Deep in my heart I want to be organized. Somehow, though, what’s on the inside never manifests itself on the outside. My office is filled with stacks of personal finance books, money magazines, and scribbled notes. My e-mail box is packed with questions from GRS readers, guest posts, and correspondence from friends — sometimes I have time to read this stuff and reply to it, but mostly I don’t.
For years, I’ve been searching for the Holy Grail of productivity systems. I haven’t found it yet. I did my best to implement David Allen’s popular Getting Things Done, but the system breaks too easily when not maintained every single day. I need something simpler.
Leo Babauta from Zen Habits may have the answer. He just released Zen to Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System, a $9.50 e-book designed “for those who want to get their lives organized and actually execute the things on their to-do list”. Zen to Done focuses on simplicity, on actually doing things instead of planning to do them. Leo writes:
If you’ve been having trouble with Getting Things Done, as great as it is, Zen to Done might be just for you. It focuses on the habit changes necessary for Getting Things Done, in a more practical way, and it focuses on doing, on simplifying, and on adding a simple structure.
I was ready to dismiss Zen to Done as “yet another system J.D. won’t be able to follow”. But after starting to read the book, I couldn’t stop. I realized that maybe — maybe — this was something that could work for me. Though Zen to Done features a detailed description of Leo’s 10-step system (as well as some handy forms), I’m most attracted to what Leo calls “minimalist ZTD” — a bare-bones productivity plan designed to capture ideas and to actually do things. At its core, Zen to Done asks readers to do just these things:
- Carry a notebook or an index card. When you think of something that needs to be done, write it down. These are your new to-do items.
- At the end of the day, add the new items to a master list. My master to-do list will be a text file on my computer. I already have one that contains dozens of tasks I want to accomplish.
- Each morning, designate up to three items from the list as Most Important Tasks. These are the things you will get done today. These take priority over everything else. Try to get them done as early as possible.
- Make quick decisions. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t let things accumulate.
That’s it. This system is brilliant in its simplicity. I have high hopes that this is a productivity plan I can actually stick to! If you, too, have tried other systems and failed, consider Zen to Done.
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Your wife wants “sorting through the mail and not just leaving it in a permanent pile on the kitchen table” on your daily to-do list.
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Good system. Here’s a real-life dilemma though:
You’re driving on the highway, you’re going to be late no matter what, and suddenly something you need to do hits you. You shouldn’t use your cell phone while driving (especially if you can’t find your headset) and you can’t pull over to write down this must-do item. You WILL forget this idea if you don’t find some way to record it, though.
Just a thought. Not trying to break the system.
And it’s just a moral dilemma, which you can treat rhetorically.
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I carry a notebook for writing down to-do lists, post ideas, or sketching projects. I’ve found it really useful–got the idea from my roommate who was majoring in English and Art. My notebook isn’t as cool as hers (which is mostly poems and sketches), but I love it. It also means I don’t lose things like the instructions I developed for my iPod cases.
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LOL @ Kris!
My wife can be the same way … I’m the designated mail sorter.
Thanks for the nice review, JD! I hope the system works out for you … if not, I’d love to hear why it didn’t or what changes you made to make it work … in the end, ZTD should be customized for each person’s style and personality … do what works.
@Marce: I’ve had the same thing happen to me a number of times. What I do is just make a mental note, and then when I get to a stoplight or a place where I can pull over, I’ll make a 1 or 2 word note (“Read GRS”). But yes, if you don’t write these things down, it’ll keep slipping in and out of your mind.
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Sounds like a good idea in theory. I just have to convince myself to pick the three that are “most important” and not just “most fun”
And ideally they need to get done BEFORE I start reading blogs!
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You’re driving on the highway, you’re going to be late no matter what, and suddenly something you need to do hits you.
Here I will reveal an unsafe habit and bear the slings and arrows which will be hurled at me. I have a stack of business cards in my card. And a couple pens. When an idea hits me, I carefully get a card and a pen and scribble a note to myself. Usually the note looks like heiroglyphics, but that’s okay — even a little is enough to remind me.
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For someone who’s been trying to get organized my whole life, this is great! I especially like step #3 – Each morning pick 3 items to do that day. Now that is motivating and what was missing from all my other To Do Lists.
I have one project that I know will take several hours to complete, so have been procrastinating. Now I will put it on my To Do List, but break it up into hour increments. So in the mornings for step #3, I can pick working on it for 1 hr., then select two other things to get done that day as well.
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I’d love to hear an update after you’ve tried this system for a few weeks or months! I hope you stick with it!
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What about the The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey using Habit # 3 Put First Things First?
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I may add a 9th..always take care of the tasks that you think will be the most difficult first thing in the morning…
Cheers,
http://investrequest.com
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@JD: Are you planning to sign up for the affiliate program for the ebook? I’d like to see you get the commission for my purchase.
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Sounds like a good plan. I like “do it now” and “first things first” for my getting things done plan of attack. But, I also love lists.
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Actually, Karla, I’m not going to sign up for the affiliate plan. Leo offered it to me, but I declined. I’m happy to do affiliate stuff normally, but I’d like to see Leo earn as much as possible from this. Does that make sense?
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I keep my to-do lists on Backpack (http://www.backpackit.com), which is free and gives you web pages where you can make these great little lists with checkboxes. When you check off the items, they pulverize in a satisfying little cloud, and move down to a very faint “done” list which reminds you what you’ve accomplished. I have a master list on one page and the list for the day on another page. That said, the problem with Zen to Done’s system is that I have way more than three things per day that need to get done. If I did only three, even the three most important, soon I’d be in serious trouble. It’s how to prioritize the longer list, how to stay on task, and how to stay motivated that concerns me. If I had only three things to do in a day, I’d be productive as heck.
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Kris: My wife wants that on my list as well. Too bad it’s not gonna happen for either of you…
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Kris: i’m in the same boat. the lady hates my filing system. what do you mean a pile isn’t a “system”?!
i saw this in my reader and thought, “hmm, simple way to get things done, i like it.” turns out i’m already doing this
i carry a small moleskine in my bag or pocket as well as send email/text to Remember The Milk(http://rememberthemilk.com). usually the act of writing things in the notebook is enough for me to remember it, but i really like that RTM will send me an email or SMS reminder when a task is due. it works for me since i don’t have that much to do, so a more complex system would just be wasted on me. it’s low overhead, simple, and most importantly: easy. if your system to do things is too complicated you won’t get anything done 
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I found a way to support GTD if you are disciplined enough, while still supporting your approach if you are less disciplined (like me). it assumes that you have a) outlook or something similar and b) a PDA that can synch with outlook.
1. you need to do some setup in outlook so that you can see both calendar with to do list as well as email. google outlook dashboards to find some of these.
2. set up the to do list (‘taskpad’ in outlook) to exclude all tasks that do not have a due date or that have a due date later than today. also create a master view that shows all to do items.
3. if you get an email that needs actioning, drag it to the taskpad and set a due date. if you have an idea while out of the office, create a task on your PDA.
4. each morning review the master list and modify the due date based on what you need to do that day (either bring forward a date or move it backwards).
that’s it. as you get stuff done, check off the item and it disappears off your to do list.
on your PDA it is harder to create these custom views, but on the blackberry at least you can set up formats – e.g. it is bold if it is due today
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This sounds like a good plan. It’s basic and works. The Getting Things Done takes too much time to manage. This plan is simple. I like it!
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Do you combine your work tasks and your personal tasks on one list? For me, I think I would want them separate. For one thing, I just like to keep a separation between work and personal. I maintain different calendars, contact lists, etc. But for another, it seems that if you’re picking the three most important tasks, those are almost always going to be work things, and your personal stuff is going to go by the wayside.
But maintaining this system x2 seems like it would suddenly complicate what is supposed to be a really simple system. Thoughts?
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My boss introduced me to the Bit Literacy (Mark Hurst) system which utilizes Gootodo (online to-do list). It is really simple and very effective both for work and personal organization. Of course, it is hard to fight lack of motivation, but if you are motivated and just need to get things in order I think the Bit Literate system is really effective.
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JD- I confess, I do the same thing while I’m driving. I keep gas receipts in the console and jot notes on the back. Yikes! I hope we don’t run into each other!
Anne, how about picking 3 work and 3 personal? That way both get done.
Good news, I picked 3 today and they were all done before 11am! I wonder if I can keep it going…
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Digital voice recorders are fairly cheap now. I used to keep one on my bedside table for those 3:00 a.m. ideas that I didn’t want to turn the light on for. Better idea for those commute epiphanies. To Anne: I keep all calendars combined into one, otherwise I’d invariably miss one of my kids school events, or double schedule my time. I do keep contact lists separate, though I’m lucky to have some duplicates on both lists! Family and friends are more forgiving than boss or clients, but 20 years down the road you’ll regret the personal stuff that you missed and past work-related stuff won’t mean a thing. In that vein, I personally tend to choose family over work when feasible. That being said, priorities are priorities whether they’re personal or work, pick the top three and get them done. If you have time for more, great.
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I send SMS e-mails to myself when I’m fairly certain I won’t remember something otherwise.
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Part of the reason that some things don’t get done is that other things ARE getting done–probably we don’t need lists for the things that are really important to us, or that we are interested in doing, we just do them. I think that one of the ways I’d define “getting rich” is getting closer to a life in which the to do lists get shorter and shorter, because I’m not choosing to create obligations that I don’t want. I might not be being clear here, but it’s another “your money or your life” moments for me to think about how to organize myself better, since the things I worry about not getting done are obligations/work that I don’t really feel any passion for, that I don’t actually want to do no matter how organized my life and list is!
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November 8th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Marce Says:
You’re driving on the highway, you’re going to be late no matter what, and suddenly something you need to do hits you.
Marce, my handphone can record voice. I assigned a shortcut key so I can invoke that functionality as quickly and as least distracting as possible when an idea hit me.
Many people always bring handphones around and it seems all handphones from 3 years ago can record voice. I’d think that this idea is common place already.
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Half the stuff on my lists that doesn’t get done is because I don’t really want to do it, or think it would be hard. Now if I only someone could invent an anti-procrastination pill, I think I’d be away.
I like the look ZTD, but I’ll probably see if I can see some more reviews first.
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@ Marce et al
It’s call ubiquitous capture system: GTD 101.
Online to do lists and GTD software can only get you so far. Always have something (PDA, phone, voice recorder, 3×5 index cards, moleskine, your hand) to capture such immediate things.
Key is to have a system that you trust.
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