The Power of Contexts in Project Management

TOPIC: Using GTD to sanely and intelligently decide what to do, and when, and where.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's Getting Things Done system.

Hopping over the basic workflow and setup (you'll definitely need the book for that), this is all about doing—leveraging the horizontal and vertical axes of GTD to intuitively choose exactly the right task at any given moment.

Regardless of interruptions, regardless of unexpected change, and regardless of what you're mindfully not doing.

David Allen calls GTD, "The Art of Stress-Free Productivity," and this is the episode where you'll find out how having put this system in place can yield astronomical improvements in how your actual things get done.

Also included: a teaser for January's "iTunes management" series, plus recommendations for the three best comic series Merlin read this week.

Links for this episode:

• Getting Things Done - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Getting Things Done is a book by productivity consultant David Allen that describes the method/procedure that he created with the same title name, often referred to simply as GTD. The Getting Things Done method rests on the idea that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally, so the mind is free from the job of remembering the tasks that need to be completed. One can then concentrate on performing the tasks, instead of remembering.
• Getting things done : the art of stress-free productivity (Book, 2001) [WorldCat.org]
  
• Trigger List - 43FoldersWiki
  
• GettingThingsDone - MineZone Wiki
  
• Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books
  From core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Done can transform the way you work, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down.
• Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders
  
• David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  
• About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  GTD® is the shorthand brand for "Getting Things Done®," the groundbreaking work-life management system by David Allen that provides concrete solutions for transforming overwhelm and uncertainty into an integrated system of stress-free productivity.
• gtd workflow map pdf - Google Search
  
• [SPONSOR] PDFpen: Mac and iOS - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs
  PDFpen: Mac PDF Editor - Edit, Sign, and Correct PDFs - PDFpen is a powerful Mac PDF editor: add text, images, and signatures to PDFs, make corrections on a PDF, fill out PDF forms, OCR scanned pages.
• [SPONSOR] Hover - domain name and email management made simple
  Welcome to Hover. We simplify domain management. Get yourself a great domain name.
• [GTD Series, Part 1] 5by5 | Back to Work #95: She's Five for a Living
  **TOPIC**: Intro to David Allen's "Getting Things Done" This week, Dan and Merlin start a long-overdue three-part _storyline_ on David Allen's book, _Getting Things Done_. How do you unwad that giant crapball of _stuff_ you call a life? The answer is simple, but it's not so easy. You need a trusted system in which to collect, process, review, and---yes---**do** all the things that matter.
• [GTD Series, Part 2] 5by5 | Back to Work #96: Compensatory Muscles
  

  TOPIC: A Better System for Dealing with Life’s “Stuff”

  This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done.

• PDFPen - Signing a PDF on iOS
  Indispensable.
  
• Matt Killmon (killmoms) on Twitter
  The very generous gifter of Merlin's "67 Points of Articulation" Spider-Man.
  
• [AUDIO] Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen | 43 Folders
  As promised, here's the single-file compilation of the Productive Talk podcast interviews I did with David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done. The final version's eight episodes clock in at a considerable one hour and twenty-six minutes, so this should give you plenty to listen to while you're in line at the DMV.
  
• Moon Knight, Vol. 1: Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev: 9780785151708: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Saga, Vol. 1: Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples: 9781607066019: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 1: Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli: 9780785157137: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 2: Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Samnee, Sara Pichelli, David Marquez: 9780785157144: Amazon.com: Books
  
• [SPONSOR] Build a Website - Squarespace 6
  
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• X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills: Chris Claremont, Brent Anderson: 9780785157267: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Wolverine: Weapon X: Barry Windsor-Smith: 9780785137269: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Secret War: Brian Michael Bendis, Gabriele Dell'Otto: 9780785142287: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Scarlet, Book 1: Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev: 9780785152514: Amazon.com: Books
  
• X-Men: Days of Future Past: Chris Claremont, John Byrne: 9780785164531: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic, Book 1: Tom DeFalco, J. M. Dematteis, Terry Kavanagh, Howard Mackie, Tom Lyle, Liam Sharp, Sal Buscema, John Romita Jr., Phil Gosier, Tom Palmer, Steven Butler, Ron Lim, Mark Bagley: 9780785144625: Amazon.com: Boo
  
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - IMDb
  After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending USA ideals.
  
• Saga Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology
  Y: THE LAST MAN writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN returns to comics with red-hot artist FIONA STAPLES for an all-new ONGOING SERIES! Star Wars-style action collides with Game of Thrones-esque drama in this original sci-fi/fantasy epic for mature readers, as new parents Marko and Alana risk everything to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic war. The adventure begins in a spectacular DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE!
  
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - IMDb
  Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
  
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - IMDb
  The X-Men must travel in time to change a major historical event that could globally impact on man and mutant kind.
  
• kung fu grippe - Looking really surprisingly good
  Especially for someone who’s been stuck living in Bane’s wrecked, nightmarish, and amenity-constrained Gotham City for five months.

  So.

• Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 1: The Fantastic: Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Adam Kubert, John Dell, Danny Miki: 9780785113935: Amazon.com: Books
  
• X-Men: Season One: Dennis Hopeless, Jamie McKelvie: 9780785156451: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Fantastic Four: Season One: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, David Marquez: 9780785156413: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Amazon.com: Spider-Man: Season One (9780785158202): Cullen Bunn, Neil Edwards: Books
  
• Secret War: Brian Michael Bendis, Gabriele Dell'Otto: 9780785142287: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev Omnibus, Vol. 1: Brian Michael Bendis, Lee Weeks, David Mack, Alex Maleev, Manuel Gutierrez, Terry Dodson, Gene Colan, Klaus Janson, John Romita, Joe Quesada: 9780785131120: Amazon.com: Books
  An epic of ambition, betrayal, and comeuppance culminates with the world learning the devil's mask hides a pair of blind eyes! The hero of Hell's Kitchen is assailed as both civilian and super hero by a wave of his worst enemies - including the Owl, Mister Hyde, Bullseye, Typhoid, and the Kingpin of Crime! But it's the heart of the Man Without Fear that gets the real workout with not only the introduction of Milla Donovan - but also the Black Widow, Elektra, and Echo! Who? Echo! Plus: the mystery of Leap-Frog and the trial of the White Tiger! Also featuring Luke Cage and Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and enough other guest-stars to fill a jury box! Collects Daredevil
  
• Alex Ross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Alex Maleev - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  He first teamed with Bendis on Todd McFarlane's Sam and Twitch series in 2000-2001 before they were recruited for Daredevil. In 2006, Maleev finished his run with Bendis in Daredevil and planned a collaboration with the writer on a new ongoing Spider-Woman series. Bendis and Maleev collaborated once again on the much delayed four part Halo: Uprising miniseries from Marvel Comics. Bendis and Maleev are currently working on a creator owned comic book named Scarlet and on Moon Knight Vol. 4.[2]
  
• Brian Michael Bendis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Brian Michael Bendis (born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and former artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work.
  
• BENDIS! [Tumblr site by Brian Michael Bendis]
  
• OmniFocus for Mac - The Omni Group
  
• OmniFocus for iPhone - The Omni Group
  
• nvALT 2.1 - Notational Velocity Fork
  
• Drafts for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store
  
• Nebulous Notes
  
• Epicenter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates. The word derives from the New Latin noun epicentrum, the latinisation of the ancient Greek adjective (epikentros), "occupying a cardinal point, situated on a centre", from (epi) "on, upon, at" and (kentron) "centre".

• Baldwin's Beans
  Baldwin's Beans is a small operation. So small, in fact, that I roast each bag of coffee beans you order, one at a time. I'm picky about my coffee, and you should be, too. I'm in Columbus, Indiana, a town of about 40,000 people with two Starbucks locations and exactly zero options for fresh, locally produced coffee, so I took matters into my own hands and started doing it myself.

• Jaime Sommers (The Bionic Woman) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Born in 1949, Jaime is the daughter of James and Ann Sommers. Jaime was raised in Ojai, California, and she showed high potential in the sport of tennis
  
• Estelle Getty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Doug's AppleScripts for iTunes - dougscripts.com
  Download 444 (and counting) free user-contributed AppleScripts for Apple's iTunes that will help make managing your digital music collection easier and more fun!

• A Therapeutic Dose of Imodium - The Talk Show - Mule Radio Syndicate
  Very special guest Merlin Mann joins John Gruber to talk about booze, iTunes 11, and the sorry state of over-the-counter cold medication in the U.S.

• MusicBrainz - The Open Music Encyclopedia
  MusicBrainz is an open music encyclopedia that collects music metadata and makes it available to the public.
  
• MusicBrainz Picard - MusicBrainz
  MusicBrainz Picard is a cross-platform (Linux/Mac OS X/Windows) application written in Python and is the official MusicBrainz tagger.

• Release group “Revolver” by The Beatles - MusicBrainz
  
• 5by5 | After Dark #297: After Back to Work #96
  In which Dan totally schools Merlin on the surprising extent of Spider-Man's powers.
  
• College Level Examination Program - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  There are 2,900 colleges which grant CLEP credit. Each institution awards credit to students who meet the college's minimum qualifying score for that exam, which is typically 50, but it does vary by school and exam. The tests are useful for students who have obtained knowledge outside the classroom, such as through independent study, job experience, or cultural interaction.
  
• Ethan Schoonover
  
• Ethan Schoonover (ethanschoonover) on Twitter
  
• Amazon.com: Puro Caff, 20oz: Kitchen & Dining
  
• Kobayashi Maru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Beatles Metadata? Fixed! Guru. Productivity... | kung fu grippe
  
• Saga #4 So great. | kung fu grippe
  
• Moon Knight (2011) Brian Michael Bendis and Alex... | kung fu grippe
  
• Jean Vander Pyl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• [MG01] Good Night
  
• TopatoCo: Skullcrusher Mountain Shirt
  
• Nary a Dude | You Look Nice Today
  

This week's episode of Back to Work is very kindly sponsored by Smile's PDFpen, Squarespace, and Hover (use code DANSENTME for 10% off),