1) Am I missing something about being able to program iCal to suit my needs?
GTD Explanation
The basic concept of GTD is to free your subconscious mind from worry and stress about what you might have forgotten, by recording tasks externally in a system you trust completely.
Have you ever worried about something that you need to do, at a time when you can't get it done, like something work related, while you're grocery shopping? Or something you need to tell a family member, while you're at work and can't act on it? It's because you have these items in your mental todo list, and your brain keeps revisiting them so that you won't forget them. If you get these todo items out of your head, into a system you trust, then in theory, you won't ever worry about your todo items when you can't act on them, you'll be less stressed, and you'll have much more focus in all parts of your life because they'll be out of your mind. To get any benefit you really have to commit to it by putting
everything into the system, and you have to check the list frequently, and any time you find yourself with extra time.
iCal for GTD
It is possible to use iCal for GTD, using the todo list for your today, next, and someday lists, and the calendar for scheduled items, but it's not ideal, and even worse on iPhone. I use things on both mac and iPhone, and it's fantastic.
My Review of GTD
I have a job where I drive all day between 16 job sites, and I used to hate driving. I guess I didn't know that the main reason I hated it was because I always had a todo list which I'd dwell on while driving, worried about forgetting something I needed to do at one of the next few stops. I was always very stressed. Since picking up GTD, I now find driving very soothing, just listening to music and podcasts, checking the todo list when I get in and out of the car.
