How to set up GTD using Notion - RadReads

A Getting Things Done (GTD) Refresher. Getting Things Done is a 5-step method to capture, triage and organize the various tasks activities in your life. GTD is ... Skiptocontent ReadytodesignyourperfectproductivitysysteminNotion?OurupcomingNotionCourseSuperchargeYourProductivityisyourfirststeptotransformingyourlifeandcareer. In1996IsoldmyMagictheGatheringcollectionfor$7,000andboughtsharesoftheVanguardS&P500IndexFund(todayworth$28,516).Butthatwasn’tbestinvestmentIevermade.Whatwas?ReadingDavidAllen’s GettingThingsDone asacollegegradandlearninghisGTDmethodforproductivity.IrecentlyimplementedGTDintomyNotionworkspaceandwilltakeyouthroughastep-by-stepdemonstrationofsettingupInboxes,Contexts,QuickCapture,ReviewsandNextActionsusingtheNotionapp.(Andstayuntiltheendofthepost,we’vegotafreetemplate.) AGettingThingsDone(GTD)Refresher GettingThingsDoneisa5-stepmethodtocapture,triageandorganizethevarioustasksactivitiesinyourlife.GTDisasystem(asopposedtoatool)thatcanbeimplementedviaanalog(penandpaper),dedicatedapps(OmnifocusorThings3)andno-codeapps(Notion,CodaandAirtable).Thefivestepsareasfollows: CaptureClarifyOrganizeReviewEngage WhileAllenisveryspecificabouttheactionsanddatathataccompanyeachstep,inmy19+yearsofusingGTD,I’vecometobelievethatthetwomostcriticalpartsstepsare:CaptureandReflect. OurNotionGTDtemplateconsistsofthefollowingcomponents: OneMasterTaskTable(calledGTD_Tasks)Aseriesoftasks(eachaPagewithinGTD_Tasks)EachpagehavingaseriesofAttributes(complete,flag,tags,duedate,etc)AseriesofViews(toemulateperspectives) WatchafulldemonstrationonthepillarsandimplementationofGTDinNotion: Step1:Capture OntheTimFerrisspodcastAllenfamouslysaid:  “Yourmindismadeforhavingideas,notholdingthem.”  YetIknowyouprobablyleavetheshowerwith5freshnewideasand3newpeopleyouneedtocall.Nothavingastandardplacetoputthembecomesaninevitablesourceofanxiety. Herecommendsyoupickoneplace,tocapturethesethoughtsandtasks,suchas: ThenativetaskapponyourphoneEmailingyourself(yes,that’sokifit’stheONLYplaceyoucapturetasks)Anotebookorpost-itnoteAblankOneNote/Evernote/Notionnote Adedicatedcaptureinboxwillgiveyoutheconfidencethat nothingwillfallthroughthecracks. InourNotionGTDtemplate,you’llbeabletoinputtasksintwoplacesfromwithinyourGTD_Tasks. Afewwordsaboutquickcapture NowhardcoreGTDfanaticswillobsessaboutaphrasecalledQuickCapture.They’rereferringtotheamountoftimeittakesanideatotravelfromtheirheadstotheirdigitalscreens.Andifthattimeexceeds1second,forthisgroupofproductivityfanatics(andI’moneofthem)itbecomestooslow. Thisisn’tanissuefor99%ofthepopulation,butstillworthacknowledging.InthepostWhySuperhumanandNotionreducedmyproductivityandfocus,FletcherRichmancallsoutthenumberoftapsto“addandcompleteatask”aswellasNotion’spoorperformanceonmobile.Earlierthisyear,Notionre-architectedtheirinfrastructuretoimprovepageloadtimesby50%. AndwiththelaunchoftheNotionAPI,youcannowuseyourfavoriteapp(personally,IloveTickTick’sSirifeature)toenhanceanyQuickCapturebehaviors. Step2:Clarify Theclarifystepinvolvesaccuratelydefiningtasks.Peopleoftenmakethefollowingmistakes: Thetaskisn’twelldefined(“Mom”)Thetaskisactuallyaseriesoftasks(“Taxes”)   Youcangetimprovetheaccuracyofyourtaskswithtwobestpractices.First,starteachtaskwithaverb.So“Mom”wouldbecome“CallMom”and“Photos”wouldbecome“OrganizePhotos.”Next,youcanapplytheS.M.A.R.T.goalsapproach,whichconsistsof: S-pecificM-easurableA-chievableR-elevantT-ime-Bound Inpractice,thismeansthatasyoumovethroughyourday,you’reCapturing(Step1)tasksintoyourNotionInbox.Attheendoftheday,youreviewthisInboxanddecideifyourtasksarewell-definedandstillrelevant.Duringthisstep,GTDwouldalsorecommendthatifyoucancompleteataskinundertwominutes,thanyoushould(Thetwo-minuterule.) Step3:Organize Thenextstepistoaddadditionalinformation(knownasmeta-data)toeachtask.Projectistheonlymetadataisrequiredandthefulllistconsistsof: ProjectDueDateContextFlagsDurationRepeatFrequency Theonlyrequiredmeta-dataisProject,whichwill“clear”ataskfromyourInbox.Here’sthelistofoptions(assignedtoaspecificPropertyType)inourNotiondatabase. AwordaboutDueDatesandContexts GTDisverystrictinitstreatmentofduedates.It’santi-duedateswithoneexception.Iffailingtodoataskbyacertaindatehasseriousrepercussionsthenitshouldhaveaduedate.Otherwise,itshouldn’t.Thefollowingtasksshouldhaveduedates: PayingyourrentBuyingagiftforyourson’sbirthdayFinishingaclientpresentation Thesetasksshouldnothaveduedates: TakingyoursontothemuseumReadingThinkingFastandSlowFlossingbeforebed ThisispossiblethankstoStep4(theweeklyReview)whichwe’lladdressshortly. GTDalsolovestolayeronmeta-datatoeachtask,knownasContexts.Aneasywaytothinkofcontextsisastags(andinNotion-speak,multi-selectfields).Contextscanbemanyofthefollowing: Person(Spouse,directreport,parents,kid’steacher)Place(Home,office,grocerystore,parents’home,church)Thing(iPhone,notebook,desktop)Stateofmind(Highenergy,Lowenergy) ThebeautyofContextsisthattheycanspanallthetasksinyourlife.Hereareafewexamples: Callmyaccountant(Phone,LowEnergy)Reviewhomeworkpacket(Home,Child,HighEnergy)ReturnWebcamtoAmazon(Home,Desktop,LowEnergy)   Step4:Reflect ThefourthstepofGTDisthemostcritical:Reflect.ItcanalsobeknownastheWeeklyReview.Putsimply,itrequiresyoutoexamineallofyourprojectsonaschedule,thendeterminethefollowing: Isthetaskstillrelevant?Doesthetaskneednewmeta-data?Doestheprojectneedtobere-prioritized? Inourfreneticworldof“do,do,do”weoftenmisstheforestfromthetrees.We’reobsessedwithgettingthingsdone(nopunintended),withoutaskingareweworkingontherightthings?Thereviewisheretobringintentionalitybackintoyourworkflow. Awell-designedreviewprocesswillresurfaceprojectswithdifferentfrequencies.YoumayhavetheprojectManageDirectReportswhichdeservesaweeklyreview;however,MyBucketListmightonlyrequireasemi-annualreview. Notionistheperfectcandidateforvariablereviewfrequencies,butitrequiresusingRelatedTables(anadvancedtopictaughtinSuperchargeYourProductivity). Inourtemplate(giventheconstraintsofdownloadabletemplates),we’llhaveto“hack”thereviewprocesstothetasklevelandpre-setitto7days. Step5:Engage Thelaststepisactuallythemoststraightforwardone.Getitdone!Inourtemplatewe’veaddedadditionalviewsusingBoards(viewByStatus)andCalendar(viewByDueDate). ThenextstopinourtutorialisPARAusingNotion. 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