Dissecting the Perfect Workday

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Dissecting the Perfect Workday

Written by: Donna Ann Peck 455 views

If you are having nightmares about a dark, cobwebbed attic, it may be a warning that it’s time to review your projects. Dreams about attics represent the mind. David Allen, an influential writer and consultant on time- and self-management, just published a new workflow map to guide you through the labyrinth of life. Whether it’s a cluttered schedule or a complex situation, using the map will inspire confidence to tackle whatever is keeping you awake at night.

For years, the GTD Workflow diagram has guided people as they organized their workday. The new map explores fresh territory and is the most up-to-date graphic representation of GTD (getting things done) philosophy. All the key steps for gathering, clarifying, organizing, and reviewing are complied in one visual. It also includes the factors to take into account when determining priorities. Guideposts show you where to put your focus, when to organize and when to stop and reflect.

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The map includes decision making and horizons of focus so you can navigate the day with control and perspective.

“It’s as simple as I could get it, while still embodying the subtleties and complexities that have to be factored in,” says Allen. “ The visual representation we’ve come up with I think is a highly effective way to make something this meaningful really clear.”

In general, a workflow process applies to anything that you want to accomplish that you haven’t yet done. Having the the GTD Workflow Map in hand, or on a wall, is useful in situations when you want to:

be more in control and regain your focus.
stay on your game.
establish productivity best practices until they become a habit.
combat the feeling of overwhelm and confusion about what to do.

The workflow map sparks creativity for me. As a writer and publisher, my constant quest is to turn creative ideas into reality. The map helps me make a disciplined effort to sort through my tethering pile of goals. My ultimate goal is to bring myself back to a creative state of mind.

More from the maestro of productivity

“When we coach people one-on-one about their work flow processes, there are invariably dozens and sometimes hundreds of situations, projects, and commitments that are stuck, awaiting some focused thinking about what’s next on them,” says Allen.

“Holding oneself into each item long enough to shine the light of awareness onto it and come up with a conclusion about what it is, what it means, and what needs to be done about it, is equivalent to working out. It’s hard to do if you’re not used to it. And it gets easier the more you do it.”

The trophy in the center of the maze

There are a lot of dead ends in life. We work hard, and hit a wall. The important question to ask is what do I need to be working at? Life and work present conflicts with multiple demands on people’s time and energy.

The GTD workflow map, once it becomes ingrained in your psyche, will help you respond to your world as quickly as it is happening. You simply decide then focus.

Productivity at its core is about making decisions about what to do when. The best systems help you consciously navigate all the factors that influence your decisions. Then you can confidently focus on the right action to take at that moment. You know if it’s working because you do well on the job; you stay focused and feel good. You see the whole game plan while confidently focusing on the moment.

A systematic process is not without its limitations. Paul Smalera questions whether President Obama—the checklist president—is doing what he should be doing to reach his desired goals. “Is President Obama merely moving “stuff” through his GTD workflow? Are the administration’s actions actually leading America to the big goals he promised to deliver?” asks Smalera. plugin-post-284

“Applying GTD on an individual basis or within a corporate department, where everyone shares roughly the same goals and incentives, can be effective. But in a political context, it’s easy to see how players with different agendas could subtly pervert the GTD workflow to serve their own ends,” he says.

I agree. While the president’s quest to be productive is admirable, in the political arena the GTD model springs a few leak. Compared to his struggles, it makes my own efforts to be clear and confident in the moment quite attainable.

Two sizes (one for an office wall, one for an at-hand reference) are included for $50, along with a DVD in which David coaches you on how to use the map. It’s a diagram for a perfect workday and works fine as long as you don’t carry the weight of the nation on your shoulders.

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