Vertical integration: advice, please!
I think my implementation of Getting Things Done is pretty good, as far as it goes. I’ve got the daily collect – process – do system working well, my weekly project review is great for generating meaningful next actions, and my email inbox is empty. (How many of my colleagues can say that, I wonder?)
Where I’m struggling is the vertical integration part of Allen’s concept. That is, getting meaningful material into my system at the ’10,000 feet’ and up levels. I mean, I know what I want to do with my life, and, roughly speaking, where I want to be in a few years’ time.
So, what I’m really after is some advice: How did you go about getting GTD up off the runway and into full flight? Did you struggle, as I have, with integrating the ‘higher’ levels into your weekly review without feeling just a little bit silly?
Over to you, wise and widespread readers: what tips would you give to someone wanting to get the ‘upper levels’ of GTD working smoothly?
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I have posted a reply to this post at http://pascalvenier.com/blog/?p=222
— Pascal Venier · Jan 8, 01:55 · #
I came across this example (I believe it was through the 43Folders forum).
http://patrickrhone.com/files/MasterVerticalMap.pdf
— Heather · Jan 8, 03:57 · #
What you’ve identified is one of the weaknesses of David Allen’s work. The bottom two levels – actions and projects – are top-notch, in my opinion. However, the upper ones aren’t strong…
— Matthew Cornell · Jan 9, 04:43 · #
Thanks everyone for commenting. Pascal & Heather, those are both very useful links! Matthew, I think you’re right and as I think more and more about this, I think the trick will be to use the Allen idea as a framework but to develop the upper levels for each individual.
I’ll be writing more about this shortly, so stay tuned!
— David Mackay · Jan 9, 05:35 · #