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+--- Thread: GTD (/thread-2418.html)
GTD - nest0r - 2009-01-13
Hey Fabrice, you mentioned a few times that you were implementing a GTD system for yourself? Care to share your thoughts on how it worked out, specifically in regards to Japanese, and what sort of software you used, if any? If you haven't written about it already. I'm currently tinkering around with different kinds of time hacks and the like (more and more as I progress in Japanese and hone my self-study methods [and figure out how my goals differ from the general AJATT framework]), but I don't want to try and reinvent the wheel.
GTD - ファブリス - 2009-01-14
Hya nestor,
I haven't used GTD specifically for learning Japanese. I wanted to use it to manage my time better working on the site. I'm not using GTD anymore but I have kept some good ideas and continue to use them:
- I have what they call a "inbox", like a simple paper rack on my desk where I put all the bills, letters etc and clear them out whenever it suits me
It doesn't sound like much but already makes a big difference, simply to have many tasks grouped in one place, instead of leaving those all over the appartment as I used to. It does give some respite to the mind as with habit, you know you haven't put the "to do" paperwork anywhere else, so a quick glance at it and you know what's left to do, if any. Clearing that "inbox" feels good!- I bought files like this with a small box (nothing as drastic as that picture
). Organized a lot of old papers, bills to archive, ideas for the site, some documents or Japanese text I printed out, etc. Those act as archives, are always available but out of the way.- Another thing I tried and found very useful is to split the mailbox in "Archive" "Follow Up" and "Hold", anything else is deleted. I still haven't got around to process all my old mail though. The idea there is to treat the mailbox like the "inbox", and go ultimately look at an empty mailbox.
Basically GTDhelped me organize myself better and also feel more relaxed instead of "scattered" because I know where the tasks are.
But otherwise GTD is very demanding, and hard to implement fully. I read that many times too, so I'm not alone. Several people who blog about GTD say they only truly implemented it into their life after a year or so. But anyway, like I said above, you can keep some good things of it, and the original GTD book makes you think and reconsider how you manage your time and your goals etc, so it's well worth checking out. Like me you will certainly keep something of it, even if you don't implement it fully.
If you implement GTD or part of it to your Japanese learning, keep us updated!
PS: Forgot about the software : I haven't used any software specifically tailored for GTD. I like to use stickies for keeping thoughts and very simple lists of things, beautifully simple
You can configure it to show/hide your stickies with "Windows key + Shift + S" for example, you can paste links in the stickies too, etc.
GTD - alyks - 2009-01-14
Actually, that's kinda funny, Fabrice. Those are basically all the things that my parents told me I should do growing up that I ignored.
GTD - ファブリス - 2009-01-14
Hehe
The GTD principle really is to empty your mind, so you feel more relaxed, and hopefully more present with those around you like if you go on a small day trip you don't have to worry about what bills are left, because when the thought pops in, you 'll know "yes yes no worries, those are in the inbox, I'll get to them in due time, can't possibly miss them as I know that's the only place I put them in... now back to maccha ice icecream ..hmmmm" 
PS: @alyks, well you're lucky, my parents never even mentioned those sort of things! ;-)
GTD - nest0r - 2009-01-14
GTD is all about making room for ice cream. I think I understand now! Soon I will be fluent in Japanese.
Anyway, thanks for the reply, I'll go back to my tinkering and see what I come up with.
GTD - ファブリス - 2009-01-14
Well, here's a better explanation :
Open Loops, Managing Action, and Getting Things Done
http://www.didigetthingsdone.com/2007/01/08/open-loops-managing-action-and-getting-things-done/
GTD - nest0r - 2009-01-14
Ha, 'open loops', that's a good term for it.
GTD - Tobberoth - 2009-01-14
I've personally been thinking alot about things like that... but I always fall back to "Nah, I'm still living at home... I'll organize that crap when I have my own place."
But really, what's to stop you just because you live with your parents? I shall take this topic as an incentive, time to think of good organizing schemes.
GTD - nest0r - 2009-02-26
Well Fabrice, I checked out GTD, and once I got past the marketing/guru stuff of blogs, software, and buzzwords, I definitely found the useful things to simply be corroborations of commonsense notions. (And of course, some of the software itself.)
Which isn't to say it wasn't worthwhile or was surprising, I intended the process to allow me to get some perspective and focus on the importance of balancing structure and spontaneity, not just in the sense of organizing materials and my schedule, but in the very structure itself, making it something that's more organic. Hard to explain. It's a fixation I've had since the meme of 'web 2.0' began propagating a few years ago, with its associated topics of storage and management. SRSing more extensively had reignited the issue in my head of 'retaining information' versus 'processing information', and how to combine the two. I've got a fix on that, so currently it's just been a matter of implementing specific strategies. Anyway, I know I'm being vague, I just thought I'd add some closure to this thread I started.