Lessons I've learned from GTD

One of the most important things that GTD has taught me is to plan ahead. So often I would find myself in the grocery store wondering whether I had any onions. I'd either skip them, and find out I had none, or buy some, and end up with a dozen rotting in my pantry. I would hit the store on the way home from work and just buy enough for that night, because I couldn't be bothered to think beyond dinner. I ended up shopping several times a week, wasting time and energy, not to mention money.

When I finally started to "do GTD" properly, I realized the error of my ways and began shopping once a week. I go Saturday mornings, when I'm not hungry or in a hurry. I take time to actually look in the freezer and see what I have on hand. I think about what we're going to need that week and write a list. During the week, I actually eat what we have, rather than what I feel like at the moment. I don't buy twenty frozen dinners that end up sitting in my freezer until they're soggy and inedible. I buy five -- one for lunch each day that week.

Of course, this lesson permeates other aspects of my daily life as well. (GTD is not just about onions, y'know.) My next actions list often includes a "put xxx in the car" item, or a "make a list of things I need from Target" option. Having a meeting on my list makes me think about what I want to bring up at said meeting. What preparation do I need to do? What questions do I have?

Was David Allen a Boy Scout?