Friday, May 19th, 2006...12:21 pm
Why do we want to get things done?
Sorry this is getting out kind of late today. I am working hard this weekend to help prep for my best friend’s wedding tomorrow. So my time has been limited. Hope you enjoy this entry.
- Jason
Something that I have been thinking about lately is our purpose for Getting Things Done®. Why do I think about such things? I have found that our purpose, in large part, determines the effectiveness of our efforts.
If we do GTD only to get to a point where we can allow ourselves slide into a rest mode, we open ourselves up to mental laziness. The big problem is…when we let down our guard, we open ourselves to let things fall through the cracks. Then we are off the horse again.
How can we avoid this natural pitfall?
We must reach a point in our GTD walk where much of the enjoyment is in the process. That mental and emotional kick that we get not only comes from a mind that is clearer and more creative, but also from the process of achieving a “mind like water”.
Some call this being more “mindful” as we do things. Others call it “being and doing”. The point is, we must enjoy the journey, and understand how it is affecting us positively. If we enjoy doing, we are more likely to utilize the process and the tools as a natural part of our everyday lives.
So go out there, find the best practices that are most effective for you. Spend a few shekels to get some tools you enjoy using, and most of all…HAVE FUN WITH IT.
4 Comments
May 20th, 2006 at 1:00 am
[...] Jason over at Black Belt Productivity asks a good question why do we want to get things done? [...]
May 20th, 2006 at 8:07 am
Either enjoying the process for its own sake (which believe me, I do), or…the process in service of your higher altitude goals and visions. Maybe it’s just because i spend so much time in T’ai chi, but…to me it’s a balance–the nitty gritty daily organization helps you attain those big life goals, and having the end goal in mind keeps you cranking away when all you want to do is leave your next actions festering while you surf the internet. (not that anyone would ever be tempted to do that… 0:) There are days where I love the flow for its own sake, and there are days when I have to force myself to keep plugging away–that’s just the nature of the beast.
May 20th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
Thanks, this came handy in the middle of the weekly review process–I just started getting bored with it. My reason for GTDing is to get things done with the least possible stress. Sometimes I ask myself if it worths the time doing it persistently but you know, it pays off in the long run. If you only have 4-5 projects in your work/life (which I doubt) you might be able to live without it but with 60+ projects it’s a real need to keep everything running reliably.
May 21st, 2006 at 1:30 am
I love everyone’s comments and the post. What I’m finding, and trying to reinforce, is that working on GTD is actually easier in the long run. It’s the ease of knowing everything that you have to do (do next), and not letting anything slip through the cracks that you don’t want to let slip through… in other words, the difficulties that arise when you’re not on the ball and GTD’ing, are actually more trouble than doing the every-day work that GTD requires. There’s serious peace of mind when you have captured everything in your head, and all the tasks you need to do on your lists.
Oh, and the tools- I never understood before… but they’re critical. Not only do some of them make the mundane enjoyable (FP’s), but they also make you much more efficient. I just got the Bulletproof Pocket Briefcase from Levenger, and I’m using it non-stop. It’s exactly what I needed for my lo-fi input method. I couldn’t be happier.
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