Your Mind is a Mess.
And this is how to declutter the fog.
Our brain is full of things that we need to do.
From bigger things like:
Overview of your budget and check why you were billed extra by the internet company, or schedule and plan your next 1-week vacation to Europe.
To smaller tasks like:
find a present for your partner’s birthday and plan what to do on that day.
To even smaller tasks like:
Throw out the trash, create a playlist for your runs, clean the house, call mom, send an email, etc.
So not only do you have a to-do list that you need to remember to keep track of everything, things will keep piling up so you have to remember more. You are also under constant pressure from your brain that reminds you now and then of those things. Big or small, they will pop up.
In our digitally-driven world, technology can either be a source of distraction or a powerful ally in organizing our lives. By integrating David Allen's "Getting Things Done" methodology with modern tech tools, you can transform your overwhelming mental to-do list into a productivity system.
I am using Trello, so my examples will be related to that.
Understanding GTD – The Basics
Before diving into the tech tools, it's crucial to grasp the fundamentals of the ‘Getting Things Done’ method. David Allen's approach is about capturing, clarifying, organizing, reflecting, and engaging with your tasks. The idea is to get tasks out of your head and into a system you trust.
Capturing: This step involves gathering every task, idea, or project that has your attention. The key is to get everything out of your head and into an external system (like a notebook, post-it note, or an app).
Clarifying: Once you've captured everything, the next step is to clarify what each item means and what are the next steps.
‘s standards!
I would explain it, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words and I need those to meet
Organizing: This step involves putting everything where it belongs. Actionable items are organized by the next actions they require and are categorized into lists or projects. This could involve creating a to-do list, scheduling tasks on a calendar, or assigning tasks to specific projects.
Reflecting: Reflection involves regularly reviewing and updating your lists and system. This could be a daily review to update your to-do list or a weekly review to go over your projects and goals. The purpose is to ensure that the tasks you have are still relevant and that it’s not becoming a to-do graveyard.
Engaging: Finally, you get to work. Clear up those things you have to do so your board can also be free of stress!
It's not only about your day-to-day tasks, you can use it in your work too! I'm not saying to have a 'personal Jira' (god forbid), but tasks are a part of everything we do, and learning to control them and have a system to remember to complete them is crucial.
So in your work, the tasks might be something like this:
Talk to X about the design’s missing icon
Review the feature request sent by user Y (url:…)
Open a ticket for that bug you just saw and send it to your manager
Watch that recording of a customer meeting
Pro Tips (Trello)
Pro Tip #1 - Create separate boards for different things in your life. These are my current boards:
Pro Tip #2 - Don’t skip anything, no matter how small. Everything that pops into your head, be it an errand, a bug in your code, or an idea.
Pro Tip #3 - Use labels. They will help you get a glance at what you have to do and immediately get to the things you want to do right now.
Pro Tip #4 - Use a template of GTD by Kelvin Baggs
Pro Tip #5 - Use automation. This will help you keep the board clean and good-looking!
I have a list called ‘Done’ with automation to archive every task that goes into that list.
Also, every new task I add to my Inbox goes directly to the top of the list so I don’t have to look for it at the bottom for clarification.
Pro Tip #6 - Use power-ups. This one is so important and I wish I had known about it earlier. It’s extensions that users created to make your life easier when creating tasks.
Overcoming Common Challenges
Adopting a new system has its challenges. Here are some tips to keep you on track.
Keep It Simple
Don't overcomplicate your system. The goal is to reduce stress, not add to it. Use labels and boards that make sense to YOU.
Enjoy the process
Trello, and most likely any other tool you’ll use, has so many different options and ways to use to make it more personal and easy to use. Go exploring!
Be Consistent
Consistency is key. Make capturing and organizing tasks a daily habit.
I like to have Trello open at all times so I do not forget.
Final words
Starting to use GTD with Trello was a game-changer for me.
I have a board for any ongoing project. Even projects I left and might return to in the future. That way I don’t need to try and remember what things I wanted to do or which ideas I had.
I am still not a master and I do forget things from time to time, but I am improving with time!
Good luck and happy tasking :)
I love GTD. Great way to think about getting organized and decluttering your brain. 🧠 My only problem with Trello is that it's so easy to lose information in there. Eventually, I went simple. I just use Apple Reminders for everything, and it works great. Seems a bit more ubiquitous. 😄 Nice article, Orel.