Productivity Frameworks

Productivity Frameworks
Frameworks
- Johnny Decimal
- PARA
- GTD
  - Guide
Analogies with computer file systems

Frameworks

PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive)
GTD (Getting Things Done)
Johnny Decimal

Johnny Decimal

Johnny Decimal is an organization system, which is a simplification of the Dewey Decimal System, that goes like Category Slots (10) > Categories (10 Per Slot) > IDs (100 Per Category)

00-09 Index Category Slot
    01 Index Category 01
        01.01 Index ID 01.01
        ...
    02 Index Category 02
    ...
10-19 Category Slot 2
    11 Category 11
        11.01 Item ID 11.01
        ...
    12 Category 12
    ...
20-29 Category Slot 3
...

PARA

PARA is a messy organization system, that goes like Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives. Some people also like to put Projects inside Areas, making it go like Projects > Areas, Resources, Archives.

GTD

GTD is a task management system.

Things I need:

Lists
- Inbox
- Waiting For List
- Next Actions List
- Projects List
- Someday/Maybe List
- Context-Specific List
- Agenda-Specific List
Calendar
Trigger List
Weekly Review
Tickler List

Guide

In it, first you have to write down all your ideas.
- All new ideas go in the inbox, which you review at a specific time of the day.
Next, you have to see whether the ideas in the inbox are actionable or not.
- If they are not, either trash them, or set them aside.
- If they are, define the next physical action to move closer to its target
  - Next, see if the task can be completed in under two minutes.
    - If so, do it right away. (Why? Because tracking it will be more time consuming that the time to do it)
  - If not, see if it's a task that is meant for you.
    - If not, delegate it.
      - Add these tasks to the waiting for list, and contact the person, and mark the current date on the item
  - If not, see if the task is urgent
    - If so, add it to the next actions list
  - Next, see if there are multiple tasks required to complete a goal
    - If so, group them under a Project
      - If the project is active, move it to the projects list
      - Otherwise, add it to the someday/maybe list
    - Make sure every project has at least one action in the next actions list.
  - If not, see if it is context-specific
    - If so, add it to the context-specific list
  - If it is dependent on a next occurrence, add it to the agenda-specific list
  - If it is not time dependent, add it to to a someday/maybe list
  - If it is for a specific date, add it to the calendar.

Next, you should review your lists every week.

Make sure every project has at least one next action.
Make sure that each action on your next actions list is still immediately relevant.
- If not, move it it to the someday/maybe list or trash it.
See if any action on your someday/maybe list should be added to your next actions list or projects list
- If you're adding a new project to the projects list, make sure it has at least one action in the next actions list
During weekly review, also populate a trigger list which is a bunch of keywords about aspects of your life, which can make you remember things that you haven't captured.
- If any new idea comes up while reading your trigger list, put it in your inbox
- Example Trigger List: Trigger list for students | Lifehacker

Optional Tools:

Read/Review List: For reading/reviewing to-read lists [I don't need]
Tickler List: 43 folders (31+12)
- Put a reminder item in each day of the month + group others in the month specific folders.
- On each day, open the day's folder and have the right stuff for the day's actions.
- At the end of each month, open the next month's folder and arrange the files into the daily folders.

Analogies with computer file systems

Johnny Decimal:

D: (System) > 100 Categories > Folder 1 > Content
(In practice, there will be generally 30 categories and 4-5 folders, which will have further nesting)

D: (System) > 10 Category Lists > Folders (10 Categories) > Folders (IDs) > Content

One difference is that usually, files are stored in folders that do not have a full Johnny Decimal address.

But definitely, we can draw some parallels as all of these are forms of information organization, and will have similar patterns.

(Forget my D: > New Folder (2) > new2 > new > New Folder (3) > Content XD)