Do you remember the game “Capture the Flag?” The goal of the game was to gain possession of the opposing team’s flag. Whichever team captured their opponent’s flag first was the winner. Capturing is an important concept. When we want to move forward, we need to be able to capture our thoughts, ideas, and supplies. However, capturing, in itself, isn’t enough. There is an important difference between capturing and processing for productivity.
Let me explain.
In daily life, capturing can take many forms. Rather than having thoughts or belongings scattered all over the place, we capture them into some form of container. This container might be:
- A “brain dump” list of all things that you want to accomplish.
- A file or folder that holds all the paperwork for your taxes.
- A bin where you gather elements of a craft or household project.
- A box where you collect items you need to review.
- A staging area where you pile things that you want to take with you when you walk out the door.
- A basket where the daily mail is placed.
- A trashcan for items that need to be shredded.
Gathering like items together in one place is a very productive first step. When we capture, we are “tethering” items to some sort of location, which makes them easy to find in the future. It is very difficult to deal with things that haven’t been assembled in a reliable location because we end up wasting time trying to find what we need. In some cases, we even forget what we planned to do. A while ago I wrote a post on the importance of capturing.
At the same time, simply capturing supplies and thoughts doesn’t necessarily lead to results. I work with many people who are effective at capturing but then get stuck when it comes to moving forward. In order to be productive, we need to take two crucial preparatory steps:
Step #1: Capture/gather like items together
Step #2: Process the items into an actionable format
Processing simply means making a plan for how and when you will move forward. Successful processing will typically include:
- Organizing what you have captured into some sort of categories.
- Identifying what additional resources you need to put in place before you begin, if any.
- Formulating the approach you will use (i.e., a step-by-step plan).
- Scheduling the first step into your calendar.
Admittedly, exactly how you process will look different depending on what you wish to accomplish. Also, the more complex your project is, the more important these two planning steps are.
Let’s look at a few examples.
The Task List
It’s important to capture thoughts that pop into your mind regarding things that you need to do. If you are anything like me, you have to capture thoughts quickly, as anything that doesn’t get recorded in real time is easily forgotten. You may, for instance, like to enter them into a digital list (e.g., in an app, Dropbox, Evernote, Onenote, etc.). Alternatively, you may prefer to write them down in a journal or notepad. Where you capture is a personal choice.
Capturing tasks is a good first step for getting them done.
However, recording them into a giant list is typically not enough to help us get them done. Lists like these can quickly become large and overwhelming. When this happens, we feel unsure where to begin, gravitating toward what is easiest or quickest, or even disregarding the list altogether.
Instead, we need to get in the habit of taking a second step, and that is to review and process the list we have made. We can process the list by:
- Assigning special notations to high-priority tasks. (e.g., these are the top 3 things I need to focus on today.)
- Grouping tasks into categories (e.g., calls, errands, writing, correspondence, etc.)
- Scheduling tasks into a calendar or dated planner. (e.g., I will work on this task on Tuesday and that task on Friday.)
We may choose to always maintain the giant list, but we should be regularly reviewing it and mindfully choosing what we will work on. The idea is to move items out of the “big” list and into a “daily” list which we design and will act on.
Let’s consider another example.
The Mail
When we go to the mailbox, we walk in the door with a bunch of paper. Most people capture it by putting it into a stack or container. This is a good first step. However, if all we do is gather the paper together, or “capture” the paper in one spot, we run into a problem: a giant stack or pile that feels like a lot of work, and that we procrastinate going through.
In the mail example, processing looks like:
- Opening the envelopes and removing junk paperwork.
- Taking junk mail to the recycling bin.
- Sorting the mail into groups by action (e.g., to read, to file, to respond, to pay, etc.).
- Scheduling time in the calendar to work on the sorted piles. (e.g., Pay bills on Wednesday, file paperwork on Friday.).
Let’s try one more example.
The Catch All Bin
Often, we go around and gather items in a bin or a container. Maybe we have guests coming over and we don’t want them to see our “mess.” Or perhaps we need to cook on the kitchen counter, so we clear away the household objects that have accumulated so that we can work. Whatever the reason, we end up with a group of items that have been captured but not processed.
To process this bin, we need to:
- Empty the contents of the bin.
- Group like items together.
- Walk around and put things away where they belong.
- Identify any items that need further action, such as repair, follow-up, discussion with a family member, etc.
- Schedule a time to take the further action that is needed.
Are you seeing the pattern? First, we capture what needs to be addressed. Then, we review what we have assembled and make a plan for dealing with it.
You will know that you have successfully processed when you have a clear vision of what your next step is, how you will do it, and when you will do it.
Taking action is hard, and it is easy to become overwhelmed. If you are better at capturing than you are at processing, your next step may be to bring in external resources. Professionals and experts are very good at reducing complexity, clarifying next steps, and generating forward momentum.
Some may think, “Why should I waste time processing when I could be using that time to get things done?” I understand this sentiment, and if you are action-oriented, you may be able to process in real time. Nevertheless, most people benefit from setting aside time to process because doing so gives us a better grasp of the big picture, which helps us plan our time as efficiently as possible.
Additionally, I find that the processing time can actually be very calming. An amorphous “blob” can be scary, but the process of dismantling the blob can be empowering. Breaking big projects into bite-sized tasks with a clear plan for tackling them deflates anxiety and empowers us to succeed.
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Do you prefer capturing or processing? Is there a collection of items you’ve captured that now need processing?
Processing leads to prioritizing. After you capture all your information, you need time to decide what is most important and when to do that. I love the strategies you are sharing here as a means to be more productive in what matters most.
So much of how we use our time and talents come down to prioritization. We are prioritizing, whether we realize it or not, right?
This is very insightful (as always) and I can think of a few ways it applies to my life, right off the top of my head.
Working digitally, whether on business or a personal project, has a lot of advantages, but there are drawbacks too. I’ve been working on my family tree off and on for quite a few years, and there’s one branch that’s been a bit of a dead end. I’ve captured a lot of documents and notes that may or may not apply to my great-grandparents, so I got out paper and pen and started processing them by writing down what I know and what might also be true. That allowed me to see patterns (these two records seem to be the same person; these three seem to be a different same person) which will hopefully allow me to do more productive research in the future.
What a wonderful – and fun – example of moving from capturing to processing. I hope you are able to complete that branch with this new momentum!
These ideas of capturing and processing are so eloquently articulated. I was with you every step of the way. I especially like how you give concrete examples to apply what you’re talking about to real-life situations.
One aspect of capturing is having confidence in your ‘capturing system.’ The other is being consistent with using the capturing ‘bucket.’ I’ve seen where that can be a challenge.
And as you said, it’s not enough to capture. You also need time to process those containers.
You asked which I prefer to do more- capturing or processing. I’m big on both and do them regularly. However, if I can handle something immediately and skip the capturing process, I’ll do that. For example, when the mail comes in, it rarely sits in its ‘mail spot.’ Instead, I toss the junk mail and route the remaining pieces to their designation (file, husband’s desk, bills to pay folder, or other location).
I think I am similar to you. I know the processing task that will be associated with anything I capture, so if I can avoid that step, I will do so as well.
For new projects, however, capturing is always my first step. It calms me to gather pieces while I’m still formulating how to assemble them.
I agree with Ellen – processing leads to prioritization. In my morning gratitude journal, I also list 3 items to complete or work on today. I have a running paper list of things to do and either on Sunday evening or Monday morning I retype the list taking off what has been done and adding new things. Then I schedule the critical ones on my calendar and leave the list out to consider when I have any extra time or am looking for a project that is short, easy, and/or takes little bandwidth.
I have a similar “list.” Actually, I have a couple. My husband and I have a “house” list, and I always have a “business” list. I can’t work on all of them at once, so that mindful prioritization is everything.
I love how youve articulated this…. capturing versus processing. Capturing is like a release for me. Processing can sometimes add to the overwhelm when its broken down into all the steps but it needs to, and helps to get things done. That’s why my modo “keep it simple” is so important to me. I have to be strict with myself to not focus on perfect.
I get what you mean about processing being sort of overwhelming, because that’s when you see all the stuff you actually need to do. At the same time, if you never separate it all out like that, you don’t really know what to do. Your odds of making progress are low if you can’t even visualize yourself getting something done!
I am SO with you. You have to capture, or the chance of you processing (and therefore, doing) anything is minimal. You may address whatever is at the top of the pile, but if it needs anything to support it (e.g., mail comes in regarding taxes, but you have a place to collect your tax docs and also schedule an appointment with your CPA or start your TurboTax file for the year), chances are slim without the full processing perspective.
I’m good at tangible capture and processing — mail gets opened, bills go to a particular tiny table where they sit, in payment due-date order, awaiting my payment, and anything non-financial requiring follow-up goes to the left side of my desk, with a notation on my task list. I’m equally good at digital capture and processing, though I’m more likely to put off processing something in my inbox until the next day or even two days later. (It’s captured, but not processed until the inconvenience of its presence in my inbox interferes with processing of other items.)
Capture declares all things as equals; processing (as said in some of the other comments) determines categorization and prioritization. I worked with a client this past week to make his office make sense. As we went through, we separated the loose papers from the files. Then it was: *these* are all client files and *those* are all prospect files; but within each stack, we prioritized the most essential files to take action on by putting them at the top of the stack, with the least important at the bottom. Then the loose papers were processed, with some going into the pre-existing action stacks, some getting filed, and some getting shredded.
The key was that capturing them in the office wasn’t enough; capturing them in a giant pile on the desk wasn’t enough. Capture leads to processing leads to action.
Thanks for drilling down and making this so clear!
That’s it exactly: “Capture leads to processing leads to action.” I love that summary, Julie! You’ve gotta process it, not just stack it up. Sounds like you were really able to come in and help your client get clarity on all that paper. So satisfying… and productive!
I am good at capturing but not as good at processing stacks of captured things. It’s so rewarding to actually get something completely off the list. I am good at processing when I have a time limit but not long range things that are easy to procrastinate on. I would say I’m moderately good at processing. I continue to try to reduce those multiple stacks and it’s so rewarding to get something completely off the list.
It does feel so good to finally be able to say, “finished!”
“Capturing ideas is about collecting information, while processing is about organizing and acting on it. Both are essential for productivity, but without proper processing, captured ideas remain unused.”
That’s it, Stephanie. Just because it is gathered doesn’t mean you have made progress. It feels like progress, but more is needed to move into productivity.