My New Moleskine GTD System

OK, first of all thanks for all the recent comments – sorry i haven’t replied sooner. I’ve been trying to get back into work after the holidays and it’s been hard! But i wrote in my last post that i had changed my system again and have been using it for two whole weeks. It’s working well enough and the best thing is that i get to use my moleskine again!

You may ask why i changed my system? Well, it’s what i do. It doesn’t matter how well the other one is working i love change. Why moleskine? I have fallen in love with the moleskine. I feel like i am part of something much bigger when i open it up and write in it’s pages! There is something romantic about moleskines, knowing that some of the most creative people in history used notebooks just like it makes me want to use it even more.

Some people think they are too expensive for what they are – including my husband. And i must admit that when i first started using them i only bought the cahiers because i couldn’t bring myself to buy the real thing. But once i did, i didn’t turn back. I tried to convert my husband over the holidays. He was looking for a diary and i told him i would buy him a moleskine and turn it into a diary like mine. So, we went to borders and took the plunge. Then as we were leaving the shopping centre he came across another diary that he liked better! He wanted to take the moleskine back, but i wouldn’t let him!

No matter what you think of moleskines they are very nice. The hard cover protects all that’s inside. The elastic band holds it all together and the paper makes it a joy to write on. So, down to the nitty gritty, how do i use it?

Firstly, i turned my moleskine into a week to a page calendar. This gives ample room for appointments and hard landscape stuff. I don’t put times in the calendar because i don’t have that many appointments. I try to keep it flexible. I also use the moleskine as a kind of tickler. If i know something is due or i have to do something for a particular day or week, i write it on a post it note and stick it in the appropriate day or week. For instance, all my end of month accounting is due at the end of every month, things like reconciling petty cash and my fringe benefits account. So i put it on a post it note and put it in the end of every month. That way when i’m doing my weekly review, i see that that is something that needs to be put on my next action lists for that week.

The only thing i thought i would change about the calendar next time was that i would draw up a monthly calendar at the start of every month.

After the calendar i have a few lists, purchases wish list – things i want to buy; bookwishlist – books i want to buy; and books i’ve read this year.

Next my project cahier.  I went and bought a grid cahier.  It slips into the front of my diy planner.  The first twenty pages or so i reserve for the inbox.  I simply rule a line write the date and start writing actions.  If i’m in a meeting i’ll rule another line and write the meeting name and start writing information like that.

After the inbox pages i have room for projects.  The first double page is my projects master list.  I write down the page numbers down the left side of the page and then the name of the project next to them.  I only number the pages after the master project list.  So even though i am 20 pages into the book the page numbers start with 1, 2, 3, etc.

The project pages are simple…

On the left hand side i leave one-two boxes for my next action column.  When i transfer an action to a next action list i cross this box so i know what actions have been transferred.  Next to the box i write the action and on the right hand side i leave about four columns for context and due date (although i’ve hardly been using due dates lately).

I don’t rule the pages except at the top after the project name.  I just let the grid guide me.

At the back of the cahier i have my someday maybe lists.  Just a list of random thoughts and ideas – no particular format.

The only other thing in my system is my daily card which i have now turned into a booklet with my four working days inside plus a weekly review list on the front cover and a recurring tasks lisk on the back cover.  This is my main next action lists and what i use when i am actually DOING the work.  I found just using the cards hard, because i had to keep looking at my projects each day to refresh the next action list.  Whereas with a weeks worth when i’m doing my weekly review i can populate each day of the week with actions and not have to look at my project lists until the weekly review.

As i said in my previous post i have uploaded photos of all of this onto my flickr account and the link is in the previous post.  So feel free to have a look at the photo’s and post any comments either on flickr or on the blog!

Sorry for the long email, it’s really not that complicated a system.

Evielyn

~ by evielync on January 31, 2008.