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April 08, 2009

The ancestor of every action is a ....

I like the quote by Emerson, "The ancestor of every action is a thought." For me, this sums up the value GTD provides. How many times in my pre-GTD life I ran off down the action path without having really thought about that on which I was acting. Every now and again this would work out OK, but most often not.

I delivered GTD to some wonderful college students in Montreal in January and met this past week again for a follow up. Some have really begun to develop strong habits based on GTD principles. Others are focused to continue their journey.

One of the most frequently expressed challenges by people beginning to work GTD is they do not have the time to Process and Organize. When I describe Processing and Organizing generically, I say it is the act of looking at new inputs (emails, meeting notes, mail, memos, receipts, etc), trying to figure out what to do with/about them and then organizing them appropriately. I then ask folks, "Ok, if we were to follow you around for a day, how much time would we see you looking at new inputs - sometimes for the second time, trying to figure out what to do with/about them and then organizing them appropriately?" Many in the group - especially those open to growth - usually get a smirk on their face as the proverbial light bulb goes on.

The folks I know that really work GTD get time back in their day. Why? I believe because they now Process and Organize with a well-tested approach - What is the outcome I am seeking? What is the next action to move toward this outcome?

Remember....THINKING

precedes ACTION.

Be well.
Danny

Posted by Danny at April 8, 2009 05:08 PM