My Moleskine GTD Hack
These are the two schemes I followed to fix up my moleskine notebook GTD system: from gathering in light, and from getting (some) things done.
But anyway, in my notebook I divided up the pages and used tabs to label them:
INBOX - (about 106 pages) where I write daily to - do’s, coded with little notes like @cal (calendar), @home, @ph (phone), E (errand) in the left margin, to tell me where I need to be to accomplish this item. This is also where I write random info I want to keep track of, like which bus goes to Lesa’s office, my lists of prices to compare between like Trader Joe’s and Woodman’s, shopping lists, and websites to look at.
CHECKLISTS - about 20 pages, where I have my daily routines (morning routine, afternoon & evening - things I would do each day, ideally). I also have a Getting Things Done-based chart that helps me remember what to do with “stuff” as it comes in - and a couple other reminders for myself of stuff to check in with myself about regularly (health stuff mostly).
PROJECTS - a list of all projects that, in GTD parlance, have more than one “action” associated with them. I review this list weekly or so and then add the “next action” to the to-do list in the inbox section. I also keep notes here, like noting what plants we planted when, and how to take care of them; some of the Montignac guidelines (I’m working on this one today); blog ideas; meditation practice notes.
RESEARCH - all school project-related stuff, notes from lectures (non-class lectures, from colloquia etc.), ideas for further research, jotting down ideas or outlines for current projects.
SOMEDAY/MAYBE - wishlists, gift lists for important people in my life, things I might like to do, places I might like to go
CONTACTS - self-explanatory - helps me not rely on the phone to save all my numbers
BOOKS & MUSIC - this could go in the someday/maybe category, but I usually accumulate so many of these that I thought it should have its own section.
on the inside front flap I have a “key” of all the little symbols I use (@ph, eighth note for music recommendations, that kind of thing)
I numbered all the odd pages, and put the “start date” on the inside cover; I also put my contact & emergency contact info. On the back pocket I have a little dispenser of those little post-it flags, it sticks right to the notebook.
So - this is really helping me because
1) I write down EVERYTHING I have to do/think of doing/ just absolutely everything. If I don’t think I’ll do it now it goes on the someday/maybe list - this means less anxiety trying to remember stuff
2) I have a place to keep random tidbits of information that otherwise would end up on slips of paper or on random pages of my school notebooks
3) I have a place to write checklists and I KEEP IT WITH ME, so I actually remember to check the lists. Which I didn’t usually before even when I made the checklists.
4) as I said the grid helps me write smaller and more neatly. so it’s aesthetically pleasing which is, all organizing experts ssay, one of the main reasons people stay with an organizing system.
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Most of this post was actually written as an email evangelizing about GTD earlier in the semester - I still have this system going but haven’t been as vigilant with it as I’d like. I plan to set up a new one, integrated with my Remember The Milk lists, for spring semester; getting a laptop mid-semester changed the way I organize myself (or attempt to organize).