GTD Phase 4: Review

Originally published 01 Apr 2006

Introduction

I am continuing with an activity I started while my PDA was in the shop. I am taking this time to review and re-read the book, Getting Things Done. In a series of posts, I’m going to go through each of the phases of the GTD methodology: Collect, Process, Organize, Review and Do, and list how I am using them.

It’s taken me a while to get back to this topic, because although I thought I had the next action on my list (read Chapter 3) my mind new I wasn’t done posting Chapter 2, and I stalled.

It is one thing to have things written down — but if I never look at what I’ve written then things are no better than forgotten. This phase is about looking at the lists.

The Basics Already In Place

The system assumes you have the basic system in place: calendar, list of projects, next action lists, list of someday-maybes and a list of waiting-fors. David Allen says that the system will need little maintenance if you have these items filled out. I disagree — the system must be kept up to date or the whole thing will collapse.

David Allen also says that the calendar (hard landscape) will be the thing most often checked. I disagree with this also, but on a personal level. My current and unvarying schedule says “show up to work, do as the client asks and leave”. That is the majority of my time, and honestly, I don’t put this in my calendar. I know I’m supposed to be there every workday.

So to me the next action lists are the things to be reviewed the most. In my system non-time specific events live as dated to-dos.

The Weekly Review

I’m pretty good about doing the weekly review. I do this either Thursday or Friday evening. However, I hold this separate form the collect and process phases. I review, update and get “clean, clear, current and complete.” I do my collecting and processing daily (well, that’s the intent. I actually do it about 95% of the time).

I also do a review for NAs daily. This allows me to keep moving forward on projects. How sad it would be if I only completed one next action per project per week! My company asks us to estimate work and tasks in one week increments; during my weekly review I try to make sure I have thought out the NAs for a week so I don’t have to keep going back to the thinking phase.

I agree with David Allen that review is a crucial component. If I don’t review, I lose trust in the system and then I stop using it.