David Allen's Getting Things Done - Incomplete Item Collection Process & Tool

The book Getting Things Done by David Allen is a terrific personal and productiv
ity instruction manual, and ideal for those of us with Adult ADHD. While the who
le process appears rather daunting to me, the first stage of his five-stage meth
od for managing your personal and professional life (or 'workflow' as he calls i
t) is very useful for me. This is called the collection process - gathering all
of the 'incompletes' of our lives into a centralized collection list of some sor
t.
Below I quote David Allen describing a brief summary of his overall system, plus
a more detailed explanation of the collection process. I also have included an
extremely useful tool (here is a link to the PDF file) which will methodically l
ead you through a collection process covering many aspects of your entire life.
I found this tool created by Kathy Paauw, a professional organizer and certified
business & personal coach on her website http://www.orgcoach.net. This tool wil
l help you to develop a big list of items written down - and therefore (as David
Allen's theory goes) a big list of items no longer floating around in your head
, taking up memory and distracting you for the necessary priorities.
Note: Make sure that you devote at least a couple of hours in a place where you
can control or minimize your distractions - and recognize that the very act of t
hinking deeply and comprehensively about items you have not attended to can be a
nxiety-inducing. So give yourself breaks, and go easy on yourself if you feel gu
ilty. Guilt was a necessary guiding force when you were young, so as not to viol
ate the unassailable, implicit and explicit rules of authority figures around yo
u. But now that you're all grown up, you may wish to allow yourself to question
your feelings of guilt and perhaps allow yourself to behave in self-serving ways
, counter to the messages of authority - towards the goal of reclaiming your los
t agency and parts of your self, i.e. to reconnect with who you are.
David Allen's summary of the process behind Getting Things Done:
"THE CORE PROCESS I teach for mastering the art of relaxed and controlled knowle
dge work is a five-stage method for managing work flow. No matter what the setti
ng, there are five discrete stages that we go through as we deal with our work.
We (1) collect things that command our attention; (2) process what they mean and
what to do about them; and (3) organize the results, which we (4) review as opt
ions for what we choose to (5) do. This constitutes the management of the "horiz
ontal" aspect of our lives incorporating everything that has our attention at any
time."
Collection process details:
"Gathering 100 Percent of the "Incompletes"
In order to eliminate "holes in the bucket," you need to collect and gather toge
ther placeholders for or representations of all the things you consider incomple
te in your world that is, anything personal or professional, big or little, of urg
ent or minor importance, that you think ought to be different than it currently
is and that you have any level of internal commitment to changing.
Many of the things you have to do are being collected for you as you read this.
Mail is coming into your mailbox, memos are being routed to your in-basket, e-ma
il is being funneled into your computer, and messages are accumulating on your v
oice-mail. But at the same time, you've been "collecting" things in your environ
ment and in your psyche that don't belong where they are, the way they are, for
all eternity. Even though it may not be as obviously "in your face" as your e-ma
il, this "stuff" still requires some kind of resolution a loop to be closed, somet
hing to be done. Strategy ideas loitering on a legal pad in a stack on your cred
enza, "dead" gadgets in your desk drawers that need to be fixed or thrown away,
and out-of-date magazines on your coffee table all fall into this category of "s
tuff."
As soon as you attach a "should," "need to," or "ought to" to an item, it become

s an incomplete. Decisions you still need to make about whether or not you are g
oing to do something, for example, are already incompletes. This includes all of
your "I'm going to"s, where you've decided to do something but haven't started
moving on it yet. And it certainly includes all pending and in-progress items, a
s well as those things on which you've done everything you're ever going to do e
xcept acknowledge that you're finished with them.
In order to manage this inventory of open loops appropriately, you need to captu
re it into "containers" that hold items in abeyance until you have a few moments
to decide what they are and what, if anything, you're going to do about them. T
hen you must empty these containers regularly to ensure that they remain viable
collection tools.
Basically, everything is already being collected, in the larger sense. If it's n
ot being directly managed in a trusted external system of yours, then it's resid
ent somewhere in your psyche. The fact that you haven't put an item in your in-b
asket doesn't mean you haven't got it. But we're talking here about making sure
that everything you need is collected somewhere other than in your head."
Here are Kathy Paauw's instructions for downloading the incompletes in your life
. You may wish to adapt it to include 'trigger questions' that are more appropri
ate to your own life:
"Begin the Download
Using the list of trigger questions below to get you started, write down things
you re storing in your memory that need your attention. This is not intended to be
come a to-do list, but rather a complete download of what your brain is holding on t
o at the conscious and subconscious level. Download all your incompletions here.
(An Incompletion is anything you pay attention or give thought to that needs to
be different than it is right now.)
At this point, don t try to prioritize or decide whether or not you will do these
things. After you ve completed the download you can decide what to do with the items
on your list. For now, don t think about that just list!
Go through this list of questions TWICE once for your WORK activities and once f
or your PERSONAL activities. Write EVERYTHING down that comes to mind
the more t
he better! 100% download is important.
After you ve gone through the entire list of Trigger Questions, review your list o
f action items needing your attention and ask yourself if any action items are p
art of a bigger project. For example, if you listed purchase file folders, is this
part of a bigger project involving an office reorganization? If so, there may b
e other action items necessary to complete the whole project. Write it ALL down.
After the Download
Now that you have gone through a complete download, get in the habit of doing th
e following:
Get all new ideas out of your head and written down somewhere so you don t have to
remember them all.
Have a minimum number of places where you keep the ideas you write down (one at
home, one in the office, one in your car). You can use pads of paper, electronic
notes on your Palm or computer, or even a voice-activated recording device for
when you re driving
as long as you regularly transcribe recorded messages to paper
or electronic notes.
Do a weekly review of action items you write down, and incorporate them into the
4Ds
Do (this week -- calendar)

 Defer (another week -- Perhaps List)

Delegate (review during weekly planning -- Delegation Log)
Delete/Dump
Incompletions: Trigger List of Questions
1. List projects started & not completed:
What s on your desk?
What s in your drawers?
What s on your floor/under your desk?
What s behind your door?
What s in your briefcase or bags?
What s in storage boxes?
What s in the stacks of paper on your credenza or filing cabinet?
What about the scraps of paper, business cards, receipts?
What s on your to do lists?
What s on your Post-it notes around your office or on the refrigerator?
What s on your to do lists on note pads, from meeting notes, in your calendar or jou
rnal?
What s in your e-mail box that needs your attention?
What s on your calendar from previous weeks that did not get handled (family calen
dar and appointment book)?
2. List projects not yet started:
What s on your desk?
What s in your drawers?
What s on your floor/under your desk?
What s behind your door?
What s in your briefcase or bags?
What s in storage boxes?
What s in the stacks of paper on your credenza or filing cabinet?
What about the scraps of paper, business cards, receipts?
What s on your to do lists?
What s on your Post-it notes around your office or on the refrigerator?
What s on your to do lists on note pads, from meeting notes, in your calendar or jou
rnal?
What s in your e-mail box that needs your attention?
What s coming up on your calendar that needs to be handled (family calendar and ap
pointment book)?
3. What projects are completed that need to be acknowledged as complete?
4. What commitments or promises have you made and not kept? Do you need to follo
w through or renegotiate? What do you need to clarify or resolve?
5. Are there people waiting for you to get back to them?
6. Are there people you are waiting to hear back from?
7. What do you need to research or look into?
8. Are there professionals or support staff waiting to hear back from you about
anything?
Lawyer
Accountant
Consultants
Administrative assistant
Other
9. What communications are incomplete?

Phone calls
Letters
Cards (greeting, thank you, special event)
Memos
E-mails
Faxes

10. Any important events coming up?

Dinners
Parties
Receptions
Graduations
Weddings
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Reunions (family, class, other)
Holidays
Cultural events
Sporting events
11. Any writing you need to do?
Drafts
Reports
Evaluations, reviews
Proposals
Articles
Promotional/marketing material
Instructions
Summaries
Charting (medical dictation, etc.)
Minutes of meetings or events
Rewrite or edit
Status reports
Tracking or logging of key communications or conversations
Billing
12. Anything needing to be done around meetings?
Anything need to be set or confirmed?
Do you need to make reservations for transportation, meeting space, a place to s
tay?
Do you need to request a meeting from someone?
Do you need to prepare anything for meetings?
Debrief of meetings already had?
Actions or commitments agreed to?
Any tracking or recording needed?
13. Any read and review needed?
Documents
Articles
Books/publications
Updates, memos
Peer review
14. Anything needing attention with financial aspects?
Accounts
Cash/cash flow
Budgets
Balance sheets
Assets
Profit & loss

Forecasting
Credit/credit lines
Loans/mortgages
Taxes
Insurance
Payables
Billing
Receivables
Petty cash
Banks/bankers
Investments
Expense reimbursement or tracking expenses for tax deductions
Allowance for kids
College fund

15. Anything you need to do in the area of planning & organizing?

Long-term goals
Short-term goals
Setting up an effective system for processing and managing paper flow
Contact management
Targets/objectives
Business plans/business planning
Marketing plans
Financial planning
Event planning
Presentations, meetings
Conferences
Organizing space:
Main living areas
Main working areas
On-site storage (garage, attic, storage rooms)
Off-site storage (rented storage space)
Organizing collections (videos, slides, photos, CDs, cassettes, records, etc.)
Organizing paper (reference files and action/tickler files)
16. What about travel & vacation planning?
Gathering ideas & information
Making reservations
Arranging for things to be handled while you re away (coverage at work, house-sitt
er for pets, holding the mail and newspaper, etc.)
Documents such as Passport or Visa up-to-date?
17. Anything needing attention about your organization or company?
Organizational chart
Lines of authority
Job descriptions
Restructuring the organization
Anything about facilities
New systems
Change initiatives
Leadership
Succession planning
Administrative things
Legal issues
Forms
Procedures or instruction manual
Insurance issues
Personnel issues
Staffing hiring & firing
Reviews

Policies & procedures

Training & education (self & others)
Staff development
Compensation -- salary & benefits
Communication about or with staff
Morale
Feedback
Evaluations
Rewards/awards
Acknowledgments
Corrective action

18. Anything needing your attention with sales & marketing?

Customers/clients/patients
Prospective customers/clients/patients
Lead generation
Sales process
Sales training
Relationship-building
Sales or status reporting
Tracking
Customer service
Promotional campaigns
Promotional materials
Public relations
Image of organization
19. Are you waiting for anything?
Information you have requested
Things you have delegated to others
projects, tasks
Replies to communications, proposals
Answers to questions
Reimbursements or rebates you ve submitted
Orders you ve placed but not received
tickets, products, supplies, equipment
20. Anything you want to do around professional development?
Seminars/workshops
Things to learn
Skills you want to develop or improve on
Books or journals you want to read
Subscriptions subscribe or unsubscribe
Research on things you want to look into
Certifications
Formal education/degrees
Courses
Career planning
Revise resume/CV
Professional wardrobe
Professional gear you need
Organizational systems for your office
Other
Other
Other
21. Any attention needed for volunteer/civic work, projects, or stewardship?
Service clubs
Church/synagogue
Professional organizations/associations you belong to
Community organizations/non-profits
School programs

Contributions
Planned/Deferred Giving (wills, trusts, etc.)
Care for the environment (recycling, etc.)
Other
Other
Other

22. Any attention you want to pay to professional and personal relationships?
Spouse/significant other
Children
Parents
Other family
Friends
Pets
Co-workers/peers
Other professionals in your industry
Professionals in other industries you want to connect with
Counselors
Consultants
Coaches
Other
Other
Other
Other
Other
Other
Other
23. Anything in your physical environment in need of repair, remodel/update, rep
lacement?
Computer software
upgrade, update downloads
Computer hardware
Printers
Electronic equipment
Office equipment
Appliances
Entertainment (TV, VCR, stereo, etc.)
Tools
Construction/remodeling/repairs
Heating/air conditioning
Air quality/ventilation
Plumbing
Electricity/wiring
Landscaping
Driveways, sidewalks
Roofing
Walls, flooring, ceilings
Dcor/fixtures
Furniture
Lighting
Signage
Phones
Databases
Faxes
Filing systems
Archives/storage
Supplies
Business cards
Letterhead/envelopes/stationery

24. Do any legal aspects of your life need attention?

Will/Living Will
Trusts
Documents
Contracts/deeds
Agreements
Power of Attorney
Licenses (business, professional, sporting)
25. Have you loaned anything to anyone who has not returned it?
Books/publications
Tools
Equipment
Teaching materials (slides, overheads, etc.)
26. Do you need to return anything to anyone you have borrowed something from?
Books/publications
Tools
Equipment
Teaching materials (slides, overheads, etc.)
27. How about self-care activities?
Exercise
Health (doctor, dentist, optometrist, health practitioners, etc.)
Recreation & sports
Entertainment
Hobbies (sewing, knitting, woodwork, building, etc.)
Diet
Creative expressions (art, music, photography, etc.)
Counseling
Coaching
Spiritual renewal
Rest & relaxation/stress reduction
Books to read
Music/videos to listen to/view
Personal development (classes, workshops, seminars, education)
28. Any concerns about transportation (purchase, repair, renew lease, etc.)?
Car/truck
Bike/motorcycle
Commuting
Repair
Purchase or lease options
Insurance coverage
29. Does your wardrobe effectively support your activities in the comfort and st
yle you desire? Does it fit? Is it in style? Does anything need repair?
Work
Leisure/loungewear
Formal wear
Hobbies
Sports
Accessories
Luggage (purse, briefcase, suitcases, carry-on travel cases, etc.)
30. Any errands you want to run? Purchases you want to make? Shopping or Web sur
fing you want to do?
Hardware store
Pharmacy
Grocery store

Bank
Cleaner
Stationery/office supply
Mall
Gifts
Software & hardware
Health food store

31. As you walk around your home and work space, do you notice anything that you
have attention on which needs to be different than it is right now?
I hope you've found this post useful. At the very least, read the David Allen su
mmary of the collection process, and download and print out Kathy Paauw's PDF do
cument of the instructions for downloading the incompletes in your life, and tak
e some time to go through it, with a blank pad of paper and a pen beside you in
a quiet room.
Personal
Projects started, not completed
Projects that need to be started
Commitments/promises to others
Spouse
Children
Family
Friends
Professionals
Borrowed items
Projects: other organizations
Service
Civic
Volunteer
Communications to make/get
Family
Friends
Professional
Initiate or respond to:
Phone calls
Letters
Cards
Upcoming events
Special occasions
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Weddings
Graduations
Holidays
Travel
Weekend trips
Vacations
Social events
Cultural events
Sporting events
R&D-things to do
Places to go
People to meet/invite
Local attractions
Administration
Financial
Bills

Banks
Investments
Loans
Taxes
Insurance
Legal affairs
Filing
Waiting for. . .
Mail order
Repair
Reimbursements
Loaned items
Medical data
RSVPs
Home/household
Landlords
Property ownership
Legal
Real estate
Zoning
Taxes
Builders/contractors
Heating/air-conditioning
Plumbing
Electricity
Roofing
Landscape
Driveway
Walls/floors/ceilings
Decoration
Furniture
Utilities
Appliances
Light bulbs/wiring
Kitchen things
Washer/dryer/vacuum
Areas to organize/clean
Computers
Software
Hardware
Connections
CD-ROM
E-mail/Internet
TV
VCR
Music/CDs/tapes
Cameras/film
Phones
Answering machine
Sports equipment
Closets/clothes
Garage/storage
Vehicle repair/maintenance
Tools
Luggage
Pets
Health care
Doctors
Dentists
Specialists

Hobbies
Books/records/tapes/disks
Errands
Hardware store
Drugstore
Market
Bank
Cleaner
Stationer
Community
Neighborhood
Schools
Local government
Civic issues
Website Design
Logo Design
Logo Designs
Web Site Design
Web Design Service