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.

Note: this is one of a few posts that are being recycled from Turnipville here at the outset. If you’ve read this before, please excuse our trash; if this is new to you, enjoy.

One of the things that David Allen talks about is the amount of time required to truly become a GTD Ninja. That’s not his term, it’s mine (or maybe Merlin’s), but the premise is clear: how long does it typically take to make GTD an integrated, instinctive part of your tool kit?

Well, I take heart in DA’s proclamation that it takes years to make the GTD way your way. I take heart because I’ve come to find that I’m substantially more productive when I get a dose of David every three weeks (or so).

It helps me to try and identify the weaknesses and holes in my system, and you’ve indicated that it’s helpful for you to hear about them. So here goes:

1. I’m still struggling to truly use my Inbox for what it’s intended. For email, this is no sweat. By definition, everything that comes in over email shows up in the right spot…ready for processing. But for that non-digital input, I have established a bad habit of skipping the inbox altogether, and processing contextual locations on the fly. This is bad, as it leads to shortcuts, and doesn’t give my brain enough time to truly digest what this new input is.
2. I don’t build lists of things that can be done with minimal brain power. Friday afternoons, after my weekly review (see item 3), I find that my brain is lacking the engagement that it usually has. Accordingly, I’m not excited to bust out my @Office list…I’d rather do something low commitment, and typically end up surfing the net. I need to start building those “sort paperclip container” lists for times like Friday afternoon.
3. I still really suck when it comes to weekly reviews. David says it’s one of the most important parts of the process, and this is clear to me. I’ve even taken to scheduling that weekly review in my calendar for Friday afternoons…but I still continue to skimp out on it from time to time. For what it’s worth, I tend to do a lot of this reviewing during meetings wherein my participation is in in presence only (ack)…but there needs to be something formal there, undoubtedly.
4. There’s got be a good way for me integrate financial reminders and/or bills in my system, without bogging down my calendar. I don’t have 43 folders..and maybe that’s part of it. This is just another example of a massive hole in my system, attributable to my lack of commitment to the whole process, when it comes right down to it.

So what’s the message here? I’m going to keep plowing through it. The feeling that I get when things are firing on all cylinders is unbelievable. It’s just a matter of getting those cylinders to fire as a matter of course.

Onward.