any point during your work day you are in one of two modes: thinking mode (that's you with the Boss hat on) and action mode (that's you with the Personal Assistant hat on.) When a project or task comes up, the steps you've got to take start to form in your mind. Now you're in thinking/Boss mode – the guy/gal who gives the orders. Your to-do list is a collection of those orders, which your Assistant personality will later pick up and do.

So when you're wearing your Boss hat, it's up to you to write down the instructions in such a way that your Assistant self can just do them without having to think. GTDer Michael Buffington called this “writing tasks that you can follow as if you're a robot.”

2. Separate your email from your to-do's

 

While you can tag and mark and sort emails it is easy to loss important tasks in your inbox and other folders. So when you have a new longer todo based on an email add it to your GTD list.

 

3. 10 must-have GTD related Thunderbird Addons (+ 25 more)

 

If you use Thunderbird email client then these tool can help you GTD

 

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-must-have-thunderbird-addons-25-more/
http://email.about.com/od/outlookaddons/gr/email_follow_up.htm
http://www.summersault.com/community/weblog/2006/07/20/five-power-tips-for-thunderbird.html
http://blog.ianbicking.org/getting-things-done-tools.html
Header tool http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=279907

 

4. Paper systems – Planner Pad and GTD

It is just as effecient to use paper for GTD as your iPhone and avoids playing with GTD software for ever instead of actualling Getting Things Done!
http://rickyspears.com/blog/2007/07/goodbye-planner-pad-organizer-i-hardly-knew-ye/

 

 

5. Inbox Zero: What's the action here?

http://www.43folders.com/2006/03/20/action
inbox:
1.    What does this message mean to me, and why do I care?
2.    What action, if any, does this message require of me?
3.    What's the most elegant way to close out this message and the nested action it contains?

 

Fifty percent or more of your mail may not make it past the first question: delete. A majority of the remainder may not make it past the second (beyond perhaps a one- or two-line reply). And, God willing, you'll eventually get really fast at dispensing the rest with quick application of the third. The key is to get super-fast at turning valuable messages into actions or placeholders for action.

More tips at http://www.43folders.com/2006/03/13/email-cheats

 

6. Empty inbox with the Trusted “Trio”: Act, list, hold, save, delete

http://lifehacker.com/software/top/geek-to-live–empty-your-inbox-with-the-trusted-trio-182318.php
·    If it requires a response or action which will take less than one minute to complete, do it on the spot, then move the message to Archive.
·    If it requires an action on your part that will take more than one minute to complete, move it to the Follow Up folder.
·    If it's a piece of information or a promise you're waiting on from someone else, move it to Hold.
·    If it's an informational message you may want to refer to later, move it to Archive.
·    If it's of no use, delete it.

 

7. Use Evernote for GTD

 

I keep a Evernote folder for GTD lists. Others tag each note for todos. Either way it is a great way to keep all your todos in one place. You can even auto enter email todos into Evernote. Plus you can share notes with your team for project todo lists. They even have a nice check box (shift-control-C) for todo lists

 

Basecamp is another way to track team todos.