Getting Things Done (Part 2 of 3): Reviewing Your Process

In part 1 of this series, I wrote in detail about the 5 Stages of Mastering Workflow and Next Actions per David Allen’s book, “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.” I suggested using bins and lists to represent the main groupings that your to-do items should be placed into using the workflow diagram below. Part 1 also covered how to collect, organize, and process these items. In this article, I will discuss how to regularly review your main grouping bins and lists to stay on track.

"It is impossible to feel good about your choices unless you are clear about what your work really is," writes Allen.

With the workflow diagram, you can ORGANIZE and PROCESS the results of the to-do items that you COLLECT. This gives you an opportunity to REVIEW them and DO the work needed.

To recap, the 7 MAIN GROUPINGS are…

• Trash
• Someday/Maybe
• Projects & Project Plans
• Reference
• Waiting For
• Calendar
• Next Actions

Allen writes, “Your brain must engage on some consistent basis with all your commitments and activities. Reviewing your system on a regular basis and keeping it current and functional are prerequisites for that kind of control.”

Daily Review

Each day you should review your calendar(s) and your next actions list/bin to keep you on course for the day. Remember that your calendar(s) can hold alerts for future tasks to be done, as well as specific event times.

"We COLLECT things that command our attention; PROCESS what they mean and what to do about them; and ORGANIZE the results, which we REVIEW as options for what we choose to DO," states Allen.

Weekly Review

I benefit most from the weekly review concept. It gives me an opportunity to review all my main grouping bins and lists as a whole. Dedicate time to it! Aim for at least 2 hours. Allen recommends doing the weekly review early, on a Friday afternoon if possible, because the week will still be fresh in your mind. And you can also go into the weekend ready for refreshment and recreation.

1. Collect all of your loose papers, receipts, meeting notes, physical objects etc. not already processed and determine where they go according to the 7 main groupings listed above.

2. Review your calendar data for future events that may involve prep work.

3. Empty your head. Write down any new projects, action items, waiting fors, and someday/maybes and place them in the applicable main groupings.

4. Evaluate the status of your projects. What is the intended outcome for each one? Do you currently have a kick-start action for each one?

5. Have you done the next action for the items on or in the next actions list/bin? If so, cross it off your list or remove it from that bin. (Remember that items that only require two minutes or less to complete should be done immediately.) If not, determine how to complete the next action or if a new next action is needed.

6. Record any next actions that belong on your “waiting for” list or place them in that bin. Also, cross off/remove any completed items that are on this list or in this bin.

7. Delete any items from your someday/maybe list or bin that are no longer relevant. Can any of these items be transferred to your projects list or bin?

The daily review and weekly review processes are the time to purge and delete, tie up loose ends, and refocus. Once you get into the habit of effectively using the workflow diagram, the review times will decrease.

Part 3 of this Getting Things Done series will discuss the endgame and best action choices.