This very step in the Getting Things Done system in what makes the whole system runs. We all have poured in ever increasing number of items into our list and doing is the only thing we can do to tick one item at a time out of the list. Doing is what makes we feel good about the system.

Keeping the system in a good shape might give the same feeling to certain extent, but nothing compared to doing.

There are some of the issues that need to be addressed in order to get things accomplished at the right place, time and within the timeframe. David Allen defines four criteria model for choosing actions in the moment:

• Context - Are you near a computer with Internet connection? Refer to the @computer or @internet list and start doing. Stop worrying about things you can’t do because you’re not in the right context.
• Time available - If you have fifteen minutes before you depart of a lunch with an old friend, the best thing you can do is select action to do right now that can be accomplished at that timeframe.
• Energy available - After a long day, you can’t expect yourself to be that productive to plan critical steps in your business. You should have different actions that you can match with your current energy level. This tends to boost your energy and feeling good about you’re still productive.
• Priority - Given the context, time and energy available, you pick up action from the list based on the priority. Ask yourself a question, which one of the remaining tasks is the most important thing to do right now?

Oftentimes in a workday, interruptions happen. These tasks often appear to be of urgency and as the result we handle that immediately. The frustation and anxiety can happen if we let these things intrude our schedule regularly, without feeling comfortable about things we are not doing at the moment.

We feel guilty for things we left behind because of interruptions and fake urgencies we create. And that is counter productive.

What needed is the the ability to deal with interruptions, catching up with things that really need to be handled on spot, and tasks that really can go into the @inbox bucket, to be processed later.

Finally, David Allen explains six-level model for reviewing your own work, which can be though of in terms of altitude:

• 50,000+ feet: life
• 40,000 feet: three- to five-year vision
• 30,000 feet: one- to two-year goals
• 20,000 feet: areas of responsibility
• 10,000 feet: current projects
• runway: current actions

Each of this helps us stay on track and defines actions we need to take in order to reach our long term goals, one step at a time. Each of the levels should enhance and align with the ones above it. If not, those actions might belong to @someday bucket, not to be focused on as part of our routine work.

The book explains in great detail for each of the level above and what should be noted in each level to maintain the momentum to move toward our goals.

Having said that, this is basically what Getting Things Done system is, in a nutshell. There are endless of details for every individual implementation and I have a plan to post some of them later. This post is not an end, but actually the start of the whole GTD thing. Afterall, it is all about getting things done and keep moving on, and still feeling good about it, isn’t it?

As I said in the first post, I am going to take this system into good use for at least 6 months. And this post has made my personal GTD system a step closer to a reliable system.

It is not the best implementation out there but starting with one is better than not at all. I still have time to tweak the system to suit my need.