The habit of GTD

The music of GTD

The GTD weekly review is a great habit. Almost everywhere I read about its importance. Also the struggles some have. A recent lecture at school helped me understand why I struggle and how I learn.

Learning new habits

A habit is something we all have plenty of. Learning a new one takes time. Children are quick to learn but like me need time to make it their own. It takes something like 4 weeks to aquire a habit.

Every day diligent repetition of a task helps make that a habit. It takes a year to make a habit part of me. A skill. Longer still until that habit reaches perfection.

Music lessons and GTD

My children each play their own instrument. Charlotte the violin, Judit cello and Thomas piano. The daily rhythm of playing is important to establish. Weekly lessons support the practicing habit.

Orchestra rehersals and regular concerts bring joy to music. And the christmas street concerts are not only great fun, but raise extra pocket money too.

Goals and projects

"I want to play every weekend at the Market!" What do you need to do to get there? When can you play? How many songs do you know? Which are fitting for Christmas? Which piece are you going to learn next?

Focusing on these goals means we often forget that we are learning about habits. Its just about having fun!

Getting the (wash-) IN basket to empty

Getting wash done

I love the way David starts the RoadMap seminar: "this is all about the lazy way of getting things done". It just got me thinking. Where can I find more time for fun?

Getting the wash-IN basket to empty. It can be done in 2 minutes. Not all of it. However each stage in the process need not take longer. Be that collecting or processing, organising or reviewing - doing the wash, even big piles of it, takes me a couple of minutes at each stage.

Collect all the socks

We all need to do the wash. The piles grow everyday, especially with children. Mostly clothes just get dumped on the floor. In the oddest places too, like a left sock under the car seat or a sweater next to the sofa and a hat on the kitchen table. As a visiting friend once pointed out "this house is lived in!".

Collection is a continuous daily task to the wash-in basket.

Process, organise and colour code

What is this? Processing the wash-in basket gets done quickly. Involving the children can make this a fun task. It also takes the mystery out of what happens to my dirty trousers. And gives understanding to the question: where is my favorite shirt?

• COLLECT - all the socks and dirty stuff
• PROCESS - sort and colour code, one at a time
• ORGANISE - machine or hand wash? Dryer or hang it up?
• REVIEW - fold or iron, keep it or pass stuff on
• DO - putting it back, one thing at a time!

Like Michael Sliwinski mentioned in his last post on GTDtimes, doing things, like the wash, is all about the 2 minute rule.

Delegate it

I delegate tasks for the children. In fact they organise their own lists of who does what each week (more on lists in another posting). Collecting and putting away the wash for example are great habits to foster.