43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Tracking tasks and projects?

Hiya,

First of all I will qualify this post by saying that I am a GTD newbie. I am currently reading Dave Allen's book. It all seems to make sense but I do not understand how the 'next actions' processing would allow me to track progress on particular projects.

The process of generating next actions and placing them within particular contexts makes sense. However, I am more concerned about what happens after I tick the big "done" box next to the action. How do I relate completed actions back to the projects? In a larger context, how can I keep track of what I have achieved. I feel that I will need a way to say "projects X and Y were not progressed in the last two weeks because I was doing A on project Z and B, C and D popped up and had to be dealt with." That sounds awfully negative. I do work in a little bit of a blame culture, so I feel that I need to guard myself against that but, in general, I think it is useful and positive to be able to see what progress I have made on my goals (particularly on personal ones that I set myself).

Does that make sense? The only thing I can think of is to keep a kind of diary for each project and set aside a small chunk of time at the end of each day to look over my "done" actions and write down how each project has been affected (I would imagine that this chunk of time would end up generating a tonne of project-related next actions too).

Any thoughts?

David

randellt's picture

You have to stick with...

You have to stick with GTD and give it a chance. I read the book for the first time in April 2002 and I still wouldn't call myself "good" at it for the very reason of not sticking to it well enough.

When I am clicking in the GTD zone, it's sick like the flu. Merlin's latest "InboxZero" series is a great example of core GTD principles that work. It gave me a kick in the pants via the Interweb and I just did it. Three days now and I am staring at an Inbox with zero messages and actually trying to figure out what to do with the time I used to sit, stare, freak, get coffee, repeat.

Don't worry about the technology you put your system in. The important thing is that you stay true to GTD and what you put *in* your system that matter.

Stay with it.

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »