GTD 2006.28: Following up on your following up

In some ways, doing GTD is like having laws on the books: what matters is enforcement, or the lack thereof. Take for example emails you need to follow up, either because you need to take action on or because you are waiting on for a reply. How do you enforce?

My approach is Trust myself, but Verify:

1. Emails I need to act on go it the Act On Folder at they top of my Outlook Favorites Folders.
2. Emails I waiting on go into the Waiting On Folder just under Act On.
3. On even days, I process through Act On, deleting or filing or emailing as needed. I don't stop until I've eyeballed everything.
4. On odd days, I do the same to Waiting On.
5. When done in either folder, I select all and Mark As Unread so I have a count in the folder title.
6. Anything fairly important (read, involves money) in either I flag with a red flag: just hit the Insert Key while on the email. I created an Outlook Search folder Called 14 Day Followup that lives as an Outlook Favorite Folder too.
7. 14 Day Followup gets checked everyday, no matter how busy I am.

Like I said, trust - but verify.

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Comments

[Bob Walsh]

Not a variation, but specifically adapting to my mostly online workflow and Outlook's weaknesses when it comes to collecting & organizing email.

[Matthew Cornell]

Interesting approach, Bob. I'm curious: It seems like GTD's standard "Waiting For" and "Next Actions" would take care of this. Do you see your system as a variation, or something different?