David Allen’s Road Map
Published May 8th, 2007 in Obligations, Obsessions Tags: Housekeeping, Personal.
I’ve been a fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology ever since I first learned about it from Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders site almost two years ago. Compellingly wonky and full of heady cult-like terminology (”open loops,” “next action,” “runway”), “GTD” was just what I needed to help me kick start my creativity and stay focused in the face of a fragmented and interruption-driven existence. Allen’s system not only helped me to recognize the pain of the breaking commitments to myself, but also gave me some tools to renegotiate those commitments.
I got results out of the system immediately. Not only was I completing projects that had languished on my “to do” list for months (if not years), I also began to feel much less stress. But GTD doesn’t just increase productivity — it helps you cope with the demand for increased productivity. It’s about getting control of the “stuff” in your head: reducing mental clutter and turning anxiety into meaningful action. And as you start to find yourself peering up over the weeds, GTD reminds you to look for the horizon.
Last month, David Allen came to Phoenix to give a seminar which he calls “The Road Map: Winning At The Game Of Work And The Business Of Life.” It wasn’t cheap, but I was grateful for the opportunity to not only re-immerse myself in the process, but to drag my wife along as well (actually, her company sent her). I also wanted to see what kind of swag they would have for sale (baseball caps and leather wallets).
Allen kept us there for an entire work day, laying out his theories in a style alternately charming, nerdy, impatient and transcending. But mostly, the seminar was a tease for his “GTD Connect” subscription service, where, I assume, the stealth Buddhism inherent in Allen’s shtick is more overt. At it’s core, GTD is simply a path to peace of mind, tarted up to look good on a corporate expense report. The 200-plus attendees — most of whom were already true believers — hung on to every word. Afterwards, you couldn’t get near him due to the swarm of groupies. (Make no mistake about it: to his fans, David Allen is a superstar.)
I couldn’t hope to do justice to Allen’s process within the confines of a mere blog post. But I highly recommend a visit to his web site, or Merlin’s, or any of the others out there on the same topic. Somewhere along the way, you may even discover why I used a paper clip with a string wrapped around it to illustrate this article.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to do my weekly review.
I found Brian Tracy’s Maximum Achievement to be very useful. Does wonders to balance the curmudgeon into something more enjoyable.
While I understand the inner feeling to do more in ones business and personal life, it seems to me to be a symptom of late 20th and 21st Century living.
Personally, I am moving in the opposite direction and learning to do less which has absolutely already begun to make me a happier and calmer person.
To me the idea of ‘Maximum Achievement’ alone leaves me breathless. It seems far more important (especially those of us that have hit the half century mark), to slow down and re-evaluate the pressures (internally and externally) that cause us to want to the impossible goal of ‘Maximum Achievement’ and ‘Winning.’
Losing and less achievement are not bad things if they leave you living a calmer and more self aware life.
And no, I don’t smoke pot anymore either.
Just my dos centavos amigo!
All my best…
GTD is all about life simplification. Like or not, life is full of messy details. However you choose to keep them from taking control of you is your business. For me, the mere act of carrying around 3×5 cards and a Space Pen is enough to induce serenity. Your results may vary.
Please help me with the paper clip. I attended the Atlanta Road Map and had to leave 45 mins early to catch my flight.
The clip — once unfurled — will swing as you will it. Visualize it moving back to front, side to side, or in a circle, and it will do so. Then once you’ve got it going, tell yourself that such a thing isn’t possible and the clip will stop moving. It’s a test of how you’re nerves and muscles are hard wired to your beliefs, desires, imagination, will, etc.