Ep. #365: Slice of GTD Life With Sara Parrott  🔗 **Source:** [Ep. #365: Slice of GTD Life With Sara Parrott](https://share.snipd.com/episode/2e1d6600-8c3d-4a1f-82c0-e49367c738a2) ## Highlights - **Rapid GTD Turnaround During Promotion And Pregnancy** - Sara implemented GTD during a stressful promotion and pregnancy to move from reactive work to conscious planning. - She read David Allen's book five times, reprocessed inputs for several days, and completed setup by the end of July. Transcript: Sara Parrott And with that, as many people I think who get promotions find, it was suddenly a very new job. I knew how to do my old job, and I did it really well. I know how to process immigration documents. I how to have a conversation with a student. You know, I can, I can talk about culture. I can talk about American culture. I can do all of that. What I now was doing though, in my eight, you know, eight hours a day was not that, you know, I was managing the people that do that. But really what I was doing was looking at spreadsheets and trying to tell stories with data, trying to manage a budget, coaching the people on my team who were doing the work that I used To do. And so with that, just exponentially multiplied the items to do. And so then thinking of it as, you know, the to do list that was just pages and pages, and realizing that was not sustainable. And I wasn't able to leave it at work the same way that I had previously. And, um, and so, you know, again, as a mom, I, I wanted to be able to be at home when I was at home, be at work when I was at work. And of course, you know, not that I don't think about my kids while I'm at work or, or think about work while I'm at home. But I wanted to be able to box that off of my brain a little bit in order to have that transition from home life to work life. And then I was expecting my second child, which as in a place of leadership, ([Time 0:03:58](https://share.snipd.com/snip/c8ba5799-9675-4143-a800-4c6eb0d8e2c2)) - **Seamless Maternity Leave Handoff With Project Lists** - Sara used her GTD project and waiting lists to hand her entire job to an associate director for maternity leave. - She returned after roughly 12 weeks and was caught up within a week because her teammate returned a well-annotated project list. Transcript: Sara Parrott And that's why I had written in to you because I actually was listening to a podcast episode and Anna Maria was going over, I think it was about projects, project lists. And at one point, she's describing, you know, or maybe a question was, how detailed do you need to be? What, what needs to be on there? And she said something like, well, you should be able to give your job to someone else, and they should be able to do your job and uh or give your list to someone else and they should be able To do your job and then she said not like you'd ever do that but you should be able to and I thought well I did do that yeah that's kind of what you're doing if you're going on maternity leave Exactly so um and that is that is how I set up my maternity leave I have an associate director And several weeks before the due date, I made sure that my project list was something that made Sense to her. And I passed it off. I passed off my project list to her and my waiting list. Um and then I just knew that the things that I was responsible for would either move forward if they could or um I would I would know where to pick it back up you know when I returned and so Yeah when I when I got back in February I had my baby in November and then I was out until February. I came back and Monday I met with her and she gave me back the project list with the notes. As a manager now, I strongly encourage my reports to at least keep a project list so we can use that as our check-in point. And really, by the end of the first week, I was caught up. ([Time 0:12:22](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4a55af1f-6afb-49c5-aa5c-b72fd561cd62)) - **Process Email Into Projects Not A 1700 Item To Do List** - Process every incoming email into your GTD system instead of trying to act on all messages; file, add to projects, or capture next actions. - Sara processed ~1,700 emails after leave to zero by organizing them into projects, reference, agendas, and next actions. Transcript: Sara Parrott Inbox. You know, of course, just exploded while I was out right and um and I thought about okay I had an out of office reply um and I thought about okay everyone knew you know that I that I was on I'm Just going to come in and just delete right like I'll just start over from here and move move But then I thought, well, let me just try to get context from things and just kind of read them Through. And I got started on Monday or Tuesday going through my email. And I realized that because I had such a well-organized GTD system where I had all my projects, had my reference material. I was able to go back through over 1700 emails. By the end of the first week, I was down to zero and I had it all filed and sorted and, you know, um, added to lists of check on this or ask about that or, you know, adding, adding things to agendas. And so again, like I didn't, I didn't do the work of all 1700 emails, but I had processed them. ([Time 0:15:31](https://share.snipd.com/snip/9d504800-2afd-44dd-8634-dbffb58e7a01)) - **Contexts Should Match Real Life Activities** - Contexts can include real-life activities like nursing to capture micro-tasking opportunities. - Sara created a 'while nursing' context to process and act on items she could do one-handed from her phone. Transcript: Sara Parrott That I now have. In the GTD system, you have unique context. And so I have a context for while nursing. Because, of course, I do spend a lot of time gazing into his beautiful eyes. Okay. I will make sure I say that. But then there's also just a lot of time where I'm sitting there feeding a baby. And so having that context and as I'm thinking through my next actions, I think, is this something I can do with one hand on my phone while I feed my baby? I've heard of some interesting contexts over ([Time 0:18:28](https://share.snipd.com/snip/cda8d2ce-c2ab-4d76-a8c9-6ec5dddb41c0)) - **Use Energy And Time To Refine Contexts** - Combine context with energy and time available to make next-action choices more realistic. - Sara separates 'computer high energy' vs 'computer low energy' and also filters tasks by five-minute versus two-hour gaps. Transcript: Sara Parrott And to kind of infuse, for me, I infuse energy level into my context. So it's at computer, high energy. Okay. Let's work on the budget. Let's, you know, let's do these kinds of harder things if I'm feeling ready for it, but I'm at my computer, low energy. I'm going to schedule some things, right? Like just kind of easier menial tasks. And so, so yeah, I think, I think that's an area where I've done just a lot of tweaking as I'm sure. Well, good for you. John Forrester Cause yeah, the original context of at computer that we're, most of us are at some form of a computer so much now that that makes sense to subdivide that into something that's more useful Than just at computer, but more specifically about other things. What files do I have available? Or how fast is my internet connection? Or how big is my screen? Things like that. Yeah. Sara Parrott Yeah. And for me, like how much time do I have too? It goes into that. ([Time 0:20:07](https://share.snipd.com/snip/aa1766e0-fa7f-480f-b432-d7f4cc3df6e3)) - **Pick Tools That Match Your Brain Not The Hottest App** - Choose tools that match how your brain organizes information rather than forcing complex project apps. - Sara switched from Trello to paper to OneNote because OneNote felt like a written system yet accessible across devices. Transcript: Sara Parrott Yeah. Right now, I'm using OneNote. And I think that... One of the reasons for my false start so long ago was I think I was trying to make it too techie, too technical. And for me, I am a really tech driven person. I, you know, I'm not scared of technology. I want to find more efficient ways of doing things. But I noticed that when I use something like Trello or projects in the Microsoft world, it just felt to me too cluttered. And it became harder for me to manage. And again, it could have been the season of life I was in, the type of job I was doing. I think one reason that it stuck better this time around was, oh, and let me pause there. So I went from Trello and then I thought, well, no, I just need to do paper. So then I tried paper. But I feel like OneNote for me is that middle ground between it is a technology, so it's available on my computer on my phone at home or in the office where a notebook isn't going to be necessarily Unless you're just really always taking it with you but it felt enough like a written system that it just felt like a more natural organization for my brain to really comprehend what Was going on. Right. I will say I do think that I'll be switching to loop soon. And I just haven't I haven't had the time or made the time to really do that switch. But I've been looking at the features. And it's very much like OneNote, only it does some of the things that I wish OneNote did. Like you can tag more easily. It's, it's more collaborative. You can, um, um, you know, make, make notes in different ways that you're, you're kind of limited on OneNote. So that's what that looks like. For me in my OneNote, the side of it, there are technical terms that are escaping me, but that acts as my project list because like the name of each of my projects then comes to the side on That. And then on that page, I have the outcome and the next action. But in order to just look at any, look at my list, I just see that list on the side. And then I have another page at the top for the next action. And each of those, again, are separated by context. ([Time 0:21:42](https://share.snipd.com/snip/eb42e374-9439-4385-a832-bc661ec6618a)) - **Name Projects Noun First To See Outcomes Faster** - Name projects with the noun first and the verb last to make outcomes obvious at a glance. - Sara uses formats like 'GTD interview, do' so the project topic appears immediately in lists. Transcript: Sara Parrott And end with the verb. Aha. John Forrester Okay. Yep. Sara Parrott So that it is easier to find and they feel more just more naturally named. Well, and again, it's not really naturally named because i would speak with the verb first so for example you know um do the gtd interview or whatever right yeah but instead i have gtd Interview comma do so i just like i say that i say the thing and then i comma and then do have the verb on that and that's right that's a switch i've made in the last two weeks and has really Helped me to just feel like i know what those projects are at a glance a lot better. John Forrester Oh, interesting. Because I was right before I got on with you this morning, well, afternoon for you, morning for me for another two minutes. I was reading something that a GTD coach in another country just wrote up about how to name projects that way. And she had a great way of explaining why arranging it the way you just described has a very subtle psychological pull for us toward completion. So we'll get that posted on GTD Connect in the next day or two, but I think you're really onto something there. Yeah. Sara Parrott Yeah. Well, I hadn't heard that, but I would agree with just the way it makes me feel as I interact with it. John Forrester Yeah. For me, the project name is something like Sarah Parrott interview posted. I have the noun in front and then it ends with what's the outcome? Well, I want to make sure that the interview gets posted. So in order to do that, I have to schedule it, record it, get the recording to an editor, get the audio and video kind of synced up if it needs to be, stuff like that. And then write up a description and then tell you a lot of things go into that, but just the few words tells me what the outcome is. Sara Parrott I really appreciate that. And I'm going to take that back to my list because the, it does make it more outcome driven. So I like that. ([Time 0:24:58](https://share.snipd.com/snip/60fe6efb-a62d-46f7-bc48-4488030d3320)) - **Turn Ideas Into Owned Projects During Staff Meetings** - Use GTD language in team meetings to convert ideas into owned projects with outcomes and next actions. - Sara asks who owns a project, what the outcome is, and what the next action during staff meetings and one-on-ones. Transcript: Sara Parrott And, and an area where I'd love more coaching or, you know, I think that I'm not doing it to the fullest, you know, but it's always a process. So I think for one, it's for me using the language. So I talk about projects, like who's going to own this project? You know, as we, I think in higher ed, we're really good at ideating. Great ideas. And we can have a staff meeting where just so many great ideas are bounced around. And so this has helped me to then say, okay, great. What is the outcome we're looking at? Who's going to own this project? And what's the next action? And so in staff meetings, I've been using that language. I also, you know, since I'm the director, I get to talk and my ideas get to be heard at least. And so I have just talked a lot about GTD. And, you know, I've done a few tutorials with the group as a team and then individually where people have asked, you know, what does this look like for you? Because I did, I did challenge, maybe this was back in August, September. I challenged everyone, you know, think through what are your projects, what's on your mind and define the outcome and give a next action and so I just challenged and and left it more like That you know as this is something I'd like for you to do and so then I just talked more about it and and I had some questions that people asked you what does this look like for you and um and So a lot of that has just been happening in that respect. However, recently, well, say it was before I went on leave, I did tell my, I have four direct reports and then I have, and then they supervise others. So we got some strata there. So for my direct report, I did ask, okay, I want to see a project list. And so that when I get back from leave, I can look at your project list. And for some, you know, I have one person on the team that really jumped in to it and sent me a link to it. And we go over the project list for her one on one each time. And, and that has become a really useful communication tool for us. And then for others, it's been, okay, it looks like your project list hasn't been updated in a while, you know, where are you on this? And so then we kind of go through it together. ([Time 0:28:32](https://share.snipd.com/snip/d1dbc7b1-529c-47d2-8312-92c057574c02)) - **Accept Multiple GTD Styles As Long As Needs Are Met** - Expect different team members to adopt GTD in their own language and style as long as it meets managerial needs. - Sara reviews project lists in one-on-ones, accepts variations, and focuses on fulfilment of communication needs. Transcript: Sara Parrott And, and yet for another, it's, they told me, you know, this, this doesn't speak to me. Like, I just don't, you know, I, I don't resonate with this. But then when we talked about it, they actually were doing it just in their own way with their own language to it. And I said, that's, that's the, that's what I'm talking about. It's the thing that you're doing. And so, so I think just being able to, to know what I need as a manager and, and always feel ready to ask for what I need, but then also to submit to their own process, like it could look different And it could be something that just works for them. As long as it works for them and it meets my need, then we're going to be fine. And here I'll say for those who know Marshall Rosenberg, I love the nonviolent communication concept. And so you might hear that that's very nonviolent communication terminology, but just there are multiple strategies. As long as everyone's needs are getting met along the way, it can look different. ([Time 0:31:16](https://share.snipd.com/snip/1bffd0f1-dc8d-47d1-b267-102943771d12))