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Patience Agbabi (1983) elected to Honorary Fellowship at Pembroke College

We are delighted to announce that renowned poet and novelist Patience Agbabi (1983) has been elected to an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her distinguished writing career.

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Pembroke Behind the Scenes: Meet the staff who keep the College running

For our 400 Hours series, Lodge Porter Adam Berry undertakes a behind-the-scenes investigation at Pembroke. Hear from Lodge Porter Spencer Solomon, long-serving Scout Mrs Singh and Deputy Butler Jamie Tricker about life behind-the-scenes.

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System Review: Getting Things Done by David Allen

NEWS |

Review by Laura

How does this system work?               

Getting Things Done is based on a 5 step process – Capture, Clarify, Organise, Reflect, Engage. The whole goal is to get you to move things out of your head and onto paper, and identify actions you can take, instead of just writing list after list.

How easy was it to get the hang of following the system?

For me, I’ve been doing a version of this for years. I have a terrible memory, so if I have to do something, I automatically write it down somewhere. It fitted well with the kinds of things I was already doing, so it wasn’t too difficult at all. If you don’t have some kind of ‘to do’ system already, then I think it would be far more than you need.

How did you find following it?

I liked the emphasis on action, encouraging you to really dig into what needed to be done, rather than just what is on your mind. I had some trouble with exactly where to record things, as it feels very reliant on a loose leaf notebook, which isn’t something I like to use. But overall, it helped me move through things more quickly, as well as capturing everything that was in my brain.

What was its best feature?

The emphasis on ‘open loops’. Ie the things that pop up into your mind and distract you. Having a way to get those down quickly, so that they could be tackled later, was great.

What was its worst feature?

I found it a little too prescriptive about physical management of papers and lists. It was a system originally devised before the smartphone, and even the updated edition feels a little behind the times.

Who would you recommend this system to?

Anyone who is finding their current way of tracking what they need to do isn’t working. If you don’t have a system at all, then I think this is a bit advanced, but if you have a list, you just don’t know how to get going with it, I think it could really help sort through the clutter and get things done.

Any other thoughts?

While I said the tool section was a bit too prescriptive, I do like that this is a method as much as a shopping list. It’s compatible with running your life in different ways, you just need to find the tools that work for you.

 

Website: Getting Things Done