Tag: GTD

Cynefin and GTD: the weekly review as a sense-making practice

The Getting Things Done (GTD) weekly review is often described as essential maintenance for your productivity system. You gather loose papers, process your inboxes, download your head, update your projects and review your calendar. This keeps your system current and trustworthy.

But the weekly review can do something deeper. It can help you notice when your understanding of a situation is no longer accurate.

Seen through Cynefin, the weekly review becomes a regular opportunity to notice what has changed and adapt our response.

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One act of self trust

In yesterday’s post, I suggested that the deeper outcome of productivity is not optimisation but self-trust.

Self-trust does not appear because we find the perfect system. It develops through experience.

Each time we make a realistic commitment and follow through, we give ourselves a little more evidence that we can rely on ourselves.

Start with something small

Large commitments can feel important, but they are not always the best place to begin.

Choose one small action that would make life slightly easier for your future self.

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Why trust matters more than optimisation

Productivity advice often focuses on optimisation.

We are encouraged to find the fastest tool, the most efficient workflow, or the perfect morning routine. There is always another app to install, another system to refine, another technique to master.

But the deeper purpose of productivity is not efficiency.

It is self-trust.

Continue reading Why trust matters more than optimisation

Cynefin and GTD: when your next action is an experiment

In Getting Things Done, a next action is the next visible, physical activity needed to move something forward.

That might mean:

  • email the completed proposal
  • telephone the garage
  • book the appointment
  • proofread the final chapter

These actions move us towards completion. But in an uncertain situation, we may not yet know which route will produce the outcome we want.

Sometimes the next action needs to help us learn.

Continue reading Cynefin and GTD: when your next action is an experiment

Some project outcomes must be discovered, not defined

Cynefin can help us manage uncertain projects in GTD.

One of the most useful practices in Getting Things Done is defining a successful outcome for each project.

What will be true when this is finished?

For many projects, the answer is reasonably clear:

  • Submit my tax return
  • Replace the broken washing machine
  • Publish the new website
  • Book accommodation for the holiday

A clear outcome helps us decide what ‘done’ means. It also makes choosing the next action much easier.

But the Cynefin framework reminds us that not every situation offers that degree of certainty.

Continue reading Some project outcomes must be discovered, not defined