Review of Ready-Set-Do version 1.3

David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” is a process: use a trusted place to put all incoming “stuff,” process your inbox daily and conduct a daily view of “actionables” or single-step tasks, and conduct a weekly review of actions and projects (multi-step tasks). Because GTD is a process, it involves adopting habits and practices. The result, says David Allen, is a “mind like water”--focused, creaftive, resilient, and ready for anything.

If you don’t yet have a “mind like water” or find your attention scattered, pulled in multiple directions, try GTD--read David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done,” or visit the website of Merlin Mann (evangelist for all things GTD, see www.43folders.com). Sharpening attention, and not being distracted are key benefits of GTD. But when an application shows me the list of 10 or 50 or 100 items, well *that* can be overwhelming and distracting (ever darted from one thing on a list to another?).

It is precisely because it helps you focus, that Ready-Set-Do (RSD) excels compared with other GTD applications. The “killer app” feature is that RSD walks you through the GTD process. By following the GTD process, over time you develop GTD habits and practices--even if you don’t get a mind like water, it’s a start. You step through one item at a time: what is it? is it actionable or not? if it is actionable, can you do it in less than two minutes--do it and then continue with RSD, indicating the item is complete. If you can’t complete in less than two minutes, the item gets filed as an actionable by context (with due date etc, or you can delegate, or postpone--lots of options). And so on. Instead of seeing a huge overwhelming list of things, RSD shows you just one thing at a time, and asks you for each: what is it and what you want to do with it? Similarly for weekly reviews and projects: it provides a structured review of each item. Focusing on one thing at a time makes it easy to pay attention and because you only see one thing at a time, you are less likely to be scattered or feel overwhelmed. (Although if you want a quick overview of your 10,000 things to do, that’s also possible--just open a finder window).

Version 1.3 makes doing all this easier and improves on previous versions. It’s fast. It is completely customizable. It has new brainstorm features. And lots more: you can use Apple’s Quicklook in Leopard, for example. It features all the aspects of other software implementations--an inbox, a way to assign actionable items to contexts, and ways to create projects and keep on top of them, reminders, all the rest. I think RSD implements some things better--like the way it lets you assign tasks to meetings with someone (like your boss). Then when it’s time for the meeting you can generate the agenda. It has great integration with Apple’s Mail application, letting you email yourself tasks, and letting you easily process incoming mail into your RSD inbox.

Your mileage may vary, but for me, the killer feature was that it lets you focus on doing just one thing at a time.

The developer is responsive, it's inexpensive, and I've never lost data. Your data is not locked in to this system, and doesn't require any XML expertise to get out--just use the Apple Finder to access your items.