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Recently I implemented a new category structure on How to be an Original. That category structure makes a clear distinction between the posts that are on topic for the main topics of this blog, the personal posts that are related to my story and the other stuff like technical announcements.

How to be an Original is a personal blog AND a topical blog. Some time ago I discovered admitted that a large part of it is personal, and I’m okay with that.

At the same time I can imagine that some of you are not interested in my ramblings, dwellings and progress updates. I’ve got some good news for you: I created a special feed that contains only the posts that are on the main topics.

The full feed

This is the original feed and it contains all posts. If you are subscribed to How to be an Original, this is the one you’re reading now.

It contains all categories:

• WHO are you
• WHAT do you want
• HOW to get it
• My Story
• The Other Stuff

Subscribe to the full feed now.

The lean feed

This is a trimmed down version of the feed. It does NOT contain posts from the categories “My Story” and “The Other Stuff”. You’ll miss out on all of my adventures in failing in mastering goal setting, you won’t see my weekly reviews, you miss the technical announcements. If you’re thinking right now “I wouldn’t miss those posts at all!”, then this feed is for you. Clean and simple only the posts that are really on topic (so you wouldn’t get the one you’re reading now).

This feed contains the following categories:

• WHO are you
• WHAT do you want
• HOW to get it

Subscribe to the lean feed now.

The comment feed

This is just what it says it is. If you enjoy the comments here, and don’t want to miss a single one of them, this is your feed. Mind you, it contains ALL the comments. There’s no specific feed for comments on the “lean feed” items. And there’s always the possibility to subscribe to the comments for a specific post, just below the comment box.

Subscribe to the comment feed now.

Language is the source of misunderstandings.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Language is an art. Most languages are, but especially in the Anglo-Saxon world it is highly valued if you are a proficient artist in the beautiful language that is English. Being eloquent and using prose-like languages full of quirks and subtle jokes or references is a skill enjoyed by many. The Anglo-Saxon world is proud of its language and the heritage that’s intertwined with it. More so than other languages, and especially more so than the Dutch (but that’s another story).

However, that same language can be the cause of a lot of misunderstandings. Even between different variants of the same language, British English and American English, a lot of confusion can arise. If an American wants to table a topic for instance, they mean that they want to let it rest for a while and postpone the discussion. The British on the other hand will table that topic if it needs immediate discussion. The same expression, but a world apart. Winston Churchill once said about it: “Two nations divided by a common language.”

Eloquent can be simple as well

Eloquent speech is not from lip to ear, but rather from heart to heart.
~ William Jennings Bryan

Being eloquent doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to use uncommon or unknown (but often beautiful) words. There’s a time and place where we enjoy that kind of language. A time when we indulge in the richness, and wish we could write or speak like that.

But there’s also a time where being eloquent means that you use simple words, and avoid that rich language. As William Jennings Bryan said (so eloquently) it’s not about getting from lip to ear, but from heart to heart.
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Last week I was interviewed by the University of Manchester about user experiences with Getting Things Done. I’m not the perfect GTD adept, because I’ve changed my system and adapted it to fit my needs. So technically I’m working with a GTD-inspired personalized productivity system.

During the interview it dawned upon that I could only do this effectively, because I had learned and adopted the GTD system before I adapted it. Starting GTD was a huge job, but still it’s one of the best things I have done in the past two years. It has brought me peace of mind, and it keeps me from forgetting stuff.

10 steps to get started

Starting GTD can be an arduous task, especially to those who need it the most. For those of you who have yet to start (or for your friends and colleagues who should start), here’s how to get past that first hurdle:

1. Read the book
   There’s no starting with Getting Things Done if you haven’t read David Allen’s book. So go to your library, or if you can’t wait buy Getting Things Done.
2. No seriously…read the book!
   You can’s skip this step, it’s essential. You won’t be able to fully comprehend or appreciate the modifications people make to GTD, without knowing the system. So read that book!
3. Buy a lot of manilla folders and labels.
   Buy a lot (no even more than that!) of manilla folders, you need them for your filing system and tickler file. Buy labels too. Buy a labelling machine too if your handwriting is illegible.
4. Block 2 days in your calender.
   Yes. 2 days. The entire day. I know that’s a lot of time for busy people like you, but you’ll regain that time in the weeks to come.
5. No seriously…block 2 days in your calender to start.
   You can have lunchbreaks, but no appointments. You will need your focus!
6. Collect everything and put it in your inbox.
   Physical stuff in a physical inbox, digital stuff in a digital inbox. If you’re anything like me, this will make piles. Huge piles of paper and immense inboxes. Don’t worry about it, that’s where you need it to be right now.
7. Process stuff.
   Start at the top. Follow the GTD rules! But, if you’re really unsure about something, put it on a new pile. This is your purgatory, your easy way out (for now!). By now you’ll be glad you blocked 2 full days in your calender.
8. Making a pile “To archive” is a major pitfall!
   As soon as you have something to archive. DON’T PUT IT ON A PILE! File it immediately, there’s something really gratifying about filling a filing cabinet. And there’s hardly anything more depressing than a huge pile of stuff you need to archive.
9. Read the book again, but this time selectively.
   Going through this 2 day process has shown you which parts you need to re-read. Now you have some experience, and you’ll understand those parts better.
10. Focus on the purgatory pile.
    Don’t procrastinate working through the purgatory pile. It’s still going to be a difficult one. My experience is that whatever lands on that pile is either something that should be tossed away or something that’s not important to you, but possibly important to someone else.

That’s how you start. Keeping it up is another process. In that process you’ll work on applying the GTD rules in processing your inboxes on a daily basis. You’ll work on adopting the weekly review. And you’ll work on adopting the tickler file. And once you’ve adopted those, you’ll keep what works for you, and drop what doesn’t.

But for now, go on and read that book!

Image by Foxtongue.

• The more complex your system is, the more likely you are to abandon it.
• The more complex your system is, the more time you’ll spend maintaining it.
• Working on your productivity system is NOT productive time.
• Simple systems are no guarantee for productivity.
• It’s not about the system.
• No system will make your list shorter, only finishing tasks will do that.
• When you start a task: finish it!
• Writing down tasks you have already finished just to tick them off the list again, doesn’t make you any more productive.
• Finished tasks are not a trophy. Discard them when done!
• It doesn’t matter if you forget a task, you’ll think of it again.
• Write down things to do, as soon as you think of them.
• Not writing tasks down, doesn’t make your list any shorter.
• A short list doesn’t make you productive.
• A large list doesn’t make you important.
• A large list also doesn’t make you busy.
• It’s not about the list either.
• Procrastination separates the urgent from the non-urgent tasks.
• Non-urgent tasks will get urgent, if you allow enough time to pass.
• If you procrastinate a task for a month or more, discard it altogether.
• Failing to discard unfinished tasks separates the important from the non-important tasks.
• If you hesitate to discard a task, get some balls and finish it already!
• If you can’t finish a task in a day, break it down into smaller parts.
• Detailed tasks are only useful in the short term.
• Breaking down projects in detailed tasks for the entire project span is a waste of time. Two weeks down the road you know better ways to do it anyway.
• It’s also not about the task.
• It’s not about the system.
• It’s not about the list.
• It’s not about the tasks.
• It’s about the results.
• Finished tasks are NOT results.

Will you finally get some stuff done already!?

Photo by tracitodd