The GTD® Virtual Study Group

If you're a MindManager geek, then buckle up! You're about to get a whirlwind tour of Gyronix's awesome software. Results Manager and Gyro-Q were designed to turbocharge your mindmaps, gathering info automatically to keep you completely up to date. Nik shows us the ropes and gives us the inside skinny on this dynamite software. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

How do you juggle keeping up with customers, prospects, and other people you want to stay in contact with? In this episode, the Virtual Study Group discusses tools and software like SalesForce.com and Outlook along with GTD principles and practices. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Author and Zen Habits blogger Leo Babauta joins the Virtual Study Group to talk about simplicity, mindfulness, productivity, writing, and much more. Take a listen here. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Think you can't do GTD on an iPhone or iPod Touch? Think again! In this episode, you'll hear about how to be productive on your iPhone or iPod Touch device as well as get recommendations on numerous "must-have" apps. Enjoy! A few important notes: There will be no call on Thurs, Dec 24. Merry Christmas! Our next call will be Jan 14 when we'll be joined by special guest, Leo Babauta, author of the popular blog ZenHabits.com and Zen to Done. Save the Date! the VSG will meet live and in person in San Diego, California on Saturday, Feb 6. Stay tuned for lots more details to come! Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Drawing from two terrific books (Immunity to Change and How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work), host Tara Rodden Robinson introduces a way to take on significant change in your life. The idea is to uncover your "big assumption"-the obstacle that's getting in the way of your improvement goal -- and dismantle it to free you to experience the change you want to see. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Snowed under with links, ideas, blogs, and lists? To give us a hand, Ellen Valentine generously offered to share she uses Evernote to get things done and stay organized. In this episode, you'll learn how she keeps all sorts of diverse materials at hand and under control. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this episode, you can hear a live demo of the astonishingly powerful productivity tool, Nozbe. Michael Sliwinski gives us a test drive, answers questions, and even gives us a special goodie at the end of the call. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

How do we set goals, reach higher, and make progress? In this episode, we talked about how to tackle continuous improvement and got some insight from SixSigma blackbelt, JC Mehner. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

How do you resolve a short-term hardship when going for a long-term goal? And what if you're not sure you'll succeed, even if you put forth your best for a long time? In this episode, the Virtual Study Group tackles the complex topics of plateaus, mastery, and more. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

We're turning two! The Virtual Study Group celebrates its second anniversary with a lively discussion about what makes the group work, our favorite past episodes, and lots of ideas and topics to consider for the coming year. Help yourself to a big slice of the virtual birthday cake and join the fun! Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

One of the key aspects of GTD is getting things out of your head. In this episode, you can learn more about how to use TheBrain's amazing prowess to do just that. Our guests were Harlan Hugh (CEO and Brain inventor) and Shelley Hayduk (Brain.com blogger). You can hear how to use tags to create contexts, thought types to categorize, link out to other files, and much more. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

By request, we revisit mindmapping this week. In this episode, hear host & facilitator Tara Rodden Robinson give a guided tour to how she uses mindmaps to organize projects, brainstorm, stay on track, and much more. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this episode, hear special guest, Ken Case, CEO of OmniGroup the makers of OmniFocus. (You can learn more about Ken here: http://www.omnigroup.com/company/people/>) Ken introduced us to all the features of OmniFocus and answered burning questions from our listeners. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this episode, you can hear how we use someday/maybe to manage aspirations and goals. Get insights into the nature of "not-doing" from Augusto, as well as harness GTD to learn from your mistakes. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

David Allen calls it "captain and commander," a state of perspective and control nirvana that allows you to have mind like water. But how do you get there? In this episode, we talk about capture, weekly review, and the other GTD skills that are needed to get you in the upper-right quadrant. We also had a surprise special guest, Renzo Borgatti, who gave us the low-down on the Pomodoro Technique as a means of gaining greater control over distraction and increasing focus. Lots of links were mentioned: The Pomodoro Technique (with links to the eBook, cheat sheet, and much more here) Renzo's Mac only Pomodoro timer Another handy Mac only timer (that ticks) Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Once wasn't enough! In this episode, we take on overload and overwhelm in a smackdown rematch. New perspectives on how overload can focus your efforts, dealing with crises, and keeping up when sheep happen (you gotta listen to get the joke). A dynamite conversation! Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Drinking from the firehose? In this episode, the GTD Virtual Study Group takes on overwhelm versus overload in a GTD smackdown. Want to know how we cope with everything that we have coming at us? Listen in and find out. A couple of notes: The episode on social networking recorded on March 26 was lost to the technology gremlins. Both GarageBand and the backup recordings failed. The next meeting of the VSG will be May 14. There is NO meeting on April 23. Thanks. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Welcome to another great episode of the GTD Virtual Study Group! In today's discussion, you can hear how GTD has helped us stay in touch with our networks. Dan Stratton shares how maintaining your network may help you if you get laid off (timely advice!). We talked about what it takes to stay in touch and gave some thought to social media. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Welcome to another great episode of the GTD Virtual Study Group. In this episode, you'll hear Michael Deutch whose entire job consists of doing fun things with mindmapping. Michael is Mindjet's chief evangelist and is an avid GTD-er. He talked to us about how to enhance brainstorming, organizing projects, getting to higher horizons of focus and much more. Michael mentioned several links in the course of the conversation. These include: How author Richard Powers used mindmapping to write a novel Michael's blog and Twitter feed There was a powerpoint presentation supporting this episode. If you'd like a copy, email us at [email protected]. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this episode, you can learn how presenter Jim McCullen manages tasks as well as email using Outlook's inbox. If you'd like to have a copy of the accompanying PowerPoint, please request it via email to [email protected]. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

David Allen's new book, Making It All Work, hit the stores in late December. In this episode, the group shares their thoughts on the book and what new insights they've gleaned from this latest addition to the GTD bookshelf. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Looking forward to creating a great 2009? In this episode, you can learn how we celebrated our accomplishments of the past year and look forward to great things in the future. We talked about tools and tips and GTD ah-hahs that we'll use to make it all happen. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Happy Holidays! In this special episode, we enjoyed David Allen as our guest. David gave us an update on the growth of GTD as well as answered lots of questions. The Study Group is off for the holidays and will be back in January with more discussions. We'll be talking about David's new book, how to stay on track with our New Year's aspirations, and lots more. I hope you'll join us. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Lots of us keep someday/maybe lists but perhaps don't use those as effective tools. In this discussion, you can hear how some folks use someday/maybe to achieve goals and move next-actions forward faster. Our next meeting will be on Dec 11 when David Allen is scheduled to join us. Confirmed. Really. In the meantime, have a Happy Thanksgiving! Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this episode, frequent contributer Augusto Pinaud shares the secrets of working in contexts. Learn how to fine tune your focus and get tons more accomplished from the contexts blackbelt! Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Nov 13. David Allen is scheduled to join us then! Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Mind mapping can be a powerful tool to organize your thinking. Taking this process to a powerful new level, listen as group member Reed Shell takes us on a guided tour of his mind maps and his world. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Frequent Study Group contributor, Doreen Hartzell, joins us to recap the recent Office 2.0 conference. You can hear a summary of the key points from David Allen's keynote, as well as Doreen's insights from her panel discussion. Doreen also shares a detailed, in the weeds view of her own system using Enleiten. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

We've been a going concern for an entire year! In this episode, we take a look back at what we accomplished and look ahead to topics for the next twelve months. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Keeping all your projects going at once is a lot like plate spinning. To maintain any sort of momentum, there’s got to be some energy inputs by you or someone else. If you stop paying attention, the project wobbles and eventually grinds to a halt. In this episode, you’re sure to find something that will help you keep your own plates spinning smoothly with nary a wobble in sight. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

My apologies for the delay in uploading this podcast! This is the June 12 meeting of the group. Sadly, the recording for the June 26 discussion of David Allen's In Conversation interview with Dean Acheson was lost. In this episode, listen as guest presenter, Matthew Cornell, talks about GTD and families. Many thanks to Matt for pitching in and huge thanks to guest facilitator, Doreen. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Travel can really disrupt your ability to be productive. So how do those road warriors get stuff done? Listen to this episode to hear the secrets of a real uber-road warrior. Phenomenal! Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

Those of us who are into GTD are often in the minority (if not alone entirely) in our homes, workplaces, and elsewhere. How do you cope with folks who don't, or won't, GTD? Listen to the discussion and suggestions for getting others on board, or coping when you can't. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this discussion, we talked about procrastination. Procrastination shows up in a variety of ways from resistance to projects we wish we hadn't taken on to following shiny objects to big-time overwhelm. We discussed ways to overcome and outwit procrastination using GTD tools, including Remember the Milk. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

My apologies for the confusion surrounding our meeting on April 10. The bridgeline was wonky and I've been slow in getting the podcast posted. Sorry! To those who persevered and attended, deepest thanks!!! We had a great discussion once all the dust settled. We revisited our weekly reviews from 3/31, then talked about waiting-for and context lists. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

3/27/08 David Allen refers to it as the critical success factor. But lots of folks have allergies to doing their weekly review. Check out our discussion of what goes into developing a regular weekly review habit. The GTD Virtual Study Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, April 10 at 4 pm Eastern. Our topic will be a follow up on weekly reviews and contexts lists for organizing next actions. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

3/13/08: We discussed what goes into people's systems including how folks capture and access projects and next actions. Lots of tools and tricks mentioned in this great conversation. The GTD Virtual Study Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Mar 27 at 4 pm Eastern. Our topic will be the ever-popular weekly review. Love 'em? Hate 'em? Can't live without 'em? Join us to learn more about how people engage with this "critical success factor" of GTD. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this episode, the group discusses the horizons of focus. How can you link up your big picture goals to what's going on down at the runway? Listen to what some of these GTDers have to say. The GTD Virtual Study Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Mar 13 at 4 pm Eastern. We'll be getting down in the weeds and looking at how people create and use simpler, low tech systems to implement GTD. Join us live or on the podcast! Don’t forget, here’s where to find us on the web! Our official website: http://gtdvsg.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gtdvsg/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GTDVirtualStudyGroup Productivity Community on Google+: https://plus.google.com/communities/102755463603652721074 Remember, if you can’t make the live calls but have some thoughts/tips you want to share, feel free to email us in advance of the call at [email protected].

In this episode, Brian Darnell reviews the natural planning model for GTD. The model consists of five phases: defining purpose & principles (the why), envisioning the outcome, brainstorming, organizing, and identifying next actions. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Feb 27 at 4 pm Eastern. We'll continue our discussion of natural planning with a look at Horizons of Focus. You may want to re-read Chapter 9, particularly pp 200-210. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com

In this session, GTD Virtual Study Group explored GTD and the martial arts with special guests, Brian Darnell and Sensei Kendra. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Feb 14, 2008 at 4pm Eastern. We will begin a two part discussion of the GTD Natural Planning Model. Official GTD® Virtual Study Group website: http://gtdvsg.com