Avoid This BIG Beginner Mistake with GTD®

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There is a big trap that people new to implementing GTD can fall into. Robert Peake of Next Action Associates explains how to sidestep it.

[mohrless]

“You are compiling guilt in a system.”

- nailed it.

I’ve been really trying to nail down next steps. Making it efficient is the hardest part. The rest is so gratifying.

[magne]

In summary: Clarify projects and next actions to the level that they are self-evident later. So that someone else could do it without any further instruction or thought. (That person might be yourself 6 months down the line.)
For examples, see 5:58

[mattgregory]

"ways of talking to your future self" - wow! Thanks Robert. That phrase was a real insight. To think of what I am writing down as a delegation to a future self really clarifies things. I naturally want to help my future self as much as possible. We've all had unclear things delegated to us, why do it to ourselves?

[eddiereece]

GOLD. GOLD. GOLD. Everyone, if you’ve not watched this entire video, It’s basically a TEDTalk that is so nutrient rich about GTD. Massive respect to this man and this video, and its “healing powers“ for Getting Things Done.

[Alexis_BE]

I started reading and implementing GTD for 2 weeks. Since then, without knowing why, I since felt overwhelmed, depressed and didn't what to do any work anymore.
Your video put words on what happened : GTD's giant list introduced giant stress with a sense of : I'll never get to the bottom of this, why bother.
Thank you so much.

[LoganAddisMusic]

I'm only 2 mins into the video and you already hit the nail on the head. I've been creating "guilt lists" way before I knew about GTD.

[RolandoGill]

So helpful, I have been trying to implement for a few years off and on. Thank you, this is great.

[dustinsedlacek]

I find that there is never enough conversation about clarifying and organizing. Thanks so much for your insights, I am definitely carrying around squishy lists.

[PauletteWebb-qouq]

So simple, yet profound. Thank you! I've been trying to implement GTD for several years but could never quite figure out what was not working for me, with it. I think this might just be the key to unlock what's had me tangled up with this system all these years. What I am hearing is "take the time to get ALL the details & steps coming to mind, of one project/idea at a time out onto paper or into computer, so I do not have to rethink through things I've already thought through". I love looking at it from the lense of making it so clear that anyone can grab the file & know what to do next.

[feleni]

I just started GTD and was just about to migrate all my squishy lists into another squishy list and still be overwhelmed. Thank you! Clarify the FIRST TIME so that anyone taking over could continue my work.

[ms.chubbyblue]

Absolutely agree with the importance of differentiating a squishy list and a gtd list. Collecting is not organizing or planning.

[DodaGarcia]

"Talking to your future self" – wow, that was just beautiful. I legit got goosebumps because I had never thought of organizing through that lens.

[exchangeofwisdom]

"Store stuff in a way that you don't have to rethink it."
"almost someone else could do it. "
<3 really great points in the video

[JJZA]

Just watched again - every GTD follower should watch this every January !

[joylivingwell]

Just what I needed, thank you! I'm in the middle of that "get it all into the system" process. It's clear that the #1 problem is not the tasks and projects themselves, but HOW I've been (mis)organizing them. This will help a bunch!

[davelindsey]

Oh wow! This hits the nail on the head for exactly why I have not yet been successful with GTD thus far.
I had no idea about squishy lists. Thanks man!

[euansemple]

Thanks for this reminder. I have been practicing GTD since David's book first came out but nonetheless my lists had become very squishy indeed. They are now expressed as concrete outcomes and have clearly defined next actions. Phew!

[TheFalzox]

Dayum boi I came into this expecting nothing much but you really blew me away in the first minutes with that charisma. Verbalized many of the common mistaken thought processes which is great too.

[raiseyourvibration]

Robert, THANK YOU so much!! I get it now. I get it!! I'm in the process now of being reborn into GTD!! This video nailed it for me. Many Mahalos!!!!

[procrastimania]

Wow! Thank you so much for this video! I've been working in a professional capacity for 10 years and the last three years I've entered into a role that is fast paced with growing responsibilities and opportunities each year. I've been struggling to keep up with those to-do lists and those little things really have accumulated and created that squishy guilt list that you described. I just recently started to look into the GTD methodology and was recommended this video to watch. I'm so glad I did because you just described something that I have been struggling with for so long, so concisely! I wish it was more common for entry level professionals and students to be introduced to this methodology early on. I feel like we've been taught this in some capacity as we grow but I had yet to really understand what I was doing all these years.


Wonderful advice. Thank you again so much!