I'm lazy and I don't want to think about anything more than it deserves. So my quest became to find the best and most efficient ways to think about things as little as possible. What I found was that by asking a few clarifying questions, and putting the answers in a trusted system, I was able to use my mind more creatively and more strategically for the kind of stuff that really did deserve my mental horsepower.
This month I challenge you to look at how efficiently you are using your mind. And, I've included the core GTD model for deciding: The Fundamental Process.
All the best,
DAVID'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Your mind has better things to do
My systems are set up and maintained with a standard of thinking as little as possible.
It looks to the casual observer just the opposite. The perception is often something like, "You have so many lists! Isn't it confusing and a lot of work to remember where to put things and to maintain all that?" They think their mind has better things to do.
That might be true, if I had arbitrarily created all that at one time. But it didn't happen that way.
It took years of experimentation to discover that putting anything but what had to happen on a daily calendar caused me to have to think about the page every time I looked at it ("What has to happen today? What could possibly slide to tomorrow?") I used to have all my at-computer actions on one "At Computer" list. After many weeks of sitting on a plane and having to decipher which ones I could do and which ones I couldn't (because they required an online connection), I spun out a separate "Online" action list, which I didn't have to bother with on a plane, and which removed the mental static from the "At Computer" list.
Scanning an email and leaving it in "In" because it's not as important as other emails at the moment creates double reading, double thinking, and double decision-making (not to mention the nagging it creates in the psyche in the meantime.)
My mind has better things to do.
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do."
-Goethe
DAVID'S COACHING TIPS
The Fundamental Process
The fundamental thinking process of GTD is simple, but not simplistic. Whether you are applying it to an email that just landed in your inbox, a problem that just showed up for you to solve, or a great idea that just popped into your mind—there is gold to be mined from these questions in clarifying what "done" and "doing" looks like. Here's a quick exercise to try:
- Write down a project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment.
- Now, describe in a single written sentence your intended desired outcome for this problem or situation. What needs to happen to mark this done?
- Next, write down the very next physical action step required to move the situation forward.
- Put those answers in a system you trust.
PUBLIC EVENTS
Join us at an upcoming GTD Mastering Workflow seminar where you'll have the opportunity to process and organize your own tasks, action lists, and projects. Save $50 by registering with the coupon code PROCESS by February 20. Have suggestions of cities we should visit? Email rachelle@davidco.com or post a suggestion on our Facebook Fan page.
GTD CONNECT® ONLINE LEARNING CENTER
One of the most helpful things in implementing GTD for yourself is to learn how others are doing it. David Allen's "In Conversation" interviews, one of our most popular audio series on GTD Connect, feature fascinating people in David's network talking about how they apply GTD in their work and personal lives. Interviews include such diverse and talented people as the writers of The Simpsons, musician Evan Taubenfeld, an ICU doctor, working mom and geek girl Meghan Wilker, and many more. Listen now.
GTD INTERACTIVE COURSE
The GTD Mastering Workflow Interactive online course is getting rave reviews:
"It's probably one of the best ones I've ever done. I found the mixture between the practical aspect of the exercises and the small videos worked very well."
GTD TIMES BLOG
Does your "To Read" stack feel like it's out of control? Read tips from one of our senior coaches on the best practices for reading materials.
WHAT IS GTD?
GTD® is the popular shorthand for "Getting Things Done®", the groundbreaking work-life management system and book by David Allen that transforms personal overwhelm and overload into an integrated system of stress-free productivity. Read more...
GTD®, Getting Things Done®, and GTD Connect® are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company.
