Most of you know that I love Getting Things Done. It's a great way to keep organized. My problem, though, is that once I implement the system in my life, I have trouble keeping it going. It just takes a few days of not doing it for everything to fall apart. Anyone have advice on staying motivated? Any other tips and tricks for GTD?

For me, the reward has always helped with getting things done. I am a sales person, and all day we have to ask people to get things done for us (make samples for me to send to customers, support my customer with the more technical questions that I cannot handle etc). The most effective way I found to get people to get things done is to let them know why they want to do this (the reward for them).

As another example that relates to myself, I'm very motivated with selling because the commissions really drive me (is it a coincedence that I'm writing in a personal finance forum and that I have my own personal finance blog?

For personal goals, I would always focus on the reward of getting that certain thing accomplish, which will in turn motivate you. Good luck, since we all have the laziness in us!

I find it falls apart for me if I don't do the weekly reviews, so I've set up a reminder for every Monday morning (time that works best for me).

I haven't got a foolproof method for projects yet though.

In my experience, self-motivation is very difficult to maintain. It seems that often we need some motivation from external sources to help us along. If a certain project or effort is important to you, I suggest putting yourself in a position where you are at least partially accountable to someone else in the project.

For example, if it is an exercise program you're working on, joining or creating a group of individuals that exercise together is a lot more motivating than trying to get up at 6:00am every morning to jog on your own. If you're part of a team, you have a lot more motivation to attend a game, because if you don't you'll let the whole team down.

Re: Keeping things done...

• Sticky notes. Lots of sticky notes. (Works great until your wife decides they need to be 'put away')
• Low maintenance. Keep everything as low maintenance as possible... especially when related to yard work.
• Make hay while the sun shines. Especially in Oregon. How does that grass grow so fast with so little sun, anyway?
• Stay home. Clear out your schedule. If you are constantly running all over town, you won't have time to maintain anything.
• Turn off the TV. If things aren't done, and the sun is shining, there's no reason to be watching the idiot box.
• Turn off the computer. This internet thing can be just as addictive... and just as much a waste of time.
• Buy tools. The right tools will always make maintaining things easier. Got a Lowes or HD gift card? Buy tools...
• Don't let things pile up. It may seem more 'efficient' to let things pile up and then do them all at once, but it isn't really.
• Caffeine. Self explanatory.
• Hire a maid, a gardener, a butler, a chauffeur, a chef, a personal trainer, a 'life coach', etc.

I would caution that you do not focus too much on GTD. It is the process of doing things that should be the enjoyment of your life. Accomplishing things is an outcome. Remember, "once the bones are buried, there is very little time to go out and play".

I find that nearly every blog, every website, always tends to focus on the minutiae of setting up the system. OOhh index cards! Ooohh new software! Ooohh (fill in blank with some new geegaw).
It seems to be bottom up focused, and I sometimes wonder just how much these folks are Getting Done, as opposed to Getting Set Up or Getting New Stuff.

This is why I'm a 7 Habits/Stephen Covey fan.
I find it to be much more simple, much more streamlined.

But - BUT - the linchpin of both systems seems to be the Weekly Review, and I find mine each Sunday night to be indispensable.

- Bill

I'm still in the fits and starts stage though I think GTD is spot on.

Mine has to be relatively low-tech because I have restrictions on what I can connect to my work computer (my own PDA is out of the question).

Haven't really seen it work completely in my own workings but it's a habit to cultivate.

I have the book and have read bits of it from time to time, but never got very far as it's so poorly written (I have a particular allergy to business-speak). But my impression from what I've read was, "I already do most of this stuff." I'm an inherently disorganized person who has always worked in jobs that required a high degree of organization, so from an early age I learned to overcompensate for my faults. For me, the secret to staying organized is daily rigor and discipline, never letting things drift into chaos, and always knowing where everything is. I get the quick-and-easy things out of the way first to keep up a sense of momentum and accomplishment. When clients or colleagues call I ALWAYS answer the phone, no matter how busy I am, and I respond to most of their emails immediately (or at least within an hour or two) to let them know I'm on the task. I try to tackle tasks that require lengths of uninterrupted concentration early in the morning before anyone else is at work. (Fortunately most of my colleagues don't drift into the office until 10 or so, and they work until 7 or 8pm. I'm usually at my desk by 6:30am, although in summer it's more like 8:30 since I go for a long bike ride first.) But anyway, I think it's like dieting or staying on a budget: if you can just manage to stay organized long enough for it to become a habit, then it actually feels bad to drift back into a state of chaos, so you avoid it.

I have had a similar problem of sorts although I find it seems to come into play when I have not completely come to the very first action. Although I always think that I would never be stupid enough to write something to generally I always seem to find a bottle neck in my system for my generalizations. Maybe it is worth a read over your lists to see if you have got things whittled down to the absolute first course of action.

try 43things.com.. it's a website where you can list your specific goals and others can cheer you on.. i read mine almost everyday to remind me what my short, mid, and long term goals are

I think the thing with any system is that it must become part of your life. If it's a habit then you won't think about it. A good example is your morning routine. Everyone I know has a different routine. For me I like to get up at least an hour before I start work so I have time to drink coffee and read my daily feeds. I don't think about what I want to do to, I just do it.

GTD is the same, you shouldn't have to think about what you have to do.

I like to set aside a few minutes each day to think about what I got done in the day. It's a way to cheer myself on, and stay motivated. If you're constantly focusing on the things you didn't get done, or you forgot to do, you're likely to start feeling overwhelmed and just throw up your hands and quit. Sure, you can say, "Oh, I forgot to do this," but then you have to say, "I did this, and this, and this..." Putting a few simple things like "take out trash" or "wiped counter top" can help you stay motivated, too, because you get a great feeling out of crossing things off your list.

I have one more to add:

• Own a Leatherman. It always comes in handy.