Roundup: Getting Things Done
I love Getting Things Done. Some of the cornerstones (like maintaining an empty inbox, for example) are a little too hard-core for me, but mostly it’s a philosophy that’s contagious in a good way.
One of my favorite former coworkers, a lead engineer, was also a fan of GTD. We always had a series of little tasks for each other – not fire-fighting emergency things, but “when you get a chance” items. In order to not lose those items, we each had an online ta-da list that the other one could add things to.
Ta-da Lists are fast and easy – you get your own URL where you can create as many lists as you want (and yes, give permission for others to add items to your list). I maintain short-term lists while I’m in the midst of projects and an odds-and-ends list for home and one for work. The odds-and-ends lists are critical so you’re always one click away from remembering what useful thing you can do in that extra five minutes.
