This will be 30 mins. Get a blank pad or doc ready to capture.
Guidelines: this is only capture–not process or organize. Don’t analyze or organize what you write.
The primary ques. you are asking yourself is: What do you have ATTENTION on?
Start capturing now. What do you have attention on.
Any upcoming meetings you have attention on? Projects?
Anything you have attention on w/your spouse, partner, kids, family?
Don’t worry about figuring out WHAT you’re going to do about it. Just capture enough so you’ll know what it is when u do process it later.
Any health appts. you’ve been putting off? Annual checkups? Things to check because you’ve reached a certain age 🙂
If something is already on tasks or projects, write it anyway on your mindsweep. You probably still have your attention on it.
Anything w/your gear, equipment, repairs, computer you have attention on?
Now look around your office space or wherever you are. What’s not EXACTLY the way you want it.
Don’t resist capturing on mindsweep because you’re afraid about your workload. You can always park on someday. Or change your standard…
What about your inbox? Sent email box? Scan those to see where your attention has been going.
Anything lurking in email folders you have your attention on? Things you’ve chucked into folders when u were sure you’d see it again?
I recommend scanning folders–like sent–because sometimes it will trigger something else. The…”oh that reminds me…” kind of things.
How about meetings you’ve had? Any of you have a graveyard of old meeting notebooks you need to go thru?
Now pop over to your calendar. Scan back a few weeks. Then forward a few weeks. Capture as much as you can.
Sometimes I’ll just write a few key words on the mindsweep, like “Boston event” and move on. Just enuf to capture.
Halloween? Thanksgiving? Christmas? Birthdays coming up?
Gifts to buy? Thank you cards/notes you owe people?
Scan in your mind thru your house room by room (or even walk around if u are there). What do u have attention on?
home repairs? how about longer-term stuff w/your house? family? career?
If you look back on your lists and see that most of the things r also on your lists, is what’s on your list really the NEXT action?
Things will crawl back into your head if your brain doesn’t trust your system is doing a better job #gtd
OK folks..coming to the end here. I recommend keep going until you feel done.
You’ve only just collected. Now the fun begins w/Process & Organize. Ch. 5-8 of the GTD book are fabulous resource.
So is the new Workflow Map & DVD (altho it was so popular it sold out right away, but will be back in stock soon: http://bit.ly/CGCBr
The GTD mindsweep trigger lists are on pages 114-117 of the GTD book. Clear your head as often as you can.
I don’t think I’ve ever looked back after a GTD mindsweep and said, “Damn, I wish I didn’t do that.” It’s always valuable to me.
Hope this was valuable. You can also follow me @GTDCoachKelly if I didnt answer your ques. Cheers. Enjoy your clear head.