Beyond GTD: How to Keep Productivity Simple

Written by Scott Young - 19 Comments
Categories: productivity tips

post-it-man.jpgI first learned about David Allen’s famous productivity system, Getting Things Done, several years ago. It’s an excellent book, building off a simple idea: the less you need to rely on memory, the easier it is to become productive. Since being popularized over the web, GTD has been associated with the art of productivity.

But there is only one problem, GTD is too complicated. When I first tried to set up GTD, I found it clunky and hard to stick with. The systems that Allen developed over years were being put in my lap on one day. Some of the ideas were immediately useful, others were wasteful and difficult to maintain.

GTD: The Swiss Army Knife (When All You Want is a Fork…)

Only several years later did I realize the source of my problem with GTD. The organizing system was robust, but it wasn’t tailored to my life. Keeping a notepad and calendar was a great idea. Keeping a set of dozens of folders to track action items over a period of months wasn’t.

To be fair to Allen, it wasn’t really his fault. GTD is a great system, but it’s difficult to create a system that suits everyone. The CEO of a Fortune 500 company has completely different productivity needs than a grad student. One person might need to track hundreds of pieces of information, while the other might need minimal tracking but a high degree of focus on one task.

Just saying “tailor it to your life” is a bit trite too. Obviously if everyone was born with the understanding of what productivity needs they have, they wouldn’t need to read books on productivity.

Evolving Productivity: The Branch Method

My suggestion is to adopt a leaner productivity system. Dave Allen’s suggestions are great, but there is too much variety for it to work for everyone. The Branch Method isn’t a productivity system. It’s a way of thinking about how you organize things, so you can always have the most effective organizing system tailored to your needs.

The principles of the Branch Method are simple:

  1. Start with the simplest organizing system possible.
  2. Reorganize your tasks, files or items into this system.
  3. When a folder becomes too large, branch it off into component systems.
  4. Review your system every month.
  5. If a folder isn’t being used, merge it back into the other folders.

By “folder” I mean any location for storing elements of your productivity system. A filing cabinet is a large “folder” as is your to-do list and calendar. They are all baskets you can put stuff in. I’m treating the physical organization of paperwork and non-physical organization of tasks and events as being the same, so I’m forced to use the word “folder”.

Now let’s look at each step:

Step One: Start Simple

This first step can be skipped if you already have GTD or some level of organization. But if you’re currently a complete slob, you need to start somewhere. Try to design the simplest organizing system that is one step above complete chaos. Don’t make speculative folders for holding things you might not use.

Making too many folders initially creates added waste. This was my problem when initially setting up GTD, and is the reason many people are scared off by the highly in-depth system.

Step Two: Organize Into Your Simple System

Now go to the work of putting everything in it’s place. This can take some time if you don’t already have a previous organizing system. However, this step only needs to be done once, so the time is worth it.

Step Three: Branch Bulky Folders

When a folder becomes too bulky, branch it into a more refined mechanism. I used to keep receipts in a simple folder. As more receipts piled up, I realized that the folder was getting bulky. I split the receipts into a binder, with separate organizational tabs for different categories.

If your to-do list or calendar becomes overloaded, split them into separate lists or calendars. Google Calendar has the added feature of storing multiple, color-coded calendars on the same screen. From one, I branched off into four.

Step Four: Monthly Productivity Review

Every month, ask yourself whether your productivity system still holds. If your lifestyle has adjusted in that time, you may need to create new folders or destroy old ones. Finishing a project might lead to simplifying one aspect of your system. Without monthly reviews, your productivity system slowly drifts back towards chaos.

Step Five: Merge Unused Folders

This step is often forgotten. Maintaining a folder has a mental cost. You need to remember to check it regularly, otherwise it will be useless. I’ve frequently forgotten tasks because I placed them on infrequently used to-do lists. Without merging folders, you are likely to forget where things are.

Branching for Simplicity

The Branch Method works because it helps you maintain the simplest productivity system possible. There is no extra fat or waste with folders that aren’t specifically adapted to your life. Instead of planning for every foreseeable organizing need, you get a system that fits you.

  • http://shanelyang.com/ Shanel Yang

    Good point about most organization systems being too complicated to be useful to most of us. I like your system a lot, especially Step No. 4! Very simple and it can be tailored to anyone’s special needs.

    However, how many “folders” is too many? It’s hard to tell, and most people err on the side of too many rather than too few. Then, the task of creating folders, constantly reviewing them and their contents for relevance, and then shuffling them or their contents just doesn’t seem worth the effort. I think that’s why most people just give up after a while — even if they started a new system with the best intentions.

    For years, I tried to find the perfect way to get organized — once and for all! However, in the end, I realized that the best way to get organized is to just stop procrastinating and get more efficient my your tasks. Suddenly, more productivity! But, how to stop procrastinating and get more work done efficiently?

    All it takes is: (1) finding out what the particular task/job/career requires in terms of what results are considered bad, good, fair, and excellent; (2) finding out who achieves consistently excellent results for that particular task/job/career but whom you can approach for advice; (3) ask them exactly what they do; and (4) copy exactly what they do. What you will invariably find is that they only focus on a few key things and do those things really, really well. Or, said another way, they don’t waste their time on low-value tasks. The trick is to find out which tasks are high-value and which ones are low-value. And, you won’t know unless you ask the superstar performers in your field.

    I learned about all of this from Brian Tracy’s excellent book Eat that Frog! In it, he gives 21 tips to establish productivity that are so shockingly simple and practical that I’ve been kicking myself ever since for not finding it sooner! I also summarized it on my blog.

    Thanks for a great post!

  • http://www.simplyqueer.com Alex

    Thank you for this post. I have a love/hate relationship with GTD myself; while I’ve found it really helpful in changing my perspective about time and productivity, I find that this system is most helpful for high-power business people who have hundreds of e-mails per day, etc!
    Ultimately, we need to find the combination of “systems” which works for our own lifestyles, goals, and dreams!
    Thank!

  • http://onebagnation.wordpress.com Ann at One Bag Nation

    I’ve read GTD twice and have concluded that Mr. Allen could have used a good editor . . .

    I know it’s wildly popular, and of course I appreciate the philosophy, but about the only thing that I’ve adopted into my system is an inbox. I use a tip from flylady.net and set aside one day a week as “desk day” when I spend an hour or so on household bills, etc. and go through the inbox.

    Simplicity is the key for me, and I just couldn’t manage all those context lists, etc. I was spending too much time trying to set up the system and not enough time getting things done!

  • http://www.pickthebrain.com Peter

    Getting Things Done was my introduction to productivity systems. I picked up a number of handy tips and tricks from the book, but like you Scott I found it too complicated for my personal situation and hard to stick with. As Ann said, simplicity is the key!

  • http://www.streamlinedmind.com Farfield

    When I heard about GTD for the first time I thought it would be a great system for me. So I read the book, and tried different kinds of software, but I guess it’s just a bit too complicated for me too. I want a simple system, to streamline my workflow, and with GTD I still have to think about doing my reviews and combining it with good planning (that’s what I miss most in it).

    I think it’s a good idea to find your own solution to this and see which specific things you use from GTD and other systems and combine them to suit your needs!

  • http://www.thesolutionwebsite.com Andrew At The Solution

    Isn’t productivity a funny thing? – It’s almost a relevant term. One person’s productivity is another person’s nightmare.

    The solution is often internal, comprised of your own specific needs and goals, combined with the p word – Persistence.

    Splitting up your days into “mini days” reminds me of the old Mark Hamilton Neo-Tech strategy…Great in theory, but very hard to implement.

    Food for thought though.

  • http://www.ThePharaohsCode.com Tohami, “The Success Pharaoh”

    Hi Scott,

    Thanks for the nice post.

    I see the main purpose of GTD, or any other system, is to GET THINGS DONE.

    As you said, everyone was born with the understanding of what productivity needs they have. And obviously, there is no one system that works for all.

    Just get things done – simply and effectively.

    Regards,
    Tohami, “The Success Pharaoh”

  • http://financialphilosopher.typepad.com/thefinancialphilosopher/ The Financial Philosopher

    This post does an excellent job of underscoring the fundamental problem with “productivity systems:”

    1. Most fail to center upon self-awareness as a foundational step and, instead, do the opposite by suggesting a “one-size-fits all” approach.

    2. Without self-awareness, these so-called “self-improvement” books fail to lead the reader to defining what it is they are trying to “produce.”

    3. If we are trying to “produce” more time by “getting things done” more efficiently, then what will we do with that time we produced? Will we find more distractions that take us away from our priorities?

    Like diets and budgets, most productivity and self-improvement endeavors end in failure because the end-user is following someone else’s path. They are simply short-term distractions that make us feel good for a short time before we turn to the next short-term “fix.”

    Thanks for a useful and insightful post…

    Kent (The Financial Philosopher)

  • http://www.thesolutionwebsite.com Andrew At The Solution

    Kent – I’m not sure stating that the improvement of one’s self will be a short term fix. Wherewithal, attitude and persistence are also the realm of the individual and that is both an unpredictable and romantic in notion.

    No personal endeavor can be sealed as fait accompli – Well, at least I sincerely hope not.

    Everyone follows someone else’s path to some degree and life is just a question of individually perceived semantic reasoning.

    If we get things done then there is no reason why we wouldn’t use our resultant spare time efficiently.

    It’s good to see some different opinions in the mix.

  • http://www.faceyourfork.com Matt @ Face Your Fork

    I read about 3/4ths of GTD, found it too extreme for my tastes, and developed a similiar system that’s pretty close to how the original GTD runs. My system has parallels to what you’re suggesting, which is good… since I can chime in and say that what you’re suggesting truly does work. :P

    I think the biggest thing is to keep everything *as simple as possible*, and to not get cluttered. Break folders up as needed, but pitch what isn’t necessary to save room. I found that when things start to pile up into mountains of paperwork and thick folders, the system naturally breaks down because nothing is where I need it to be.

  • http://financialphilosopher.typepad.com/thefinancialphilosopher/ The Financial Philosopher

    Andrew,

    I like your thoughts and will clarify mine:

    Most self-improvement endeavors do not result in the improvement of the self. They result in a “state” that helps the consumer in the present moment but does not carry them to the next moment… The consumer is left with the desire to read more “self-improvement” books.

    Self-awareness, in contrast, uncovers what already exists, which is our “ideal self.”

    I do not have the space here to expand on my thoughts but I will end by humbly stating that there is no such thing as self-improvement…

    Cheers…

  • http://www.pickthebrain.com Peter

    Sounds like there could be a guest post there Kent :)

  • http://financialphilosopher.typepad.com/thefinancialphilosopher/ The Financial Philosopher

    Peter:

    I’ve been forming thoughts around this idea. I can’t think of a better way to crystallize those thoughts than with a guest post! Thanks for the offer…

    I’ll be in touch…

    Kent

  • James

    glad to see more post-GTD thinking and practicing.

    I agree GTD is a bit overkill for me and my situation, style of work, etc.

    I’ve found zenhabits.net’s ZTD very helpful too.
    There are posts and there’s an ebook.

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  • Kumaran

    Nice post.

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  • http://2time-sys.com Francis Wade

    I think the responses to the post, which I enjoyed, point to the need that people have to get busy designing their own time management systems.

    I have been working on ways to make the job an easier one, but am still surprised that so few resources, attention and time are being spent on a problem that affects every working professional.

    There needs to be a “cookbook” that teaches us HOW to cook, rather than giving us a bunch of recipes. I have learned a lot from reading different recipes — don’t get me wrong — but that’s a far cry from being able to create my own!

    I think there is a revolution of sorts coming that will take us away from “follow them” to “design mine.”

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