Using David Allens "Getting Things Done" system in WoW
by Mark Crump 
Nov 8th 2007 at 6:00PM
I'm a big fan of David Allen's Getting Things Done. It's a simple task management system based on dumping all the crap you get into an inbox and creating lists for projects. You're probably wondering exactly what this has to do with WoW. As I've rolled GTD into production in my life, it's hard not to use it in games. So, I'm sharing this tip on how I improved my productivity in WoW.You see, I've got a horrid memory. Always have. It's gotten worse now that I'm getting on in years. I'd be playing WoW, run back to town, repair and run off. Then I'd go, "Doh! You idiot, you forgot to get arrows." Insert repairing, getting pet food, sending stuff to my mule, and just about anything of a resupply nature in the place of arrows. I'd also forget that two quests are in the same area. As I said, my bad memory is legendary.
As part of my game review process I keep a small half-sized spiral notebook next to my keyboard so I can make notes about games. One day I noticed I'd also started using it for GTD-style tasks in games. It started subtly with a reminder to check out a different area or that I needed to test trade skills.
Allen promotes breaking your list into categories. Eschewing the real-life list management I use, I'll focus specifically on my WoW lists and how I use them to compensate for poor memory. I use these headers:
- @ Town
- @ AH
- @ Quests
- @ Misc
@ Town
- get more arrows
- get pet food
- repair
- mail clefthoof stacks to mule
@ AH
- sell from mule
- get more pots
- run an auctioneer scan
@ Quests
- <quest name> <loc> (note: in same area as <quest name>. Do at same time.
@ Misc
- Ask guild leader about resists for raid
As I complete them, I'll cross them off the list. When the list is mostly crossed off, I just start a new page and carry over any open items. Now, if only I can remember to look at the list. While there are notepad add-ons, I've found plain old pen-and-paper works best for me.
Admittedly, not everyone has the sorry excuse for a memory I do and can remember to do simple tasks in games. I can't. What sort of memory aids do you use in WoW?
Filed under: Tips, Tricks, How-tos, Odds and ends
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
PDKM Nov 8th 2007 6:08PM
WTH? what are you 90?
Squirl Nov 8th 2007 6:16PM
lol, good idea... I used to use a notepad for adding together mats, etc. for my eng buisness... now I just farm adamantite for money, so no more notebook
chestercheeto44 Nov 8th 2007 6:23PM
I just use a notebook for my quests. I write down all the quests I have, then Thottbot the coordinates and make a route. Makes leveling much easier.
Ciarán Nov 8th 2007 6:27PM
@1 At fourteen years old... I'm exactly the same.
Thankfully one of MazzleUI's uh... slide-out functions is a notepad... Though, I never remember to use the damn thing.
Varus Nov 8th 2007 6:32PM
I'm completely at loss of words at this article. I have no words.
You have a game review process? Really? And this is part of it?
Is there a flowchart to go with this process as well?
But hey, each to their own. Just don't forget to write "have fun" under one of your @entries. ;-)
YPEELS40 Nov 8th 2007 6:40PM
i play the game stoned and dont really forget stuff. On my lock i run around atleast 30 soulshards, usually 60.. On my rogue I always restock my vanish powder to 100 and have 20 of each poison. when im too lazy to bank stuff i just toss it in the mail to my alt and sort it out later. Also I walk around with pve and pvp gear.. sooo theres not much i can forget..
After a while... everything becomes a habit.. something you do without thinking.
Juju Nov 8th 2007 6:44PM
I use a system like this at work. My memory is horrible, too. I've never done it in WoW, though. I find that Cartographer's note system is good enough for keeping track of quests.
Paul Nov 8th 2007 6:54PM
Pretty off topic, but David Allen is part of a small cult based in southern california called the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, or MSIA. Apparently it's pretty benign, but the cult leader, John Roger, formerly named Roger Hinkins, despite claiming a vow of poverty, pulls in crazy amounts of money from his followers, about 10-15% of one's income is usually given to MSIA.
So you can do what you want with your money, but I'm just saying that there's a good chance some of the money from David Allen's book is going toward funding Hinkin's cult-leader lifestyle.
There's a pretty decent article about allen and hinkins in last month's WIRED magazine, and if you trust wikipedia, this entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Delano_Hinkins
Lanth Nov 8th 2007 6:59PM
Yeah, I've got a piece of paper near my desk which is effectively a "to-do" list. Write stuff on as I need to do it, cross stuff off once it's done.
Unfortunately, it's started becoming more of a scribble pad.
JMCampbell Nov 8th 2007 7:24PM
For my quests, I do something like this.
After I log in to my character, I tab out to wowhead and write down the initials of the quest I'm on search on wowhead and write the coordinates as well as if wowhead mentions another quest in that area, I'll write down what level I need to get the other quest or what other questgivers (and their coords) give me quests in the same area. Then I tab back over to the game look at the map and basically plot a course for what I want to cover. See if I need to hit any new questgivers then get started.
So, like last night I got 61 on my hunter that gave me the third quest that went with ravager egg roundup and Voidwalkers gone wild. so I went and did those three, then a little later got into a group and did all of the pools of aggonar quests.
As for in town, I go purely by repetition. everytime I arrive in town. 1. turn in any and all quests in that town. 2. go sell grays and buy arrows 3. repair 4. check mailbox 5. mount & go. Granted there are times when I overlap myself and pay a repair cost of 1 silver because I just visited a repair shop 10 minutes ago, but for the most part, this method works fine by me.
hpavc Nov 8th 2007 7:33PM
Haha, frigging hilarious. Totally trumps the lame comics seen here.
Deathlike Nov 8th 2007 8:09PM
I've tried to do this, but I find I forget to add things to the lists or to even check the lists at all times.
It's hard to do things at maximum efficiency. Real hard. D;
Kyle Nov 8th 2007 9:17PM
I do the same thing as #2. I have a stack of index cards in my desk next to my computer for math stuff, taking quick notes, vent passwords and other wow related things that i need to jot down quickly. i kinda like this whole GTD approach. I might use this IRL possibly. Thanks for the post!
MechChef Nov 9th 2007 8:30AM
I don't have a to-do list. The mudane things like raid-prep are done on the fly. Though I do keep a pad of paper for my Simon-Says daily, and listing out mats I need for an engineering item to make or an enchant I desire. I also keep a calculator for comparing AH prices. Example - I need a 3 bars of hardened adamantite. I calculate which is currently the best deal: 60 ore, 30 bars, or 3 hardened bars.
The lowest gold/bar value wins.
Vestras Nov 9th 2007 8:54AM
I keep a standard notepad with me all the time. I've started writing what I call "the hit list" for which character needsto farm which intance for what drop. i have 3 post-its on my moniter: One for debts people owe me(I loaned a lot of cash in the old days), 1 listing the mats for my prefered potions and elixirs, and one with raid times/gear to bring.
Rabbit Nov 9th 2007 9:24AM
This is incorrect. Everyone knows that Zig Ziggler gives the best WoW advice. Also, I really like Carleton Sheets for AH recommendations. When I started playing, I mistakenly referred back to the writings of Sartre, but I felt that "Being and Nothingness" was holding me back a bit. Now that I have Zig on my side, I am leveling faster than ever.
Ana Nov 9th 2007 9:24AM
I devote one particular bag to raid prep items, and try to be disciplined about restocking it every night before I log out. This holds things like spell reagents, mana oils, flasks and elixirs, food, etc.
I also keep a perpetual calendar by my desk for guild-related activities. I was tired of losing all the random sheets of computer paper I used to use.
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/479223.html?cm_id=2305.040
Cailleach Nov 9th 2007 9:55AM
Try the Lightheaded addon. http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info7017-LightHeaded.html It adds Wowhead comments (where the good information like coordinates always is) to a pop out on your quest log. You can access all those coordinates without even alt+tabbing, and it's pretty low overhead.
Someone Nov 9th 2007 12:01PM
@#3: Use LightHeaded *and* TomTom. You can do your wowhead lookups from the in-game database instead and plot all those markers by just clicking on coordinates on those comments. Then look at the map and choose your route. All this with no pen/paper nor leaving WoW and perfectly safe!
Wren Nov 9th 2007 1:43PM
I keep a notepad on my desk. It is important for writing down reminders to craft an item for X player or specific amounts/items I need to farm. I also use it to write down the name of any uber gear I see someone elses toon wearing. I'm currently working on 72 turtle scales, UGH!