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I'm currently in the middle of a great New Years sweep through my self-organisation. I was inspired by reading David Allen's "Getting Things Done" while round at a friend's place on NY Eve, went out and brought a copy, and am currently implementing his programme. I'm doing this partly because I'm a former comics collecting geek who likes putting things in order (just like I used to do with my old copies of 2000AD - filed numerically, under "IPC" alongside Eagle, Scream and old copies of Starlord), and partly because I really need to 'cos of my job. You generate so much paperwork in teaching, and there's so much cocking admin accompanying it, that it's a real nightmare to stay on top of it all.
The system he recommends is really simple, so simple that you almost feel you've been conned in shelling out for the book, but in dealing with scads of paperwork and unresolved issues, simplicity is probably a virtue. One simple key to the system is the "next action" principle - actually identifying what real world actions one has to take when faced with any task. So, when preparing a lesson for example - something I've often done is thought "I don't know anything about the subject, will deal with it lately" followed by shovelling some notes in my bag and a last minute panic. Following this idea, my response would perhaps be "read the relevant part of specifications", following which I'd go the library and check out some recommended volumes, allocating some time to read them. I told you it was simple, but this makes sense when confronted with the morass of half done tasks and indecision we're faced with every day.
In short, a quick outline of the system is:
1) Collecting all of your outstanding tasks and information.
2) Chopping out the stuff to be filed and the stuff to be binned. Doing what can be down in under two minutes there and then. He gives tips on groovy filing systems, one for all the stationary nerds.
3) Processing the remainder according to the next action principle, dividing into specific "next actions" or "someday/maybe". The "next" actions can be divided up by context i.e. all the stuff you'll do - at the office, down the high street, that you need to chat about with your boss or partner. You also create another list of all your projects at this stage. It's a bottom up approach that circumnavigates the situation where you have a vague set of "values" or a "vision" but nothing to actually DO.
4) Doing it (he gives various strategies for prioritising and deciding what to do, in what order).
5) Reviewing the whole system on a weekly basis.
So far, I've just about finished for the flat so I've done Step 3 and am now on Step 4 - Doing It. For most of the evening I've been very productive, having broken down a difficult piece of work into a small series of steps, and doing a lot of research before writing up (moral: you need to actual know about the subject before writing a lesson.
Overall, I'm glad to say the feeling so far is one of an immense sense of relief. I felt a actual physical pressure lift from my shoulders and out of my head as I inventoried these things.He recommends getting it all out of your head all those nagging promises and notes to self, and
making firm decisions on all of it, even if it's not acted on straight away.
If you've read the book and felt intrigued, I'd recommend it. Anyone else here tried this or something similar?
Tomorrow: the office. |
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