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authorLars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi>2012-04-06 22:44:25 +0100
committerLars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi>2012-04-06 22:44:25 +0100
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downloadgtdfh.liw.fi-85274e6bb2707968fcb50d54dba31c8f41814cab.tar.gz
Start a chapter on things that haven't worked for me
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+Things that did not work for me
+===============================
+
+Here's a random pile of things that I've experimented with but that
+did not work for me.
+
+
+Split systems: personal versus work GTD
+---------------------------------------
+
+I've tried having a separate GTD system for work and personal lives,
+but as a free software develper, the two are mixed enough that it's
+annoying to keep the two systems in sync. For example, if I find a
+bug in Debian, while doing work, should reporting it and maybe fixing
+it be a work-GTD thing or a personal-GTD thing? It's really both:
+the bug affects my work, and I am a Debian developer in my free
+time, so it should be in both systems.
+
+Another problem is that I often need to do personal things in the
+middle of the workday. I might need to get a haircut during a lunch
+break, for example. If it's only in my GTD system at home, I don't
+remember the haircut. I can set up a reminder system, but that's
+then part of my GTD system. A single system is simpler, for me.
+
+Having a single system is not without problems, of course. The
+biggest obstacle I have is doing the weekly review: does it count
+as work time or not? I've experimented with various approaches, but
+haven't got a good solution. Maybe I should do every other review
+during work time, and every other in my own time.
+
+
+Fancy software solutions
+------------------------
+
+I've tried several software solutions for keeping GTD lists. Some
+of them were developed specifically for GTD, others were more generic.
+I've even written a couple of tools for my own GTD use, to support my
+own implementation of the GTD system.
+
+All of these software solutions have turned out to have the same two big
+drawback for me: I spend too much time fiddling with the tool (instead of
+doing useful things), and sooner or later the software gets in my way.
+
+The most useful tools I've found are outliners, but I don't use even
+those anymore. I now use a set of plain text documents, which I edit
+with gedit (the GNOME text editor). There's no outlining, formatting,
+highlighting, sorting, organizing, or any other kind of tool support.
+It's just words on lines of text. It's wonderful.
+
+This is what works for me. I'm a simple kind of guy. You may want to
+try various programs yourself and if you do, you may find that you
+like them better than plain text. That is good.
+
+
+Non-digital solutions
+---------------------
+
+I initially implemented GTD on paper, and that was good for getting
+started, since it avoided getting hung on tool choices and setup.
+However, I don't seem to work well with keeping lists on paper,
+or journalling on paper, or doing anything that involves using
+a lot of paper. For me, a digital solution is pretty much required.
+