348: Forecast Workload

How do you actually forecast how much work you can get done in a week? Ray brought us this one, and we dug into building buffer for the unexpected, using milestones and monthly reviews to see further out, and leaning on tools like Gantt charts and defer dates to keep our systems honest. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Occam’s Razor (a problem-solving rule stating that the simplest explanation is usually the best)

• OmniFocus (defer dates as an alternative to start/due dates)

• Asana (new built-in Gantt view, auto-scheduling)

• Tom’s Planner (free Gantt planner)

• Trello with the TeamGantt power-up (Gantt charting pulled from existing board data)

• GanttProject (free, open source Gantt charting tool)

• Todoist (using the due date field as a de facto start date)

• Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets (color-coded heat-map forecasting)

• Microsoft Project

• FastTrack Schedule (legacy master-schedule tool)

• David Sparks OmniFocus Ninja Screencasts (on defer dates)

Download the podcast here!

347: Transitions

Transitions are everywhere, and most of them are not on the calendar. In this episode we dig into the ones that repeat every year, like back-to-school and fiscal year-end, plus the ones that just show up, like onboarding a new hire or planning a move. We even get into end-of-life planning with the Nokbox, and how a GTD® system keeps it all manageable. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Nokbox (a DIY estate-planning organizer box for end-of-life prep)

• Notion (used for house-hunting notes and planning)

• Trello (used to outline a move)

• 1Password (password manager)

Download the podcast here!

346: Centralizing Capture

So much comes at us all day, emails, chats, screenshots, sticky notes, that keeping capture centralized can feel like a full-time job. In this episode we dig into how we each corral our inboxes down to a manageable few, and the automations (think Hazel, IFTTT, LaunchBar, and Krisp) that move things along without adding more thinking to our day. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Cornell Notes

• Krisp (noise cancellation with meeting transcription and summaries)

• Dropbox Dash (cross-cloud search across all your drives and apps)

• LaunchBar (Mac quick-launch and file finder)

• Alfred (Mac productivity launcher, mentioned as an alternative)

• Hazel (Mac file automation and renaming)

• File Juggler (Hazel's Windows equivalent)

• IFTTT (automation for screenshot capture and follow-ups)

• Evernote (in-tray for capturing almost any data type)

• OmniFocus (task inbox)

• Trello (card capture via keyboard shortcut)

• TextExpander (template snippets for recurring emails)

• FoldingText (plain-text, markup-based note taking)

• Claude (pulling text and action items out of screenshots)

Download the podcast here!

345: Jumping Back In

Coming back is hard. Michelle's COVID brain fog sparked this one, and we dive into jumping back into GTD® after time away, whether that's a sick week, a vacation, or falling off the wagon entirely. We share tricks for taming the email backlog, doing a mind sweep, setting up out-of-office rules, and leaning into your GTD® strengths instead of your weaknesses. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Post-it® App (for capturing paper notes digitally)

• Clear (the swipe-based to-do app one participant uses for on-the-fly lists)

Download the podcast here!

344: Getting Clear & Current & Overwhelm

Overwhelm happens to all of us. This episode we dig into what to do when everything feels like it's on fire at once: overflowing inboxes, taking on work that isn't ours, and why your GTD® system (not you) should be the thing absorbing the chaos. We talk prioritization, the WOOP framework, and giving yourself a real reward for getting through the crunch. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Parkinson's Law

• WOOP (Wish Outcome Obstacle Plan) by Gabriele Oettingen (goal-setting framework)

• Implementation intentions — Peter Gollwitzer's research on planning around obstacles

Download the podcast here!

343: Daily GTD - What It’s Really Like

What does GTD® really look like on a messy, real-life day? In this episode we get honest about the ebbs and flows, the pull to reorganize your whole system when things get crazy, and why reprocessing your stuff (rather than rebuilding it) is usually what actually helps. Some great insights that might help tweak your own system. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

• The Nokbox

• David Allen's Productive Living newsletter

Download the podcast here!

342: Execution — Getting Derailed

What holds us back from actually doing the work, even when we know we're working on the right things? Christine brought us this one, and we dug into the four blockers that derail us, building buffer into the week, time tracking as a wake-up call, and giving ourselves grace when the day falls apart. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Team: Getting Things Done with Others by David Allen and Edward Lamont

• Deep Work by Cal Newport

• Getting Things Done® Podcast - GTD For Creative People

• Getting Things Done® Podcast - Interview with Evan Taubenfeld

Download the podcast here!

341: Digital Reference - Engagement on Projects of Different Sizes

How do you keep your digital reference straight when some projects are just you and others involve a whole team? John brought us this one, and we dug into where reference should live, the hard lines between project and general reference, and how to keep everyone in the loop without doing the work twice. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• Team: Getting Things Done with Others

• Evernote

• Todoist

• OmniFocus

• NotePlan

• Dropbox

• Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Sheets

• Microsoft 365 (OneDrive and SharePoint)

• Smartsheet

• FastTrack Schedule (AEC Software)

• Microsoft Project

• Basecamp

• Jira and Confluence

• Asana

• Teamwork

• Apple Universal Control (the "continuity" trick for sharing a keyboard and mouse between Mac and iPad)

• Zapier or IFTTT (for the automation logging completed tasks to a Google Sheet)

Download the podcast here!

340: How to Handle Big Changes

Life's big changes can sometimes throw you for a loop.  Luckily, GTD® can help us manage life's changes with a little (or a lot) more ease. In this episode we look at this and share some of our favorite tips. Enjoy!

Resources from the call:

• GTD® Live - Audio Seminar (This is actually available in MP3 format! Grab it now!)

• Getting Things Done by David Allen

• Making It All Work by David Allen

• Team: Getting Things Done with Others by David Allen and Edward Lamont

• Marshall Goldsmith - The Daily Question

Download the podcast here!

339: Working With Others

This episode, we dive into the unique challenges that arise when applying GTD in team settings. How do you stay organized when your outcomes depend on others? We explore strategies for better communication, accountability, and shared focus. With David Allen and Edward Lamont's book Team: Getting Things Done with Others, we discuss the big questions it raises about group productivity.

Resources from the call:

• Team: Getting Things Done With Others by David Allen & Ed Lamont

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

• Getting Things Done Workbook, The: 10 Moves to Stress-free Productivity, by David Allen and Brandon Hall

• GTD® Podcast Episode 279: David and Ed talk about Team

• Ed Lamont - Next Actions Associates

Download the podcast here!