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December 19, 2007

Getting Back on the Wagon

If you've got a solid personal productivity management practice in place, like GTD, you probably engage in some sort of regular wholistic review of the stuff on your lists and in your system. Without doing this regularly it's hard to feel totally in control and in perspectice about your work and your life. At the David Allen Company, we recommend to do this weekly. Here's a link to a free PDF with information about the recommended steps of the weekly review.

And.. I've got something terrible to admit...

The other day, it took me pretty much a whole day to do my weekly review, because I hadn't done one for over three weeks!!

"What!?" you say, "A David Allen workflow coach missed TWO of his own weekly reviews? Heresy!!"

Yes indeed. It's true. Even a DavidAllen coach can be rather human when it comes to occasionally missing a weekly review. And you know what? The experience of falling off the weekly review wagon and finally getting back on was actually a big eye-opener for me. When I actually caught up and finished the weekly review my mood shifted, my peace-of-mind increased, and even my body felt more vibrant. But only through experiencing that post-weekly-review glow could I really see just how out of sorts I'd been the couple of weeks prior. It's as if I just got a new prescription for eyeglasses and I suddenly realize just how fuzzy everything was without them. The experience also made me realize just how cranky I get if it's been too long since my last weekly review.

And so I encourage you: If you're a student of David Allen's GTD and you've fallen off the wagon of the weekly review, give yourself a break, set aside some time, and get back on the wagon. If you're like me, your holiday season might be a little more in control and a little less cranky.


Posted by mdolan at December 19, 2007 07:11 PM

Comments

Michael, I remember once, about 13 years ago, teasing David about the overflowing pile in his own in-box.

David taught me that GTD is not about things never getting out of control or never falling of the wagon; it's about knowing how to get back in control, how to get back on the wagon.

Thanks for the reminder!

Posted by: Eric Mack at December 19, 2007 08:21 PM

Boy, can I relate to this post!

I now live in another country with a job that is so different from my former position that I have struggled for six months to really do the kind of Weekly Reviews I'm accustomed to doing. I have done well keeping my Projects and NA list up to date but my Inbasket is in a constant state of overflow and is managed under duress instead of peacefully during a consistent Weekly Review. For some reason, I've been resisting the Weekly Review.

I read this from David this week and it has motivated me to get back into the office and get current with my system:

�But no matter how crafty I get at setting up the tricks to tip myself into good-for-me productive activity, I still have to stretch my psychic muscles to break out of a pattern and start the new one. I'm working on developing the habit of immediately jumping into anything I recognize I'm resisting, and out of anything I'm feeling not so good about doing. Doing the different thing is not hard. GETTING myself to do it deserves a medal.� (David Allen)

Posted by: Dean at December 20, 2007 07:22 PM