I finally broke down and bought a copy of David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I’m about a third of the way through it right now. It’s a quick read and I expect to finish it in the next few days. It’s a little too business oriented for my tastes, but its fairly well written, full of good information, and occasionally very funny. If you have an hour and a half to kill, this podcast from 43 Folders will give you a taste. I think he’s actually more entertaining in audio than on the page. If it were not abridged, I would have considered the audio book instead.
Along with a better understanding of the GTD system, I’ve modified the tools I’m using and how I use them . I’m now totally committed to using Tracks, via the free hosted version at tracks.tra.in, for both home and work (I have separate accounts for each, as I don’t like to mix them overmuch). At work, I’m still using GTDTiddlyWiki as a knowledge base, but I’ve migrated all of my projects and next actions to Tracks. So far, I haven’t really needed any kind of software knowledge base at home. What few things I need easy access to are stored either locally or in Google Docs.
My beloved Moleskine notebook, which used to be the center of all my list-making and project management attempts, now serves a more limited set of purposes. It is still my primary capture device. If I think of some new project or some new next action on an existing one, it gets jotted down in the notebook. The next time I’m near a computer, it gets entered into Tracks and crossed off. It is also the place where I tuck my current printout of next actions from Tracks.
Of course, besides GTD-related stuff, I still use the Moleskine for keeping track of what I eat each day and how much (if any) I exercise. I also use it when I’m reading to make quick notes or summaries. So it’s handy to have at my side, but it’s no longer the center of my efforts at increased personal productivity. As far as GTD is concerned, it’s just a very handy a place to keep track of new ideas until I have a chance to put them into Tracks.
I added a link in the navigation to the Book & Film Shop and also added several books to the Future Reading section. Feel free to put in your two cents on what you think I should read next. I’m undecided at the moment.