I am having an email discussion with a pastor in NSW about how to implmement Getting Things Done for ministry. To make it all concrete I wrote down my current GTD system:
Collection Places
Home paper inbox, portable paper inbox, office paper inbox, email inbox, phone inbox (if I can't be bothered getting a pen out I write a TODO in my phone), SMS inbox, answering machine. I know some peopel keep their computer desktop really clean and empty so that it functions as an inbox for attachments (i've never done this).
Actions Lists
I have a filofax type binder diary about A5 size with a day-per-page calendar and a bunch of dividers. In this I put:
- Calendar
- @computer
- @phone
- @ errands
- @ office errands
- @ Sunday errands
- @creative writing
- @ home
- @ read (I also just have a reading pile)
- 'tickler pages' - I insert pages into my filofax along the lines of the 43 folders idea. I have one per week for the current month and then one per month after that.
- Hard Landscape checklist I have laminated and check at my weekly review and then move forward in the binder to the next week. This has my weekly, fortnightly, monthly, twomonthly etc regular tasks.
- agendas
- waiting for
- someday maybe
- project list (i also store a calendar of the next three month's preaching/workshop engagements)
- checklists: runway checklist (things to remember at the moment in church and family, household chores I said i'd do, things to work on in preaching, reminders about new procedures, when my holidays are), 20Kft checklist (i have both areas of responsiblity and church short-term goals), 30k checklist (church and personal 1-2 year goals), 40kft checklist (church and personal 3-5 year goals), 50kft checklist (church mission and values statements and personal lifelong goals), occasional checklists (I put an MCing checklist in when I am MCing at church, for example)
GMAIL
- Starred items in GMAIL: i have recently started starring things if they are part of a project or if they are a TODO.
Projects
I keep my project support material in manila folders
- Sermon series (John, 1John, 1Peter)
- GATAS Church Extension
- Archive Stuff at Home
- Put DJ Sermons on YouTube
- Session Reports
- Write Letter to Bible College Exiles
- Subscribe to Music Magazine
- Kid's Minsitry
- Ministry Lab
- ASA Mentorship Program
- Return Dumbrell Article to Bernie
- Give Advice to Rob S.
- MCing
- Linking and Learning
Areas of Responsibility Support Material
GTD doesn't distinguish this, but I find it helpful to have AoR support material as available as Project support material. Each of these tends to have a min-GTD system for them
- Mike Jolly (MTS apprentice)
- Dan Shepheard (staff)
- Steering Committee
- Tuesday Service
- Sunday a.m. Service
- Hobart MTS Apprentice Training Meetings
- MTS Tas Network Coordinator
Reference System
I keep this separate from my project material in five filing cabinets at home or office:
- A-Z general
- A-Z topical sermons
- A-Z sermon illustrations
- A-Z people
- Expository Sermons in canonical order
- Someday Maybe files (when a project is postponed, it is kept separate from regular reference material)
- A-Z general church files (at office)
- A-Z church someday maybe (at office - separate project files for each postponed project)
- A-Z people (in locked cabinet in office)
- A-Z confidential (in locked cabinet in office)
