diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | inboxes.mdwn | 59 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | quickie-overview.mdwn | 29 |
2 files changed, 88 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/inboxes.mdwn b/inboxes.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1998c80 --- /dev/null +++ b/inboxes.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +Inputs and inboxes +================== + +Consider how you deal with e-mail. All your e-mail arrives, +automatically, unbidden, unwanted, unloved, in one or more inboxes. +You might have one inbox for work, and another for personal use. +Further, you might have automatic filters that move some incoming +e-mail into other folders: software developers are often on many +discussion mailing lists, each of which goes into its own folder. +Each such folder would be a separate inbox. + +A common anti-pattern for people is to keep e-mail in their inboxes. +They read it, and leave it there. The next time they read e-mail, there +might more some new mail, which they read, and leave there. Eventually, +the mail piles up a lot, and it gets hard to find a specific mail you +may need. Even more importantly, it gets hard to know which mails still +require you to do something. Perhaps there was a mail from your boss +you need to re-read? Or a mail from your mother that you need to reply +to? Or perhaps you replied to her already? Can't remember if you did? + +Treating an e-mail folder both as an inbox and an archive of old mail, +and mixing it futher up as a list of things to do, leads to confusion, +angst, and stress. + +Let's make a small change to e-mail handling. Let's keep only +unprocessed e-mail in the inboxes, and do one of the following things +for every e-mail in each inbox, after reading it: + +* delete it, if it is unlikely to be of further use; for example, spam, + or stupid jokes from friends +* reply to it immediately, if you can, and it will only take a minute or two; + for example, your mother asks if you'll be visiting next weekend, and you've + already made plans with your partner to go on holiday, so you can reply + at once saying sorry, not this weekend +* move it to a "need replying" folder, if the mail requires a reply, but + you don't have time to do that right now +* forward it to someone else, perhaps with a cover letter, if it's their job, + not yours, to deal with it; for example, it might be a question only your + boss can answer +* move it to an archival folder, if you think you might need it later on + +(Compare the above list with "do, defer, delegate, delete, or file" from +the [[quickie-overview]] chapter.) + +When you have time, you look into the "need replying" folder, and reply +to one or more mails in there. After you've replied, you delete or archive +the original mail. + +With this change, you have a better handle on your e-mail. You know that +anything in the inbox is unknown and needs to be processed, and anything +in the "need replying" folder needs some action, and that anything you +might need later is in the archival folder. No other mails require any +action, and any mails that do require action are easy to find. + +This will make you be much more relaxed about your e-mail. You never need +to worry whether you've replied to everything that needs replying. A further +benefit, also of great benefit, is that you're likely to reply to mail +much faster than before. + diff --git a/quickie-overview.mdwn b/quickie-overview.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..560ddd6 --- /dev/null +++ b/quickie-overview.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +Quickie overview of the GTD system +================================== + +GTD is a system for managing your life: what you want to achieve, +how you plan to achieve that, and how you deal with all the stuff life +throws at you. You decide goals, the system helps you reach them. + +FIGURE: FIXME: A flowchart that shows the flow of "stuff" through one's life. +Allen's books have such a flowchart, but we'll need our own. + +A condensed summary of GTD: + +* stuff enters your life, and you either deal with it immediately, or put it + in one or more inboxes +* you empty your inboxes regularly from stuff +* stuff is dealt with by one of the following: + - do it at once (if it's quick, or you have to, or really want to) + - defer it for later + - delegate it to someone else + - file it somewhere (if you may need it later) + - discard it (ignore it, throw it in a trash bin, whatever) +* keep several lists: + - next actions: deferred stuff + - projects: anything that needs more than one next action to be finished + - waiting for: delegated stuff +* at least once a week, process all inboxes, and review all lists + +You may now skip the rest of the book. + |