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December 18th, 2007 by Michael Kreidler
I have been working hard over the last couple of months to stay sane. While it is easily debatable as to whether I have been successful or not, that is not the point. The point is HOW I have been attempting to stay sane.
I am a procrastinator from waaay back. I put off everything: School, school work, getting together with anyone, getting my driving license, asking girls out, making any appointment, quitting a job, going to the bathroom, you name it and I put it off. It has caused me a great deal of pain over the years and I have occasionally and sporadically tried to do something about it.
I tried planners, lists, motivation, videos, audios, seminars… well, everything worked in the short-run. Nothing stuck. So I stayed stuck.
Nine months ago, or so, I listened to a series of eight interviews Merlin Mann of 43 Folders conducted with David Allen. I was intrigued, but had no idea what they were talking about. I gleaned that the system was called Getting Things Done (commonly abbreviated as GTD). It is based on David Allen’s book titled, strangely enough Getting Things Done.
.When I got the book and started reading it, lights started going off and I realized that this might actually help. After reading the first few chapters, I put the book down and started working the system. I liked the system and I knew I was pointed in the right direction. However, I never finished the book. After a few weeks I crashed and burned.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned it to my wife. She read the book and began putting the system into place. After she was done I finished the book as well. Wow, there was a lot I missed by not reading the entire book!
One of the central images David Allen introduces is ‘Mind Like Water’. Evidently he got this concept from his martial arts training. The question is - when you throw a rock into a pond, how does it respond to the rock? Answer - totally appropriately. It does not tense up waiting for it to arrive, it does not ignore the rock, nor over react to it. Rather, it responds to the force applied to it. He suggests we should look to have a mind like that a ‘Mind Like Water’.
Wouldn’t it be a joy to have a mind and a life where we can respond to the world appropriately. Where we can be at peace, calm, and relaxed.
I have found working Getting Things Done has helped me to approach this place. I am not there. No. By no means am I even close. I will say, my mind is more at peace. My projects are better managed. I almost know where everything is. That is a big thing for me.
I encourage you to read Getting Things Done in its entirety and begin working the system. I think you will be glad you did.