An Online Guide to Running Your Life With a (Fairly) Simple, Yet Powerful, Web-based Spreadsheet
I’ve been a fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done for years now. It changed the way I approach not only work, but life. Breaking things down into projects, next actions, or reference — and separating things into what I’m committed to doing now or what I am okay with doing later has been key in getting to where I am today.
But I always struggled with how to implement it from a software standpoint. You see, a piece of software is a tool. And as most developers can tell you, if you don’t love the application that you use to do X in, your chances of staying engaged in the process of getting X done go down significantly. In that sense, the right tool (or here, the right application) can make all the difference.
I tried numerous apps as the tool for running GTD in my life, and I always found something in their mechanics that kept me from really loving them. So I was less than engaged with my personal productivity system — which is a big problem.
I’ve been using spreadsheets for a while now at my day job, and gotten pretty handy with them. But it wasn’t until recently that I put together my love of and proficiency with spreadsheets and my love of GTD and personal productivity. The result is something that might just be powerful enough (because it’s simple enough) to run a GTD implementation cross-platform and in the cloud, with the fewest pitfalls.
For anyone who has struggled with implementing GTD in the various personal productivity apps, this might be the solution for you. I know it was for me. I now have a workflow and tool that I am confident in. For anyone trying to hone their productivity, you know that’s more than half the battle.
The workflow using my GTD Google Sheet
I have joined forces with the cool folks at Skillshare, and created a course on running GTD in Google Sheets. It comes complete with a powerful template that you can use to start running your own GTD system in Google Sheets today.
Just click this link to get started. It will allow you to try out Skillshare for 3 months for just $0.99 — which gives you access to all of their classes. I’ve already used Skillshare to take courses on things from learning coding, getting educated on blockchain technology, and time-blocking. That’s probably the best ROI on a dollar that I’ve ever gotten.
The course consists of 12 video lessons (with screencasts, template, and workflow document) that I crafted to give you the best crash course in both GTD methodology and running it effectively in a spreadsheet. Check it out, and let me know what you think ([email protected])!