[Gardener]

Re:

> To clarify my idea....GTD processes all incoming events
> immediately and calls for some sort of action on your part;
> evaluate, process, categorize, trash, etc.

This is where I think that I'm not with you. As I understand it, GTD only requires you to _collect_ the event immediately, not to process it. The collected events pile up, and the processing happens at a time chosen by you.

So as I see it, if I'm working on something and I'm distracted by the thought "I need sesame seeds for the breaded chicken for the potluck!" I hit the quick entry key, I type "Sesame seeds; potluck", I hit Return, and I turn back to what I was working on. (Or if I weren't near my computer, I'd send myself an email with my phone, which will be auto-processed into my Inbox.) I don't process this action yet - I only do the absolute minimum required to assure my brain that I won't forget the action, so that my brain will shut up about the sesame seeds.

If my SO called me to tell me that I need sesame seeds, I'd do the same. Or, if I'm focused on work and not expecting any emergency calls, I won't even answer the call - I'll let it go to voicemail and I'll process my voicemail inbox at a chosen time.

Similarly, if my SO sends me an email telling me that I need sesame seeds, I'll ignore that email totally until I reach my chosen time to process my email inbox.

In my case, I don't even fully "process" my voicemail or email inboxes when I do choose to empty them. I just convert actions implied by the email or voicemail messages into OmniFocus Inbox actions, with the same quick entry. When I'm done, the email and voicemail boxes are empty, but the actions are still in my OmniFocus inbox, awaiting processing.

So no true processing - in the sense of evaluationg, categorizing, trashing, etc. - happens until I'm good and ready to process. All actions generally get dumped unprocessed into the OmniFocus inbox before I process them, just because I like it that way.

> It starts at the
> bottom and works its way up with the goal being having your inbox
> empty and thus freeing up mental space. This goes for external
> incoming events as well as your own random or focused ideas
> spring up and need to be logged.

But as I understand it, GTD doesn't require that those inboxes be _constantly_ empty. You don't have to deal with each message the moment it comes in. I think that GTD just wants your inboxes to be frequently empty. They should certainly be empty once a week at the weekly review; I don't know if there's any firm guidance on how often they should be emptied beyond that.

Gardener