{"id":145376,"date":"2022-10-27T12:31:13","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T12:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.next-action.co.uk\/?p=145376"},"modified":"2022-10-27T12:31:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T12:31:15","slug":"working-from-home-a-new-tool-or-new-approach-needed-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.next-action.co.uk\/2022\/10\/27\/working-from-home-a-new-tool-or-new-approach-needed-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Working From Home : A new tool or new approach needed ? PART I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020, the pandemic strikes. The stressful health environment, a second child on its way and my job at a financial services company called for a firm grip on my productivity. Already in March 2020 we’d been called to work from home and before chopping down any further tree, I thought wise to “sharpen my axe” (as someone wiser than me once said) which meant setting up my new Home Office: one or two screens? An electric adjustable desk? A computer or would a laptop, do it? Perhaps a Tablet as well? Should I stay on windows or move back to iOS? Move to Omnifocus on Mac or stay on Outlook for PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2015, I had just received the letter confirming my acceptance to learn the lost arts and crafts of bespoke shoemaking in Paris. A dream came true and off I moved from Germany to Paris and went on a shopping spree for the right clothes, the right hammer, nail punch, awl, lasting pliers and most importantly: The right shoemakers’ knife!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why am I telling you about these two situations? Because while one situation was a challenge and the other an opportunity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a) In both cases I was in an unknown territory and felt less in control than I used to<\/p>\n\n\n\n

b) In both cases I eased the discomfort by focusing on what I could immediately control: The Tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming back to the pandemic and my new set up, I had dipped in and out of Getting Things Done\u00ae  for more than 8 years. I knew it worked when applied, but until that point, I had used it as a device for emergency stress relief when everything was blowing up. I called a friend, mentor, and as it happens, GTD expert and what he probably had told me about 350 times before, finally sank in: “The approach works when you work it. Have you worked it?” I probably needed a bit of desperation with my own trial and error to finally get there, but that was the point I sat down and focused on understanding one thing only: The approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I picked up the book and sat down for two days having made one decision: Apply the approach by respecting 100% the principles laid out in David Allen’s book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For each step of the Getting Things Done methodology I have designed questions that synthesized the best practices and principles I ask myself (to this day) on a weekly basis to check whether I am working it or not. Here they are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAPTURE<\/strong> everything outside of your head, because your mind is made for having thoughts not reminding you of them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you captured on the go easily? Have you captured seemingly unimportant stuff? Can you capture as much when you’re in your kitchen\/bathroom\/out and about as when you’re in your office?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLARIFY<\/strong> the meaning, what you’re going to do with it, if anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you taken time (45-90min?) to bring your inboxes to zero every 24 to 48 hours? (WhatsApp, Teams, Email, Physical in-tray) using the clarifying questions or have you spent most of the time checking and scanning for something that blows up?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you feel drawn to the actions you have identified because they are so clear and doable, or do you feel repelled by them?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ORGANIZE<\/strong> reminders in appropriate places<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you clustered your reminders according to people, places, or tool you need for actually doing the actions?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you being reminded of what you need and what to do when you can do something about them or randomly?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

REVIEW<\/strong> on a regular basis your system so that it stays current<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do the commitments you have in your system match the current state of your commitment towards yourself and\/or others?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you renegotiate when things are outdated?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ENGAGE<\/strong> with the world<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Did you ask yourself: “What’s next?” or did you look inside your system?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Did you use weird times you did not plan to review your lists and found something you could do in a 6-minute window you would never have done without the lists?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you consciously choose something to do according to Context, Time, and Resources?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These questions remind me weekly that the method is very simple but not easy and that without a bullet proof approach the system is secondary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does that mean the tools don\u2019t matter? No. Once you do have a bullet proof system, then the system and tools you use become essential and a key driver of your performance. Make sure you hone in on the approach and I’ll tell you all about the tools next time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2020, the pandemic strikes. The stressful health environment, a second child on its way and my job at a financial services company called for a firm grip on my productivity. Already in March 2020 we’d been called to work from home and before chopping down any further tree, I thought wise to “sharpen my axe” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":493,"featured_media":145377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_eb_attr":"","gtp_columnspro_styling":"{}","gtp_paragraph_styling":"{\"0349b0be-9901-42c6-aec3-c58563be4b20\":\" .gp-gutenbergpro-0349b { background-position-x: 50%;\\nbackground-position-y: 50%;\\nbackground-size: cover;\\nheight: px; }\",\"0f83c85a-7857-4ca3-9107-22fb321f5f8d\":\" .gp-gutenbergpro-0f83c { background-position-x: 50%;\\nbackground-position-y: 50%;\\nbackground-size: cover;\\nheight: px; }\",\"b0e85601-4697-41ec-b302-8b5da7a96f3c\":\" .gp-gutenbergpro-b0e85 { background-position-x: 50%;\\nbackground-position-y: 50%;\\nbackground-size: cover;\\nheight: px; }\",\"33b10e40-2b17-4768-b26a-689787272b1c\":\" .gp-gutenbergpro-33b10 { background-position-x: 50%;\\nbackground-position-y: 50%;\\nbackground-size: cover;\\nheight: px; 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