What's the next action

My mind is playing tricks on me...

09 12 05 - 08:34 - Bookmark this post

OK, I read the book, listened to the CD, bought the Outlook add-in (which mysteriously unregistered but that’s another story) and still it doesn’t click with me. To give an example. Every morning, I drive by a convention centre on the way to work. Yesterday I saw an announcement for an interesting conference I felt I should remember. But two blocks further I totally forgot about it due to traffic and other things on my mind. Never thought about it untill this morning when I saw the sign again. And I think to myself: “ ‘Aight, let’s do this black belt stylee.” As David talks about on one of his GTD Fast CD’s, you should envision yourself writing the thing down on the first moment you can. Because I couldn’t write it down when riding a bike and no way am I gonna stop to write it down. It’s a cold winter man! So I envisioned myself walking in the office to my desk and writing the date and name of the conference. Great, let’s move along

Yeah, that’s where the trickery starts. Each morning when I go to work, I like to think about things to do, set some sort of a roadmap for that day. Today is a day to write an offer for a client. So I wanted to think about that during the morning-commute. But whaddayaknow From the moment I envisioned myself to write down that conference, I couldn’t stop thinking about that! Not able to think of anything else but the moment I walk into the office and write down those conference details. Now how does that suck! Because that is not why I wanted to envision it! I wanted to envision it so I wouldn’t have to think about it.

As I mumbled to myself when I drove along: “Damn you, David Allen, for making my life so much harder with GTD...”
Once you know these things, there is no turning back. Because you know there is a better way….

Simple solution: MP3 player that does voice recording.
Better than trying to write while driving (guilt) and better than trying to pull over every 5 miles on interstate because you just thought of something.
D/L some good / motivational podcast in the morning… enough for both the ride in and back from work. Learn the buttons so you can switch from listening to recordings, say yer bit, and drive on.
Then, I guess the first thing on your list every day would be to check the MP3 player for message to yourself. ;-)
Marc () (URL) - 29 12 05 - 00:34

I use my cell to call my voicemail at work (my cell is pre-programmed to dial into my vociemail account). That way I can get it off of my mind immediately. When I get to the office I check my voicemails.
BTW, Congratulations on using GTD. I discovered it in 2004 and am still working on implementing it for myself.
Rich () - 07 01 06 - 06:24