Emanuel Regnath

Emanuel Regnath

DOER Process

3 min read

DOER Productivity Process

A method for processing documents and information based on GTD. DOER stands for

  1. Dump & Decide: Dumping allows you to get “Life’s random inputs” off your mind quickly. Remember: “Your brain is made for having ideas… not for storing them.” Thus, dump any input as short note into a central “inbox”. It can contain URLs, todos, notes, talks, PDFs, quotes, ideas, task, etc. After dumping, decide whether to
    • Defer: Postpone the processing to step 2 (Organize)
    • Delegate: Forward the item to another person.
    • Do it now: If it is a task that requires less than 2min, execute immediately.
  2. Organize: Once you have time, organize each item left into its correct list/location:
    1. Planner: For action items. Sort into check, do, plan. Tag projects.
    2. Calendar: For reminders, recurring events, meetings, events
    3. Incubator: For goals, ideas, visions, leads, jots
    4. Library: Fora articles, books, ideas, resources
    5. Maybe Someday: Keep it safe, in case you need it.
  3. Engage: Execute a task or Express/Export information in own words.
  4. Review/Reflect:
    • Daily: Get your inbox to zero. Review tasks that depend on others or Reduce information.
    • Weekly: Update your lists/info.

Workflow Details

1. Dump: Get it out of your brain

Dumping allows you to get something off your mind quickly. When a thought outside the current context hits your brain, it is exhausting to keep it present in the background. It is likely that you either forget the thought or it interferes with your current thinking context. Therefore, you should transfer any new input into your inbox within few seconds. This inbox needs to be available in any context.

Your brain is made for having ideas… not for storing them.

Then decide what should happen:

  • Defer: Postpone the processing to step 2 (Organize)
  • Delegate: Forward the item to another person.
  • *Do it now: If it is a task that requires less than 2min, execute immediately.

2. Organize

Organize each input by providing context (time, location, topic). Put into the correct list:

  1. Action-Items: A list of single-step actions that need to be done.
  2. Calendar: For events that will happen at a specific time.
  3. Projects: Everything that requires multiple steps is a separate list.
  4. Maybe Someday: Not forgetting. Might become relevant in the future.
  5. Waiting-on: Everything that depends on external events.
  6. References: All materials that could help at some point in time.

The wrong way to organize information is by where you found it. The right way is to organize by location where you will use the information. – Tiago Forte

→ Use alive, check, do, plan, stored

3. Engage

Work on the different items and projects.

4. Review

Go through your lists and clean up. Get your inbox to zero.

Differences to GTD

  • GTD has 5 steps: 1. collect, 2. clarify, 3. organize, 4. review, 5. engage. DOER removed the “clarify” step by splitting it into “decision” and “adding context” and including these parts in “Dump & Decide” and “Organize”.
  • In DOER you immediately do or delegate tasks once they come to your mind if this takes less then 2 minutes.
  • In DOER, the execution phase comes before the review phase as this seems to be more intuitive.

📚 References

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