Lifehacker: How to Ditch Dedicated GTD Apps

Posted by Michael | Filed under Craphack, GTD

As Jered and I talked about in our first podcast episode, many of us tend to look for new and “better” ways to make our lives simpler. Unfortunately, by doing so we only add yet-another layer of management to our work, thus defeating the point. We called these “craphacks.”

I came across this post over on Lifehacker that brought our point home.

[Lifehacker.com] Mac user Dennis Best says that using David Allen’s Getting Things Done productivity system on your Mac doesn’t mean you need to find the ultimate GTD application—that the tools you already have in Mail.app, iCal and Finder get the job done fine….Not to be all finger-waggy, but ultimately it’s up to you, not your software, to work the system. [more...]

Read Dennis Best’s extensive original posting on his blog here:

Getting things done (simply) in Leopard: The best Mac GTD app might be right under your nose

Although Best’s post addresses apps on Mac OS X, the same principle applies for any OS, or any technology that promises to increase your productivity.

[dennisbest.org] GTD’ers like myself are jumping from app to app looking for the right fit. (How productive is that?) The fact that none of them fit probably says more about my shortcomings than the talents of the developers. Fact is, I’m lazy when it comes to using this stuff and fall off the wagon quickly. [more...]

Best makes an excellent point that following the GTD habit (and other methods for that matter) tempts us to be on constant watch for the next best thing, which really goes against the whole idea of GTD as it is outlined by David Allen. Also, we can’t blame the developers; we only have our mistake of not doing the deep self-reflection necessary in order to adopt the right productivity tools for us as individuals, not the newest that “everyone” is talking about (or selling).

Finally, no tool will ever prevent us from being Human. Sometimes we do fall back on old habits, and we have to be okay with that every now and then. Truly following GTD (or another good method) provides the means to get back on track. Nevertheless, those of us who are “productivity tool addicts” tend to look for the next perfect tool to help get us back onto the proverbial wagon. I’ll go so far as to liken it to allowing an drug addict to relapse, then allowing him/her to try out some new drugs off the street before getting back into rehab. It just doesn’t make sense, but we still do it anyway.

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Permalink | April 8th, 2008

4 Responses to “Lifehacker: How to Ditch Dedicated GTD Apps”

  1. Jered Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 6:57 pm

    I found the article interesting and I think Best makes a point: Find a system that works, even if it is baked into something you already have.

    I cannot agree with your comment on always searching for the next thing. David Allen and Getting Things Done do not require that personal workflows be set in stone.

    I think part of the Weekly Review is to scan your workflow and see where improvements can be made. If that means adding an application to specifically handle your tasks, or signing up for a web app that converts your cellphone calls to emails, then it should be incorporated, only if it increased the efficiency of the workflow.

    I think Best’s main thrust is towards the large and ever increasing group of GTD practitioners who jump from iGTD to OmniFocus to Things, not letting their workflow solidify. If we were to follow Best’s thought to the most logical conclusion, we wouldn’t use computers for our tasks at all, we have had pen and paper for much longer, after all.

    I think this may be a topic for a podcast.

  2. Michael Willits Says:
    April 9th, 2008 at 7:46 am

    My point wasn’t to say, nor that it was implied, that GTD is a static system, if anything but so. In fact, it is very clear about the importance of flexibility as life and work changes (e.g., regularly revisiting the ground level, 10K foot + elevations on up to purpose).

    To maintain this flexibility, it’s absolutely necessary to scan the horizon of what’s next and be okay letting go of older systems when appropriate. That said, my emphasis was that we can go too far, thus my comment about always pursuing the next best thing.If our pursuit of the next best productivity tool or system usurps actually _being_ productive, then we’re missing the point entirely.

  3. Jered Says:
    April 9th, 2008 at 7:58 am

    Whew! Now I understand. I think you are completely correct that trying to jump back and forth in how you manage your system can be the “craphack”.

    I remember early in my GTD experience I suffered from this condition, until OmniFocus was released, probably why I made such an impassioned response. That or my dislike of iCal and Mail To Do’s.

  4. Michael Willits Says:
    April 9th, 2008 at 8:48 am

    I had the same dislike with trying Outlook and OneNote. I just don’t need — nor want — that degree of organization. It seems to be a matter of how I think. Keeping notes on Mac OS X’s built-in Stickies App has been more useful to me than OneNote ever was in terms of fitting into my workflow. And, since they’re always on my desktop, I don’t forget about them. I never accomplished this using OneNote as it just never fit into my daily routine, and thus I wouldn’t remember to check my notes on projects and action items.

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