My e-mail Inbox is Empty!

My e-mail Inbox is Empty!

I can’t remember the last time I had an empty Outlook Inbox.  That inbox has been a ball-and-chain to me for a considerable period of time.  And now it is empty!

I also have an empty inbox on my desk.  Having kept that desk inbox empty for a week, by processing my stuff, has made me feel really good.  I only emergency scanned once, on Friday, when I was in to pick up my stuff and leave for the day after having been out on appointments since 11 am.  That, for me, is a minor miracle.  I used to only emergency scan.  More progress.

For many reasons, my implementation of GTD is unfortunately breaking David Allen’s convention of doing it all in one swell foop.  I am doing it in chunks, which I know he disagrees with.  However, in her book The Organized Executive, Stephanie Winston urged folks to work on one piece of real estate, until that was clear.  Then work on another.  Translating that into GTD parlance, put all the stuff on your desk into “in”, and process it.  Then put all of the stuff on your credenza into “in”.  Process that.  Tackle one surface at a time.

I think that I can actually get to a full implementation of GTD this way, as I’m really being driven by the thought of GTD right now.  I think the blog is helping to keep it forefront in my mind, even though I’m sure no one is reading it.  However, over time I hope some folks will stumble across it.  (If you are reading, please drop me a comment).

I’d especially like to hear from folks who have implemented GTD in chunks, if there is anyone out there.  I’d like to feel less like the lone wolf in the wilderness.  I’d also to know about any of the pitfalls that you stumbled on.

So far, this is working for me, as I do only have so much time to devote to this at this time of the year, and that time always comes in chunks.  It also has the New Year’s feeling of rest and renewal, so I feel very productive when I’m doing it, and feel good when I get a large chunk done.  We’ll see how well it goes – the unfortunate thing is that it will take me until after the holidays to complete, and I have to hope I don’t lose my drive for this during the downtime.  A re-read of GTD will hopefully cure me of that.    

Imagine, a clean e-mail in-box.  It’s now almost as if I am waiting for someone to e-mail me so that I can process it!