Teens are overwhelmed, partly because they don’t yet have the skills to manage the unprecedented amount of stuff that enters their brains each day.  – from LifeHacker.com

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

“You can do anything, but not everything.”

― David Allen, (GTD) Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World

SUMMARY

• Last week I finished my college applications, brainstormed film ideas, and completed history essays and a math project. I have become very used to going on what I have dubbed “active bike rides” where I simultaneously mountain bike and think creatively. I have found that this technique is extremely efficient and I am much more organized and creative if I turn on my brain while biking.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

I am eager to use the “stress free productivity” technique of planning designated down time so that I don’t do “half-ass’ed” work time and my relaxation time will also be maximized down time.

Examine Two GTD Maps: Basic and Detailed

1. Detailed map by guccio@文房具社 icensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
2. Basic map from BiggerPlate.com embedded below

GTD-based Trusted System

• • My trusted system is a “gamified” point system on pencil and paper, with a more accessible “control-panel” on a dry erase board in front of me, with this I have a point goal for the day, and each task gets a point value based depending on the time length of the activity.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

personally, I felt that the most important thing I learned was that I really need to have designated and prescribed downtime between tasks. Before I would have “work time” but It wouldn’t be concentrated and I wouldn’t get very much done and also work for much longer than when I just focus and let myself be done at a certain time.

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

I think the process and content of the classroom is going well so far. I think for it to be great it would be nice if advanced students had a more primary group, such as during the 1st year debrief at the beginning of class all the advanced students could go to one breakout room where we could brainstorm and discuss aspects of the class and projects.