Productivity Systems Don’t Suck, But Sometimes I Do

Written by Andy Parkinson

GTD, Productivity, Success

Few would argue that Merlin Mann is the Godfather of GTD/productivity blogging. About a month ago he posted Four Years and followed it up with Time, Attention, and Creative Work. If you haven’t read these, please do so now… It’s good stuff.

What do you think?

I look at both of these posts in a positive light. They are sobering reminders of how our personal productivity systems are nothing more than a means to an end. Why we produce boils down to reasons that live deep inside of us. I focus on being productive because my personal goals and commitments require me to get a lot of things done in a short period of time. I am passionate about productivity systems because they allow my over-achieving, over-estimating self to get closer to achieving my goals faster and with minimal affects on my health and overall well-being.

The End of an Era?

I noticed that September 11th, 2008 marked the end of regular posting by a handful of very talented productivity bloggers… Maybe its just a coincidence, but I miss their insights.

Before Mann’s post, others in the productivity community had started denouncing GTD and the act of trying to systematize one’s productivity. Some new posts have sprung up citing Merlin’s new mission as proof of why GTD doesn’t work. However, GTD in itself was not denounced by Mann. Systems were not denounced, either. Nor should they be. “Productivity Pr0n,” or more specifically the act of talking about productivity instead of being productive, is what got the biggest bitch slap. Deservedly so. The brand of notebook you use to hold your lists or using note cards vs. post-its vs. graph paper for capturing thoughts have no real effect on your ability to be productive. Pick one and move on. Get stuff done.

Let’s take a trip down 43folders memory lane. I recently stumbled on a relatively unpopular post from September of 2004 where Mann outlined why GTD was so great and it deserved the momentum it had picked up. Read through it yourself. How much of what he had said four years ago has changed?

If We Can’t Blame Our Systems…

At the core GTD, or any productivity system, is a methodology for increasing your output. They are sets of principles and/or concepts glued together in an attempt to overcome our weaknesses. And, yes, this comes with some overhead. Many lists and options give the system a lot of places to appear to break down and get backed up — I say appear because the system is not what ultimately breaks down. I do.

When my car goes into the shop and I have $2500 in expenses I could have taken care of 3 months ago for $1500, can I blame GTD for not reminding me to take care of it sooner? Can I blame my stationary bike sitting 4 feet from me that I bought for the convenience and never ride for why I’m putting on a few lb’s? Sounds easier than realizing I can be a jackass…

I fall off the wagon from time to time, just like everyone else. When it happens, its easy to point the finger at something like “the system.” Yet each time I become so overwhelmed that I can’t think straight I’ll do my brain dump, process my stuff, organize my actions and ensure my project list is up to date with a next action defined for each one. Voila! My productivity picks up again. Imagine that! I follow the system and my productivity improves.

Unfortunately I’d be kidding myself if I blamed concepts or lifeless things when I don’t do what is best. I blame me. I suck sometimes. I’m inconsistent. What I thought were habits become annoying one day and I stop doing them for a while. Productivity habits, diet habits, exercise habits, sleep habits, etc. I suck at all of them from time to time.

I wish we could stop blaming other stuff and start taking responsibility… Or maybe I’m just being naive. What/who do you blame when things breakdown in your productive life?

  • I'm wondering, can't this situation be filed under the statistic that 90% of the business fail in their first 5 years?
  • I place the blame when things don't get done squarely on the shoulders of the thing that is supposed to get done. To avoid this, I don't go with guns blazing into getting something done, as I prefer to test the mettle of the thing in question. If I go at it slowly, in a gradual, eventual manner, it will get done - probably by someone else or will get done just enough to pass muster.

    While GTD has some flaws, what I do (Effing The Dog or EffTD) is so flawed that spending time wading through the flaws is such a waste of time (unless you do so eventually)...the flaws themselves appear to be flawless.

    This may seem confusing to most of your readers, and that's fine. They'll get it...eventually. Especially if they check out EffTD.

    As for Merlin...I've still gots my eye on him. He's a tricky one, that guy. Anyone named after a wizard needs to be closely monitored.

    Love your work!

    Mike Vardy
    Eventual Productivity Expert
  • Like you alluded to, it's not GTD that's the problem. It is the cottage industry that sprung up from it and that seems to have confused people as to the real definition of GTD and it's purpose.

    I think we can go even further and recognize the role that the internet plays here—is being Always On really such a good thing? Or has it changed the way we work and reduced our attention spans?
  • Hi Chris, thanks for chiming in.

    I never bought into the productivity pr0n concept. It just never made sense how one note pad or digital to-do list app was better than the next -- they were all equally deficient, so why move stuff around just to create busy work. I like the idea that bloggers seem to be focusing more on creating value these days.

    IMHO blaming the Internet for when my lack productivity becomes lax is like blaming my bike for not making me ride it. Before the Internet, we had Warcraft and Super Mario Brothers stealing our attention, before that it was cable TV , before that I suppose there were readily accessible mind-altering drugs, etc. etc. The difference between those who achieve their dreams and those who do not is the ability dig in deep, cut out the crap and focus on making the right decisions, big and small, that bring them closer what they really want.

    BTW I recently discovered your blog and have been really enjoying it. Keep up the great work.
  • I've noticed the negative GTD attitude recently. Not me. I'm sticking with it and I will continue to proclaim it as the best system out there for being productive. GTD all the way!
  • Thanks for linking to my Organize IT article. When things go wrong I typically "blame" myself nowadays. It's probably because I took on too much, didn't get enough sleep, focused on the wrong tasks... whatever. We are not machines. I learn from the experience and move on. It's amazing how little we really think about stuff sometimes. Whenever I would fall off the bandwagon I used to try out a new system, without really bothering to figure out that maybe I was the problem, I had bad habits in place, the wrong expectations and attitudes.
  • Hi James. I appreciate the comment. Very insightful.

    In your post you give a disclaimer that you don't necessarily agree with all the gripes against GTD. I'm curious which ones are/were your own and if you still feel that way now?
  • I believe the gripes in the post were all legitimate, even if they weren't all mine (the high level aspect and the weekly review were my biggies), though of course many of them will be based on a person's own experiences of implementing GTD (the issue of quality if you are a person doing high detail work, for instance). Maybe I should do 9 reasons why GTD works to provide a nice, balanced perspective :)
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