So you’ve subscribed to the theory of Moleskine dominance and plopped down $10 for a pocket notebook. Well done.

Now that you have your new $10 notebook, and you’re reading about ways to turn it into your GTD launchpad, you have this conversation with yourself:

What should I write in here? I just spent $10 on this notebook – I’m not going to waste the space on things that don’t count.

I have heard this particular concern from countless Moleskine converts. Because the books are so nice (yes, I love the silky paper and the magic secret pocket, too), there’s a natural tendency to try and protect them from the random musings of our brains.

Stop that! Stop it RIGHT NOW!

You heard me, folks. The Moleskine notebook is awesome. It’s beautiful. It’s $10. But above all else: it’s for you to write in – whatever that may yield.

The reason that we spend $10 on nice notebooks is that they entice us to write. Do so, and do so with reckless abandon. After all, you spend  more than $10 on lunch. Fill that puppy up, and get that melon empty.

If you’re anything like me, there are elements of the GTD system that just don’t stick.

Process everything...even additional trays

These are the pesky-but-vital procedural details that the DA throws into his books, seminars and site material that you understand but don’t necessarily implement.

[Note: if you read that intro and said “Huh? What things are you talking about?”, then your name is probably David Allen, and I thank you for visiting this site.]

One such thing for me is the inbox. In theory, the inbox (or inboxes) is supposed to serve as the central gathering spot for everything that’s coming into your life. Process-wise, the inbox is spot number two: things come in, you stick them in the inbox, and start processing.

Except I find myself cheating the inbox more often than not…and I’m betting you GTD ninjas know exactly what I’m talking about.

Here’s an example scenario:

You’re in your usual 2:30 meeting, and the boss says “Jim, I would like you to throw together some slides on that Frammus Valve pitch we’ve been talking about. We’re going to show it to Mr. Holinks on Friday when he’s onsite, so I’d like to review them with you tomorrow morning.”

If you’ve been doing GTD for a while, chances are good that your training kicks in, and you flip to your Projects list. [Entry: Built Frammus Valve pitch for boss] Now that you’ve properly identified the multi-action project, placed it in your Projects list, your brain starts planning.

You flip to your @Office list. [Entry: Located company Power Point template on server.]

The project has been captured, and you’ve identified your first action…all without actually touching your inbox. Well done.

So what’s wrong with that approach? Nothing, I say…except that it’s not the process.

Here’s another scenario, with a slightly different twist:

Jenny walks into your office while you’re in the middle of an email to the marketing crew. “Hey, Jose,can you have a look at that report I sent you? I think it’s ready for you to submit it, so if it’s good to go, just send it off.”

Your ninja styles kick in immediately, and you flip to your @Office list: [Entry: Reviewed Jenny's report.] In the speed and elegance of your system, you’ve just turned an input into a single action when it probably should have been a project. Consider that once you’ve reviewed Jenny’s report, you might have comments for her to incorporate; you’ll need to give her the comments, you’ll probably wait for her response, you’ll review again, and you’ll submit. None of that shows up in the landscape currently.

In order to prevent slip ups like the one above, and to try and really underscore the importance of capture in our lives, I’m proposing the 10 Day Inbox Challenge. For ten days, focus on overusing your inbox. Take a step backward in your ninja processing, and insist that all new inputs flow through your inbox (be it at home, work, whatever). Make yourself physically tear of sheets of paper and stick them in the box. I have a strong suspicion that your results will be like mine: enlightening.

By allowing yourself to capture without thinking, you free yourself up to capture things more easily, more fluidly, and more ubiquitously. Not only is streamlined capture a huge benefit when it comes to inputs, but it’s essential to allowing your process to really work. It’s the inbox processing process that ensures you capture Jenny’s report as a project – not as a standalone action.

Try the 10 Day Inbox Challenge. Force yourself to inbox everything for ten days. I’m going to do it again, starting today, and can’t wait to hear from those of you who have tried the same.

Here’s the scenario:

If your calendar's full, you're using it properly

• Your calendar is sacred
• For you, appointments are a part of your daily hardscape
• When your Blackberry buzzes, you check the location and head to the meeting
• Your boss loves you, because you’re “always on top of things”
• Your boss couldn’t care less about your calendar

Doesn’t your boss realize that the damned Exchange Server lets you check the availability of your cohorts before picking a time? Doesn’t he realize that you’ve already made commitments to the people on your calendar? Doesn’t she understand that each shaded rectangle in your calendar is a little slice of you, a token of your unending commitment to organization?Does he really expect you to cancel on someone else, to support his last minute meeting?

Here’s my answer: who cares?

It’s Monday, which means it’s a great day for a challenge (note: if you’re reading this on any other day, it’s a great day for a challenge) – so strap on your boots…this is going to be nuts.

If you want to solve this problem, there are two easy steps:

1. Treat your boss’s meeting requests just like those of everyone else. Bingo – if the request comes in, and you’re booked, reject the request and propose a new time.
2. When your boss questions you with a line like, “Is there a reason that you’re skipping out on my meeting?”, respond by reading the bullets above. Let her know that you’re a calendar ninja, and that you would have had to bump someone else to make room for them. Then remind her that it’s your commitment to supporting yadda yadda that she loves so dearly.

Occasionally, this approach will backfire…but fear not. If the boss reacts with indignation/resentment/annoyance, sweep in with this: “of course, if it’s super important that we do the meeting then, you only need to say so…emergencies can’t be helped.” That maneuver is brilliant for a few reasons, but most importantly, it gives them an out while shaming them for inconveniencing the rest of the organization; chances are good that it wasn’t an emergency.

The calendar is just another weapon in the overall organizational arsenal, and its importance to those around you will be a direct reflection of the importance that you place on it.