I too struggle with the doing bit of GTD.
For me it is priorities. There is always more stuff I should be doing than there is time to do it. So, something has to drop - the trick is picking the stuff that can be kicked into the long grass (if it is important enough someone will chase)
My work is in ‘buckets’ depending on which business I am either physically or mentally present in. I try to carve up a day into AM and PM sessions. While there is
some urgent and important stuff, mostly my tasks are not time critical and, while there are consequences, they are my consequences not other people’s.
I will look at the appropriate OmniFocus perspective (bucket) and pick the ‘candidates for action’ for the day or session. I write these in my day book. Mostly they are ‘Musts’ and ‘Shoulds’. I have discovered that using a (short) written daily to do list helps me with actually getting things finished.
I start with a ‘must do’ item. When done I cross it off the list in my day book and pick the next item. Sometimes I will choose something ‘fun’ rather than the next ‘must’ item.
Email is (generally) treated like letters. Checked twice a day with draft responses done in the next session and, so far as possible, sent the session after that (never send an email without reading it ‘cold’ - email doesn’t get nuances). I use flags for email needing action and only transfer to OmniFocus if there are going to be multiple stages/actions. Once the email is dealt with the flag comes off.
Actions or ideas for me arising from phone calls/meetings during the day are captured In the day book (a circle with an A inside it for my stuff). Actions for others have their initials in a circle against them.
Towards the end of the day I return to OmniFocus! complete the things I have done; add waiting fors on the actions of others and add my actions. As actions are transferred into OmniFocus I put a line through the (A) in my day book. Fairly often I decide not to pursue the action/idea and just leave it in the day book.
I don’t use estimated durations much in OmniFocus. With OmniFocus 3 tags I do have a 15min tag - particularly for small diy jobs at home and, when I am in the mood, I will clear as many of the 15 minute tasks as possible in a couple of hours.
While I try to stay out of OmniFocus during the day, I do use it when I am processing a bunch of similar actions e.g. online purchases. These are done and completed as they happen.
My day book (a Leuchturm 1917 A5 hardback) is critical for my workflow. It accompanies me to every meeting and is the only place I record meetings and phone calls (if there is only one place to scribble stuff down, there is only one place to look :-)
