GTD Tip: Weekly Review with MindManager and TPAssist

This blog provides tips on conducting your weekly review when using MindManager and TPAssist tools as part of your Getting Things Done (GTD) system.

(Note: This material is mostly as suggested in David Allen's 3rd book, Making It All Work).

STEP 1: Get Clear

• Loose papers & materials collected


• Get "In" to zero (See our TIP on "Zero-In")


• Mind Sweep

STEP 2: Get Current

• Review Action Lists:
  
  
  • For each main area (i.e. "Calendared', 'ASAP', "Agenda", etc, perform a TPAssist 2007 "localised" Tree Summary (Not Multi-map, leave that for the Monthly Reviews).
  
  
  • Process the items overdue etc and review the rest.


• Review Previous Calendar Dates.


• Review Upcoming Calendar Dates.


• Review Waiting for Lists.


• Review Project (and Larger Outcome) Lists
  
  
  • Open Project List.
  
  
  • Sort the list and remove any duplicates (If sub-divided focus areas, do one area at a time).
  
  
  • Read the title of each project and consider it's status in your own mind (Your review of your actions, calendar and waiting for above should be sufficient to "know" where each project stands.)
  
  
  • Drop into Projects that you feel may need further consideration.
  
  
  • Use TPAssist "Send To" for projects you want "parked" on the Someday / Maybe list.


• Review Any Relevant Checklists


• Review Calendar Later Starts

STEP 3: Get Creative

• Review Someday / Maybe List
  
  
  • Sort the list and remove any duplicates (If sub-divided focus areas, do one area at a time.)
  
  
  • Read the title of each project and consider it's status in your own mind.
  
  
  • Drop into Projects that you feel may need further consideration and then "Link At" if the project is being acted on again.
  
  
  • Back in the list, use TPAssist "Send To" and put the project title back on the projects list.


• Be Creative & Courageous

GTD Tip: Focus Area Review (Monthly) with MindManager and TPAssist

This blog provides tips on conducting your Getting Things Done (GTD) monthly focus area reviews when using MindManager and TPAssist tools.

If you are using separate Focus Area dashboards, i.e. one for your life management and one for your workplace responsibilities, it may be worth scheduling the monthly review for each aspect on separate weeks, to reduce "block" time required to complete your review. The process below applies to each of your focus areas, i.e. your life management and your workplace responsibilities:

1. Open Focus Area Dashboard.


2. Drop into Each sub area (map):


1. Organise "new items" into their approach place
   
   
   • "New Items" are those that have been delivered directly to the map via TPAssist Capture tools and may not be correctly organised. Drag these around your map so any "Link At" topics on your Dashboard can still find them.


2. Run a TPAssist 2007 Task Summary, in "Normal" mode.


3. Using the Task Summary, process items found in < 1 month.


• Follow the hyper-linked Task Summary topics.


• Use TPAssist 2007 "Link At" command to add new projects to project lists (If not sure, just add them anyway, the weekly review will pickup duplicates)


• Use TPAssist 2007 "Link At" command to add next actions for new projects to the actions list (As per project list, if unsure, add them anyway as use of the lists and then weekly review will pickup duplicates.)



4. Disgard the remaining Task Summary.


3. At the conclusion update the Focus Area Dashboard:
   
   
   • In the Focus Area Dashboard, with all sub maps open, run a TPAssist 2007 Tree Update in Multi-map mode


4. Review the Projects List
   
   
   • Run a TPAssist 2007 Tree Update in Multi-map mode to bring in latest project status for the focus areas under review (Use "Localised" scope if only reviewing a subsection of the project list).
   
   
   
   

GTD Tip: Zero-In using MindManager and TPAssist

As you use your system and even conduct your Weekly Review, you will inevitably be "Zeroing IN".

Below is a variation of the "Zero In" process populated with steps that you may find useful as you manage your lists via MindManager and TPAssist tools.

1. Empty Wallet, Bags, Brief Cases etc into your Physical In-Tray.
2. Empty Tickler into your Physical In-Tray.
3. Empty E-Mail IN-BASKET (See http://tpassist.blogspot.com/2009/05/gtd-style-e-mail-processing-using.html for setup details).
4. Process Physical In-Tray.
5. Process Audio/Voice Recordings.
6. Process any electronically captured notes (i.e. using the 2 minute rule and the workflow)
7. Synchronise PDA (and if using Outlook, use TPAssist 2007's Document Tools to bring back changes).
8. Review Dashboard "ACTION" lists - "Send Topic" on any items that are complete or need attention to the IN- BASKET.
9. Process any other form of electronic "IN".
10. Process the Dashboard "IN-BASKET", using the 2 Minute rule and Workflow to determine where the item should be sent.
11. Re-Synchronise PDA.

GTD Tip: Using your IN-BASKET when on the runway

As you start populating your MindManager dashboard and using TPAssist to facilitate your GTD system, you will inevitably start looking for ways to improve your system.

A really effective way to "manage" your lists is to use your IN-BASKET as a temporary location for the item you are "doing".

For example, if you have a twenty minute window and you choose an activity from your @COMPUTER list, since you are physically at your computer, make use of Capture / Store / Process to help you get underway and also be ready for any interruption. Simply, select the item you are going to work on, click the Hyperlink to bring the Focus map into play so you can track your actions and also gain access to related materials, then return to Dashboard, now click "Send Topic" and send the topic to your IN-BASKET. Then Save All, and return to your active focus map and work away. In this way, if you get interruption or complete the task, you can just click "Process" and get your focus back via the IN-BASKET.

GTD style e-mail processing using TPAssistCapture for Microsoft Outlook

This tip outlines how TPAssist 2007 can help turn Outlook 2007 into a Getting Things Done (GTD) collection point, and do all your clarifying, organising and doing, in MindManager.

To configure your system ready for this approach, you need to complete the following steps:

1. Download and install TPAssistCapture for Microsoft® Outlook® (http://www.tpassist.com/downloads/)

2. Configure a Search Folder as your IN-BASKET.

The Search Folder should be configured to look for items where "Categories doesn't contain @DONE" and it should also be added to your favourites. For details on this process, look for "Convert your e-mails into next actions" in the Getting Started Guide in Help after you have installed TPAssistCapture for Microsoft® Outlook®).

3. Select all your old emails and categorise them as "@DONE" (leaving those that you still need to process).

4. Now for e-mails that you don't action immediately or delete, select them in the list view or open each, the use the TPAssist Capture icon to expose the Category Selection dialogue. Now pick your category (typically your "IN-BASKET") and click send.

5. After your e-mail IN-BASKET is empty, switch over to your Dashboard mind map, and process your captures.

6. From here you can work with each e-mail via the "attachment" capability of the MindManager topic.