# Ep 348: Review the Review  ## Episode metadata - Episode title: Ep 348: Review the Review - Show: Getting Things Done - Owner / Host: GTD® - Episode publish date: 2026-02-04 - Episode AI description: A step-by-step walk through the Weekly Review checklist and how each part fits together. Practical tips for gathering digital and physical inboxes without getting bogged down. Strategies for keeping next-action and projects lists sharp and actionable. Guidance on calendar review, managing waiting-for items, and using checklists to free up creative space. - Duration: 58:38 - Episode URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/episode/4b1d195e-bdd0-4008-8484-c5f2b5264fa5) - Show URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/show/12e59f12-ee70-49f6-b3f4-da6ed8fdb1bf) - Export date: 2026-02-17T23:25:34 ## Snips ### [Get Your Ins To Zero First](https://share.snipd.com/snip/3b7881b5-dbe7-46a1-8d21-79f6387596fa) 🎧 02:58 - 05:22 (02:24) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/ae467abc-fd1f-41cf-a7bc-801129e01dd7" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - If your inboxes and physical surfaces aren't cleared, do a quick gather into your in-tray before the review. - Schedule time to get your ins to zero regularly so the weekly review stays under control. #### 💬 Quote > The reason people say they don't either get to a review or complete a review ... it's because they have not consistently been getting their ins to zero. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on why clearing inboxes enables a manageable weekly review #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** So if we look at the, you know, the, let's say the first component of the review, which is known as Get Clear. There are three steps outlined in this checklist. Are there more steps? Potentially, yes. Could there be less than three? Probably not. Typically, when we put out materials for you on getting things done, we always do the baseline at a minimum. And then there's always more because it can be customized. You will eventually adapt it to your, to your truth, to your reality in that moment, because your reality can also change. You know, one week you may be more out of control compared to another week. Your life could have changed. You are now on vacation instead of at the peak of your, you know, most busy season at work. You could have changed jobs. Things could have changed in your personal life. So not necessarily every review is the same review. And we need to know that because that's just the nature of life, right? Not every week is the same week. So with Get Clear, I always like to remind folks that the way I see it, it's more of a step that is thought of as a just in case. Just in case I didn't get time to tidy up my physical space, then here's my reminder of collecting my newspapers and materials. Just in case didn't get my A to zero on a regular basis, understood as anywhere between 24 to 48 hours based on our best practices on step two, clarify, then I'm going to take time now to get my A to zero. in case I forgot to write things down or it's not yet my standard to have nothing on my mind. --- ### [Empty Your Head To Improve Presence](https://share.snipd.com/snip/2a08c306-a2bf-4fef-877e-3f19f8eeff9b) 🎧 05:32 - 07:02 (01:30) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/a4faec01-d1f4-4177-8b3c-f6e79b3b61e3" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Doing a quick mind sweep before reviewing lists reduces unconscious mental distractions. - Putting thoughts into the in-tray frees attention to be present during the Get Current step. #### 💬 Quote > If you write down things that you kept in your mind ... that will eliminate that distraction. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on why emptying your head before the review improves focus #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** If you find yourself ready for the weekly review as in, I got nothing to tidy up, my ins are at zero, and my standard, my habit is to have nothing on my mind, you can jump straight in to get current. There's no reason to pause here and torment yourself and torture yourself and try to find something that there isn't. Generally **John Forrester:** in GTD, there's no reason to torment yourself about anything. Period. **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Exactly. **John Forrester:** If you ever ask David, did you design this so that I would torment myself? His answer will be no. **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Exactly. The **John Forrester:** other thing with the get clear is over many times of talking with people about their reviews and whether they make it a consistent habit, more often than any other reason, the reason people say they don't either get to a review or complete a review within a very reasonable time, say less than an hour and a half, it's because they have not consistently been getting their ins to zero, or they have a lot of loose materials around on their desk, a pile of stuff here that they haven't processed, or they have a bunch of things in their head that they haven't gotten out in a mind sweep. So the weekly review to me reveals in a way whether you have been practicing the good habits with GTD in general with getting your ins to zero regularly. --- ### [Hidden Flat-Surface Problem Areas](https://share.snipd.com/snip/3dabe429-0d33-400a-80a3-70a432655e8a) 🎧 10:57 - 12:34 (01:37) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/71eb6dda-43eb-4257-afe9-88ddb879f455" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Ana Maria points out hidden collection points like car consoles, wallets, and the first flat surface at home. - She advises gathering those items into the in-tray to feel immediate control. #### 💬 Quote > The first flat surface in your home when you walk in the door tends to collect things. > — John Forrester John Forrester on common places where physical inbox items accumulate #### 📚 Transcript **John Forrester:** Your car glove compartment, the side pockets in your car, the center console in your car, the visor, the dashboard of your car. So if you hop in your car and you sit there and you go, all right, where do I put things when I'm driving? It could be anything from trash to a receipt to all kinds of things there that are reminders of action you need to take. So that's a good place to look. Also your wallet, your handbag, your purse, your pack. The other place that shows up often is the first flat surface when you walk in the door. The first flat surface in your home when you walk in the door tends to collect things. **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Another option is not to have a flat surface. I don't. So there's no risk for collecting things. And as you can see here, it's only asking you to gather them and put them into the entry. That simple exercise already helps a feeling in control. Just putting things where they belong, because that's exactly what it is. Because all this stuff doesn't belong, scatter, or spread. It belongs in the in-tray. So if you only go as far as that, that in itself, it's already a huge win. Obviously, there's the next step, which is to get it out of your intray. But that can happen when you allocate time at some point in your day outside of the review to empty your paper intrays. All we're asking you during the review is just to gather it and put it where it belongs, in this case, the entry. --- ### [Start With Next Actions Lists](https://share.snipd.com/snip/a7872f47-e7f1-41d9-89d6-1e67c05801de) 🎧 18:07 - 22:59 (04:51) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/82698ea9-8806-41ce-8fd9-df831d457837" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Review your next actions lists early in the Get Current phase and mark completed items off. - Add any new triggered actions and ensure each action has a clear verb and complete reminder. #### 💬 Quote > Review your next actions list ... add whatever it is that as you are looking at your list, you're being triggered or prompted. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on reviewing next actions to capture triggered work #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** I think in the guided weekly reviews that John and I did some weeks ago. I did let people know that if you notice, our checklist is not numbered. The reason for not being numbered is because you don't necessarily have to follow this order. These are just line items that we know you need to get through to complete a weekly review. And again, these are 11 line items, but I've worked with people that after they've customized their weekly review, they end up with 15 line items, 17 line items, because there are other things that need to be added as part of your weekly review. So when you think, I'm going to go back to Get Clear, I apologize. When you think of Get Clear, there are three steps. Do you have to follow this order? Not necessarily. Do you have to do all three? Not necessarily. But when in doubt or while you're learning, yes, do all three. And if it helps to follow the order, so you don't have to even think about it, follow the order. But it's not designed to be that way as the only way it's the same with get current in get current we have six steps one two right do you have to follow the order not necessarily is there a logic to this order yes and i'm going to tell you why so we start with review next actions list so here are a lot of things to say about that. When you review your next actions list, obviously, there's kind of more than one purpose. One is to feel a greater sense of completion and that you did get things done and that you were productive. It's like re-energizing because one of the first things that it says there is complete off, mark off completed actions. Honestly, I find myself rarely doing that because the moment that I complete something, I mark it off. I don't give myself, it's like, I'm so happy to complete it off that I mark it, mark it off immediately. I don't wait until the weekly reviews. It's rare that I would do that, but maybe you're moving too fast, you forgot to do it, and this is a great time to do that. And **John Forrester:** most of us are so hungry to have any kind of a win or sense of accomplishment or completion that it's wonderful to be able to mark anything off. So most people we know, that I know, want to mark off what they've done as soon as they do it just because it recovers that kind of energy with a little bit of, it's a little dose of good for you. Way to go. You did great. I **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** agree. Then of course it has another purpose, right? And here it says review for reminders of further action steps to record. Well, that's very wordy for me. Basically, that saying or what you also need to do as you're looking at each one of your next actions lists, I'm assuming you have more than one that you've organized your system by context list. So you may have a calls list, a computer list, an office list, and anywhere, agendas for different people, etc., etc., etc. Or you may just have one. Either or it works the same. Not only want to mark off completed actions, but also add whatever it is that as you are looking at your list, you're being triggered or prompted. Because even though, because you may say, well, but didn't I just do empty your head before? And sure, I have already written it when I did empty your head. And why would I be doing it now? And you know, there's some very inquisitive minds in that way. Yes, but since we're not perfect, maybe you forgot to write it down and you're only now being triggered because it's the list that reminds you of that whatever that you forgot. So you're kind of using the form in this list, in this case, the list to generate the behavior. So don't don't be so black or white, right? Like I did it already here, why would I also have to somehow have another thought over here? Because it can happen. So as you're looking at your calls list and you're marking off completed actions, and for some reason a call comes to your mind, you can take this opportunity to add it onto your list. The point being is make sure each one of your next actions lists are complete, current, and consistent before you move on to the next list. So I start with my calls list. I have eight calls on my list. I don't have any call to mark off complete because I still need to do all those calls. Nothing else came to mind. I can move on to my next list. Or I have eight calls on my list. I did three, I forgot to mark off. It came down to five. --- ### [Focus Deeply On Projects](https://share.snipd.com/snip/2740e878-6004-49c9-aab1-b6bbe2e0dd55) 🎧 28:18 - 30:46 (02:27) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/78ac78e3-d1e5-4abc-8d61-82138a6f47d2" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Give your projects list careful, unhurried attention during the weekly review. - Confirm every project has at least one concrete next action identified. #### 💬 Quote > Your project list is the driver of your weekly review ... each and every one of my projects at least one next action identified. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on prioritizing project review and next actions #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Eventually, you're going to get to the projects list. And in a way, it's a bit of a shortcut to the review your projects list, because since you now know what's sitting on your next actions list, you're probably going to, you're more ready to actually confirm if the project has a next action on your system or not. So it has that logic to it. Once I know what my next actions are, when I look at my projects list, then it's going to be easier for me to say, okay, yeah, for this project, I do have a next action. I just saw it. It's on my calls list. Or yeah, for this project, have a next actions list. I just saw it's on my waiting for list. So you could probably move more speedy through your projects. However, there is no rushing when reviewing your projects list. If anything, slowing down when reviewing your project list is a much more advisable behavior. Don't ever rush your review. And don't ever rush reviewing your project list as part of your review. Because your project list, it's really the... Sorry, I'm taking a throat. I'm having a throat lozenge for my throat. Your project list is the driver of your weekly review. So if there's one list that you want to spend the most time and give the most attention of all lists, and that's a little bit unfair for me to say because you have to give attention to all your lists. But if you were, you know, cornering, asking me, which list should I give the most time and attention to? That's your projects list. So speeding the review doesn't equal to rushing the review. But that's kind of the logic of why you can start with next actions list. I, on the other hand, start with projects list. Because I find Johnny moved to natural planning model, the methodology guys. I, on the other hand, like to start with my projects list because I like to give my projects list the most attention, the most time. I like to be thorough. I like to think about them. I like to reflect. And it really doesn't take me all that much time to see on my system if there's a next action or not for that one project. --- ### [Use Calendar To Capture Commitments](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7b454170-063b-4357-b94a-b7a20fc364f4) 🎧 30:52 - 35:24 (04:32) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/9d2efe79-6d12-4fa4-be64-0b531913c25f" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Review the previous week on your calendar to clear unfinished commitments and reschedule as needed. - Then review upcoming calendar items to capture actions that prepare you for future events. #### 💬 Quote > Reviewing your previous calendar is ... to make sure that week ... doesn't have any residual behind. Reviewing upcoming captures actions to prepare for events. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on using past and upcoming calendar reviews to manage commitments #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Then we have the calendar. Obviously, previous and upcoming. It's kind of the same thing, just broken into two parts. Obviously, there's some logic there. Probably easier to first look at the previous because that may affect your upcoming instead of the other way around. Because maybe whatever you had scheduled to do or planned to do just didn't happen because things change for you. For real. I mean, whatever you put on your calendar, as you know, are the things that you're committed to doing on that specific day or on that specific day and time. So your calendar is for day-specific actions. So for anything that I committed on that day. For time specific actions, for anything that I committed on that day at that time. And for day specific information. So obviously information is not a commitment, it's just a good to know. You know, when someone in your office is on vacation, if there's, I don't know, the metro line is closed for repair, if someone's out of the office on, you know, because they're sick, earnings reports, just information that you want to have at your fingertips. But it could be that yesterday you had three meetings scheduled that needed to happen on that day at that time, but you were called, I don't know, from school, that your son, God forbid, fell down, and now you have to rush them to the ER because, you know, they twisted an elbow. So you couldn't attend to these meetings that happens um so in situations like that of course when you're doing your weekly review then you will identify um you know those those actions that didn't occur and either reschedule them renegotiate then move them to a future day email the person about it, whatever it is that you need to do. So that's what reviewing your previous calendar is all about. It's to make sure that that week that it's coming to an end doesn't have any residual behind. Everything was completed, everything was done or was reorganized or was renegotiated. **John Forrester:** Thank you. That was a terrific answer. For **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** the upcoming, the idea here is to actually, more so than anything, capture actions triggered. Sometimes what happens is if we're not looking far enough into the future, we might find ourselves on the day of the event, as in your loved one's birthday, and not having bought a birthday gift. And now you have to rush and run and get something, right? If, on the other hand, you're reviewing your upcoming calendar on a regular basis, then it may trigger actions to help you prepare and get ready for whatever that event is. It could be a birthday, it could be a presentation, it could be a meeting, it could be a doctor's appointment for which you need to gather a lot of information and documents or you need to do lab work, etc. So that's the whole point of looking at your upcoming calendar to help you be ready for whatever that either day-specific action or time-specific action. So whatever it's triggered as part of your review of your upcoming calendar, then you need to organize it appropriately or accordingly. And that could be because you put it on any one of your next actions lists, or that could be because you have to schedule some kind of appointment, you know, go to the lab to draw a lot, and that has to happen on Friday in the morning, you know, whatever organizing you need to do, or rearranging, or moving things around. Again, often can happen that reminders on your calendar are next actions to projects. So having completed the calendar review prepares you to the project review because when you get to your project, then you can, you're confident that there is an action that you just saw for next Friday, for example. --- ### [Maintain A Useful Waiting-For List](https://share.snipd.com/snip/969f45e4-dc83-4faf-b361-3a60d1b03112) 🎧 35:56 - 40:18 (04:22) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/4a4a9194-e85f-4380-9805-3e6915f0e112" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Keep your Waiting For list current by marking received items and following up briefly when needed. - Include who, since when, and what (and a real by-date if applicable) to make follow-ups efficient. #### 💬 Quote > For waiting for, it's a best practice to have the person's name or company ... the date of request ... and then what are you waiting on. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on structuring and updating the Waiting For list #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Okay, thank you. Waiting for. Same intelligence. There may be actions in waiting for that belong to projects. Again, if you got through reviewing your waiting for list, you're more ready to complete your project list review. What can I say about your waiting for list? I just want to say that obviously this is an opportunity to mark off whatever items were returned to you that you're no longer waiting on. That one I do find myself doing. I'm not that obsessive compulsive, even though I am, but I'm not that obsessive compulsive that when I get an answer to something that I have on my waiting for, I immediately go and clean it out from my for. I don't. It usually happens during my weekly review. I go, oh yeah, I did hear back from John on this. Oh yeah, answer me on that. Oh yeah, I got that from Catherine. Oh yeah, I got the books that I ordered, delivered, et cetera. So typically during my weekly review, my waiting for gets, updated as in marking up a bunch of completed items. The other thing that can happen as part of your waiting for list review is that you come across an item that you go, I wonder why I haven't gotten any answer on this. It's now been two weeks and it's about time I get an answer on it. So you may decide right there, right then, because it's a quick 30 seconds, you know, kind of action to either re-email, if it was on an email form, re-email the person and say, hey, what about this? What's the status? When would I hear from you? You know, whatever. Or leave a voicemail message or whatever the action is triggered. Again, short. I'm not saying that this is going to trigger now you standing up from your office, going to someone's office and investing an hour in a meeting. Because then that means that you have chosen to stop doing your review and you have chosen instead to do work as it appears. Because somehow this just appears in your face and you've chosen to invest that time. You change how you're using your time, which is okay as long as you're consciously aware. But that's not really the intention of your review and your waiting for list. It's more for checking off received items and for following up on whatever can be followed up quickly so that your waiting for list is current and up to date. And also for confirming, no different than with the next actions list, that it's a complete reminder. For waiting for, it's a best practice to have the person's name or company that you're waiting on, the date of request, in other words, since when you're waiting on this, and then what are you waiting on. So who, since when, and what. So that makes it very easy for you to then review your waiting for list and either leave it alone as it is, follow up because it's important, needed, required, timely, or check it off because it's been received. There are exceptions or exceptionally, I should say better. Some of your waiting for list items will also include a by date. In other words, by when I should be getting this. So I'm waiting, you know, on Bob since December 12th on XYZ. And then I have a due date as well, because he promised me that by December 31st, I will get that answer. So obviously, if I'm doing my review on December 22nd, I'm not going to do anything about this because there's still nine days left for Bob to do his job. So many times the due dates, if they're real, as in deadlines, as in an agreement made by the two of you, not as in your hopes, then make a note of it as part of your waiting for reminder. Because that in itself makes it, it helps you be more efficient when you reviewing your waiting for list because then those are items that you don't even have to kind of look at because they're not due yet. --- ### [Weekly Reviews Reduce Ambient Stress](https://share.snipd.com/snip/39a23873-4a30-455a-9e02-8f2969fa8970) 🎧 41:47 - 45:15 (03:27) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/ea46424d-4f1c-4554-95d0-b725e1ea62be" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Weekly project checks reduce ambient stress and prevent last-minute rushes. - Regular small progress beats sporadic peaks of activity across many projects. #### 💬 Quote > Checking your projects on a weekly basis ... reduces the ambient stress. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on how regular project reviews stabilize progress and stress #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** It's more like the confirmation of, oh, yes, these are the larger outcomes, we can use that term, right, that I've committed to, that are part of my job, that given my areas of focus and accountability, they are my job. I need to make sure I deliver on these outcomes. Projects, you don't do them. You have them because what you do are actions. So you have a projects list, which is understood to be as in your project inventory that helps you with having greater clarity around all these commitments that you've made that cannot be finished in one sitting and that they are part of your job. So your projects list definitely helps you with prioritizing because it gives you that bigger picture. The projects list also should have all those outcomes that you know that weekly you need to come back to, to reflect on, to think about, to kind of push the needle a little further in terms of progress. Because interesting enough, if we don't do this on a weekly basis, it's not that projects don't get too done. Projects do get too done. Everybody do get projects done. But often they're done at a very high price. You know, we wait until the very end and now we really need to put a lot of energy and effort and work that not necessarily you have to had you been regularly reviewing and progressing. So instead of having your projects um behave in peaks like you know and then i forget i forget and then imagine that multiply by 10 20 30 40 or 50 projects it's exhausting right it's better to be more stable and consistent in their progress and that's **John Forrester:** it reduces their overall stress level around those projects. And as Maria mentioned, that's part of how you can think about the review is what are the projects I want to see every week and monitor my progress on? **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Correct. So I think David calls says, you know, it reduces the ambient stress. Yes. Checking your projects on a weekly basis. And it does. And I know that there are projects that have higher priority. I know that there are projects that they progress much more. I know there are projects that move way faster, but that doesn't exclude the other projects. You know what I Like it's not mutually exclusive because I have these ones that are of a higher priority, then I ignore these ones. They all get reviewed. Some will get much more work and energy and time versus others, but they all at the very minimum, have a next action identified. That's a common denominator on all your projects. --- ### [Projects List for Prioritization](https://share.snipd.com/snip/cf5f6260-5cc5-4771-b071-b439e30baf17) 🎧 42:33 - 44:03 (01:29) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/a1244ee5-e39b-4616-beaa-635e2f2cb0ec" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - The projects list helps with prioritization because it gives you the bigger picture during your weekly review. - It should contain outcomes you need to reflect on weekly to make progress. - Without weekly review, projects still get done, but often at a high price, like waiting until the last minute. - Regular reviews lead to more stable and consistent project progress. - Consistent progress reduces stress associated with managing multiple projects. #### 💬 Quote > So your projects list definitely helps you with prioritizing because it gives you that bigger picture. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez describing the benefit of a project list. #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** So your projects list definitely helps you with prioritizing because it gives you that bigger picture. The projects list also should have all those outcomes that you know that weekly you need to come back to, to reflect on, to think about, to kind of push the needle a little further in terms of progress. Because interesting enough, if we don't do this on a weekly basis, it's not that projects don't get too done. Projects do get too done. Everybody do get projects done. But often they're done at a very high price. You know, we wait until the very end and now we really need to put a lot of energy and effort and work that not necessarily you have to had you been regularly reviewing and progressing. So instead of having your projects um behave in peaks like you know and then i forget i forget and then imagine that multiply by 10 20 30 40 or 50 projects it's exhausting right it's better to be more stable and consistent in their progress and that's --- ### [Name Projects With A Clear 'Done' Verb](https://share.snipd.com/snip/80fdd8f4-2559-4a00-8640-a8be37abbfc9) 🎧 47:19 - 51:55 (04:35) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/f247286e-9063-4781-9d51-a3b848146039" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Use concise project titles that include a verb defining 'done' so completion is clear. - If a project needs planning, record that planning as the next action rather than doing full planning during the review. #### 💬 Quote > Make sure each one of your projects has a verb that describes, defines completion. When are you done? > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on titling projects to clarify completion and limit review work #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Exactly. Also, another and when you're reviewing your project list, it's similar to your next action list. Make sure each one of your projects has a verb that describes, defines completion. When are you done? So whenever you title your projects, make sure you title them with the understanding of I'm done when. you know, created the presentation, I've delivered the training, I've bought the house, I've sold the car, I've merged the company, you know, I've organized the party, whatever the right verb is that defines when you're done. That's the verb, you want to make sure it's included in your project title. Some people like to start their projects with the verb. Some people like to end the project with the verb. Either or, it doesn't matter. I've even seen some people with the project somewhere, with the verb somewhere in the middle of the project title. As long as there's a verb that defines completion and when you're done, we're good. Why one versus the other? Because some people like to have their projects in alphabetical order. So putting the project at the end, the project verb, I'm sorry, at the end, it's very helpful if you want to see your project in alphabetical order. Otherwise, it would organize your project in alphabetical order, but by the verb. So you may have a lot of complete, complete, complete, organize, organize, organize, et cetera, right? So pick your battles. I have them all over the place. Honestly, I have some projects that start with the verb. I have some projects that end with the verb. I have some projects that have the verb in the middle. I have some projects in Spanish. I some projects in English. It doesn't matter. When I'm doing my review, I'm giving myself the time to look at each and every one of my projects thoroughly. And however my brain was thinking in that moment is how I capture my project. What I do have is a complete reminder of my project title or a complete reminder of my commitment for this multi-step outcome. Yeah. So make a complete reminder of what your project statement is, of what your project, you know, what's your desired outcome? When are you done? Those kinds of questions are very helpful. You don't necessarily have to get into writing a vision statement because we're not asking you to do that. Just a title, a one-liner. It's all you need. Yeah. **John Forrester:** Go ahead, John. And as far as where to put the verb in the title, it can go either way. There's a GTD practitioner who breeds a special kind of sheep. So for her, she said the project could be called shear the sheep or sheep sheared. So it could be phrased either as past tense or current. Either one works, but there's a verb in there to say what needs to happen, what will be happening there for that project to be completed. And she has many, many sheep. So shearing sheep is a big project with next actions to it. But either way, you can have it sheared or sheer. Either way, there's going to be a verb in there. And **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** if we want to get picky, and we don't have the time for that, you can always revisit chapter 13 on the power of outcome focusing from the book because there might be more power let's say to maybe writing it in the past tense because it's affirming what you want or affirmed what you want so how sold in terms of how the brain works and visioning works but could could provide more benefits for you i'm not saying it's it's right or wrong either way but if you want to practice with that and you want to kind of look at more details on it you can revisit chapter 13 on the book um during the weekly review should i be doing project planning not really because you're going to run out of time so if you if you as in you know should i spend 10 minutes getting through a natural planning model on this project well if time allows and you can i'm not saying no it's not heresy but don't we're not saying yes because you may run out of time as in you're required, right? But if you've identified that this project can use better planning, as in the natural planning model, then you just identify that as the next action to that project. --- ### [Use Checklists And Give Creativity Space](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7d0fda6f-38bd-4027-90f5-2a3215b0c7c0) 🎧 52:26 - 57:23 (04:56) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/b88920c6-f4c4-4a60-8839-0231eb49d47b" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Keep and evolve checklists for recurring or seasonal needs and update them when you forget items. - Use the Get Creative step to scan Someday/Maybe items but don't force creativity; let ideas surface naturally. #### 💬 Quote > Best way to create your checklist is give it your best shot ... and then add it on your checklist. Don't force it. Let it be natural. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on building checklists and allowing creative ideas in the review #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** So with checklists, this is the world to be discovered. Honestly, you can have anywhere from one checklist at the very least, your weekly review checklist, to 100 checklists. It's going be very different to everyone. You will have probably checklists that are, you know, of those things that come up seasonally that only get to be reviewed, you know, when the time is right, let's say, or you may have checklists for things that need to be reviewed on some regular interval, you know, like end of quarter or weekly review, or I travel, here's my checklist kind of thing. So there's a whole world to be discovered when it comes to checklists. So if you're doing your weekly review and you're not, you know, packing your suitcase and you have a travel checklist, there's no reason to review the travel obviously, because you're not packing. But when you're doing your weekly review and you have a weekly review checklist, then yes, follow your weekly review checklist. So it depends on what checklist you have. Very useful. Again, a world to be discovered. Very important component and aspect of your GTD system. Best way to create your checklist is give it your best shot when you first create them. And then when you realize that you forgot an item that needed to go on your checklist, giving feedback, then add it on your checklist. You know, you forgot to put global adapters on your travel checklist. And now you happen to be in Spain and you don't have a way to power. Oh, adapters. And you add that onto your checklist. So that's one way to keep on working on your checklists. And then with get creative, this is the last component of the review. This is something that I have found myself that sort of more naturally occurs. It's a bit of a byproduct of the work that we just completed from getting current because and getting clear because now I've created room in my head right I've created room in my space in my ecosystem whether that's physical digital or mental or all three so naturally going to come up with ideas. That's just the human nature. You know, getting things done, it's not really about getting things done, as you know. It's about appropriate engagement. So not just because you have a list and you get things done off your list, then that doesn't mean, that means that you're never going to have a list. I'm sure you're going to have a list and a bigger list and a great list and, you know, and a more colorful list because it's just human nature. So as part of this review, we asked you to check out your someday maybe list. It's a very powerful list. To me, it's the close cousin to your projects list. Your someday maybe list is a great list to put in there all these other outcomes that you're not committed to taking action yet, but that you may in the future. So many projects that are not yet projects as in having a next action identified, they can be parked under something maybe list. Thoughts, ideas, dreams, visions, aspirations. You know, when I retire, when I win the lottery, if I happen to travel to Hong Kong, all kinds of things can go into someday maybe list. it's another world to explore. You can break down your someday maybe list by categories. You can have someday maybe list broken down in terms of time frame because you might find yourself a little overwhelmed. If you have a thousand items in your someday maybe list, a little overwhelmed looking at a thousand items weekly, and it may not be appropriate. So you may have a weekly someday maybe list, monthly someday maybe list, quarterly someday maybe list, by yearly, yearly. In other words, you kind of give yourself at different time frames those thoughts and ideas that you wrote into your someday maybe list. Again, same intelligence, the more complete you put the reminder in your someday maybe list, the easier, the better probably for you to action on. Otherwise, it's going to be confusing and difficult for your mind to be reminded of whatever that thought was when you had it. And be creative and courageous. I think it's a byproduct. I don't necessarily think that somehow now I'm going to become creative and courageous and I'm going to come up with this crazy idea that otherwise I didn't. It just happens. So don't force it. Let it be natural. I say pause, of course, give yourself some time to see if anything surfaces, **John Forrester:** but **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** don't force it. And **John Forrester:** doing the steps and the review leading up to be creative and courageous gives you so much room, so much space in your psyche for being creative. --- Created with [Snipd](https://www.snipd.com) | Highlight & Take Notes from Podcasts