(GTSD) Getting Things Sorta’ Done

Getting a system to get fully organized is a monstuous job in itself.

I’m a half-way GTD implementer, and things aren’t quite clicking yet. Ends up GTD like anything else isn’t a one-size fits all deal like we all wish it was. Every one of us has his/her’s mental intricacies that end up rendering the system not as fool-proof as somewhat promised by the hype. There are a gazillion sites out there about it and some of them are true pearls, productivity and knowledge working seems to be a new and emerging art form.

Gina Trapani has a wonderful shell script that let’s you create action lists based on txt files from the command line with very nice perks. There are .sh and .py versions available and some parsers to create nifty reports based on the txt files.

Pedro Melo created an add-on to Gina’s script that makes the tab key work like it does in the shell, so finding stuff on the files via the shell script is dead-on easy.

…a bit of zen meeting tao.

Txt is clearly the way to go, I’m far too platform independent as an individual to accept anything else. But it’s not enough. At least it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

I envision a DevonThink sort of system, where I can have this huge e-inbox, with pdf’s, docs, pictures, e-mails, whatever.
Life is 97% electronic with me. I don’t deal well with paper and avoid it at all costs. (there is a devonthink template out here for gtd, but I feel it only addresses the 43 folder aspect of it)

I’m categorizing for the main areas that constitute my life. Unlike strict GTD with all of those @home, @computer, @errands that really wouldn’t do it for me. (Let alone people who meta tag with @computer:email, @computer:research). So I’ve got a few items like @home, @work, @music, everything inside that fall into projects or quick actions.

Right now I end up writing stuff, but it’s all meshed up in a few big-ass lists, which feels like a bubble waiting to burst into organizational chaos. I’m not big on prioritizing, but if I have feel the need to do so I’m also aware that these running list will not the be most practical thing on earth to quickly glance at what’s what.

I could consider using outlook as the main data repository, but I viscerally hate outlook with a vengeance. If it was up to me I’d telnet the server directly to read my mail, if that would keep me from using that ghastly piece of bloat-ware. Man I miss pico.
Much of GTD is about filling, I’ve got that covered with file system folders. It just works if there isn’t much physical items for an inbox.

Anyway you can gather from all this that this isn’t much of an GTD implementation, it’s much more of a “borrowing of concepts” that end up in a big pile of nothing. But this is never the less a journey into getting things done, and sorting things out fast.

I got one thing down: most of the stuff I’m pounded via email, im or whatever has a clear and automatic priority/context scenario and until those two factors merge they are @hold. That provides me at least with the peace of mind to deal with current and pressing issues and gives me time to eventually get to whatever just fell on my lap.