List Next Actions (Not Just Projects)

We all face rapid change. In our personal and work lives. Increasingly, our work doesn’t show up pre-defined for us.

More than any time in history, we must figure out what to do before we can do it.

But complex problems don’t always need complex solutions. Which is why David Allen’s Getting Things Done(GTD ®) methodology recommends a simple five word question, “What is the next action?”

This question alone can immediately cut through most of the complexity in our way.

David recommends we abandon the traditional “to-do” list, but only because we need to get our minds even more clear. Instead of having one single to-do list, we actually need two lists. One for projects and one for next-actions.

Here’s why:

You Can’t “Do” a Project

Most of us have used to-do lists. We love them because, through the simple act of writing something down, it unburdens our mind.

But there’s a problem.

Most lists include things like:

• Website redesign
• Contract to John
• Clean garage

So what’s the issue?

You can’t “do” a website redesign. You can’t “do” a contract to John or a dentist appointment. GTD ® tells us each of these to-do list items is actually a multi-step outcome (i.e. a project), meaning it requires many shorter actions to complete it.

The next-action for the website redesign may be “schedule a meeting with the designer.” Or even before that, “email the designer for availability.”

Deciding is Often Harder than Doing

Many times we procrastinate acting on something because there are decisions that we haven’t made yet. Time passes, and a month later, we still haven’t moved forward on that website redesign.

Often, the reason is simple: We haven’t yet asked ourselves, “What’s the next physical action I can take on this?”

If you just write down “Clean garage” on a list, you’ll have to stop and consider what to do every time you look at it.

However, if you write down “buy more trash bags,” you’ll be able to take quick action when you’re in the grocery store.

When we’re in the mood to get going, the last thing we want is to stop and try to decide what we need to do. So, give your brain a break and do the deciding beforehand.

That way, when you’re in the mood to do, you can get right to it.