So about GTD. I thought of the two biggest things:
1. So if I had to summarize this in a sentence: "putting all-level projects and actions (life-goals to shopping lists) in my scope.
I've done a tremendous amount of work -- lifetimes worth of work -- in writing 1.4 million words in 4 polished books, multiple blogs, and have designed 7 websites. All of those were in "my free time" believe it or not. It's been up to me to publish and market that stuff and get paid for it or, at the very least, utilize ALL of that incredibly wise, beautiful, intelligent writing (of which I know NO ONE whose my age who has done so much qualitative, prolific work) as leverage for success in acting, performance, and/or motivation for which I'll get paid. HOWEVER....I get swept up in friends' bands to see, my brother's games, dinners with parents, arranging apartment moving, getting exercise, all of that "low-level" life stuff and forget about a book I wrote and need to emerge to the world!! David Allen talks about different elevations of actions and projects. Most ALL of my writing is at 50,000 feet -- life-goals, spirituality, beliefs. Then there'se 40,000 feet, consisting of 3-5-year goals, then so on, 20,000 is responsibility, 10,000 is projects and actions and then there's runway, which is always the NEXT action to take (like make a phone call, write an email, get this grocerty item, etc.) Because my writing caused me to operate in the 50,000 level (Which is GREAT and unique and RARE for someone my age, which is why I'm truly wired and on track for massive success), the GTD system allowed me to put ALL levels in my scope. So I could be out grocery shopping for vegetables, but still know that if I checked my projects, reference, and maybe/someday files back at home, I'd "remember" all these other HUGE projects I have going on!
2. The second reason why it's so helpful (and this is really a subcategory of the first reason) is that if someone gave me a business card or a free "gym" class coupon or ANY piece of paper throughout the day, I'd flip out. I wouldn't know what to do with it. I remember one time at this yoga studio in LA and these yoga instructors gave me a free class coupon and I shirked away and they laughed because they said I looked so afraid. They thought I was afraid of "yoga people", which wasn't the case. I was afraid of another piece of paper that was "time-specific" (could only be used on a certain day) that I wouldn't know what to do with. I felt like I had to KEEP in my mental RAM all these books to publish, motivational speaking to do, acting to do and make a career out of FOR CERTAIN, and then I felt like I'd "lose that" by doing simple daily tasks. But you don't lose that! Acting is my passion. it's what I CHOSE to do my junior year in high school. I already made that decision!!! I knew that's what I wanted to do. I've just doubted my decision, or eclipsed myself that I've made it because of lower level (10,000 to runway) to dos. So GTD keeps in check, my decision to do acting, while having things smoothly be added, editted, deleted, adn organized into my life.
3. The bottom line: I'm more aware of EVERYTHING that's an active project in my life and am trying to do versus stuff that's just reference or stuff that's not even in my system and shouldn't be!
Does that make sense? It was just the PERFECT book for me at this time because I'm really NOT "just writing a book for 5 months" and am NOT "just doing a 9-5 web design job". I'm juggling multiple careers, multiple career venues and horizons, and using all of my inteligent and AWESOME writing as leverage and/or as a direct source of income. I was shocked how swept up I got into other MINOR projects that caused me to negelct ENTIRE books I had read!
So this is moving towards the ONE thing and I think it's this: By always keeping fresh in my mind the scope of all my current projects, actions, someday/mabye ideas, and references for those things, I'm CRYSTAL CLEAR on how much I have going on and this gives me the energy and certainty to regain my time and say "No" when necessary. That's it. If someone asks if they want to help them with their project for a few days, and they won't pay me, and I wouldn't get much out if, "no way in hell would I do that"! I just look at my current projects and see something like
1. Keeping old schools up to date of my accomplishments
2. Recording, uploading, and editing Youtube videos.
3. Working on 6 books to publish
4. Look into motivational speaking/ life coachign certifications
5. Create motivational seminar workshop
6. Leadership adventure program -- look into design and lead it.
7. Survivor application -- contact them for a response.
8. Acting -- look into classes, and more auditions
9. Audio Recordings -- upload some more
10. Online Income -- add "checkout system" to my lifecoaching, audio recordings, and other info online.
11. Keep 4 blogs updated
12. Publish John Kooz site
13. Refine VYL site (with blog)
14. HEalth -- stay healthy
15. Life long-term goals -- health, career, gf, freinds
16. Relocat to a CA and/or ELE environment
17. Refine "one and the same video" upload it.
18. Keep in touch with GTD, psych, rottentomaties, song meanings forums.
19. Keep in touch with friends through Facebook, Gmail, and Myspace.
20. Possibly look into sales.
21.
And that VALIDATES MY TIME. I'm MUCH more focused on me and on my time. Before gTD, I'd forget that I wanted to publish my books, and forget that I'm working on a personal bio site, etc. for example, and I'd be like "sure, I could sacrifice a few random days" for some person out of selflessness. now, I'm like NO WAY IN HELL!!! Iv'e got so much going on. This is GREAT and seriously nourishing to my life because it means that the QUALITY of events I do decide to partake in, for me to even consider them, will have to have a HIGH quality in their nature and will have to genuinely further my career, sucess, health, friends, and/or happiness. That's a GREAT thing to know. To know that with this system, I'll say "no" to events that would have wasted my time or things that I've already tried like trying to do book publishing is something, in part, that I've tried a lot of , it's important to remember that, to move forward as much as possible.
"With GTD I keep my current projects, actions, desires, and references in check, in my scope -- fresh in my mind -- so that I control my time and and life more by, frankly, saying "no" to other things, people, conversations, and/or events that would be incredibly incongruent or not relevant to my time." I've spent SOOO many years just being around people and knowing that those relationships were ToTALLY incongruent and irrelevant to my life direction, goals, projects, and tasks. Now, with all my projects, tasks, actions, desires, and references in "view" like "emerged on my mental surface", the only thing that makes sense to me now is interacting with highly successful people, actors, performers, great motivational speakers and/or authors, and/or people just HIGHLY emotionally evolved!! Taking command of my personal projects and life, instantly transfers to being able to take command of whom and whom I don't interact with.
Like at the bar the other night. I had a decent, good, cordial conversation with this 25 year-old woman and we talked about baseball teams and she was giving me a hard time about liking the cubs, and I just queued up in my mind like "current projects of " "publish books, get into acting, move to CA, focus on health, etc." and I was like. This woman is a moron. She's stuck in some chicago-view where one sports team is better than the other, I don't have time for this, and then was just like "okay, I have to go!". Arguing over which sports team is better is just WAY too myopic for me. I went on to have MUCH more meaningful and rewarding conversations. Without GTD I would have likely WASTED my time and continued that conversation for a few more hours, or who knows, longer!! yikes!
So I guess the most succinct AWESOME effect of GTD is it gives me the incentive to more quickly, tactfully, and appropriately, "say no" to stupid things that get proposed to me throughout my daily life while engaging only the rewarding progressive experiences!!!
1. So if I had to summarize this in a sentence: "putting all-level projects and actions (life-goals to shopping lists) in my scope.
I've done a tremendous amount of work -- lifetimes worth of work -- in writing 1.4 million words in 4 polished books, multiple blogs, and have designed 7 websites. All of those were in "my free time" believe it or not. It's been up to me to publish and market that stuff and get paid for it or, at the very least, utilize ALL of that incredibly wise, beautiful, intelligent writing (of which I know NO ONE whose my age who has done so much qualitative, prolific work) as leverage for success in acting, performance, and/or motivation for which I'll get paid. HOWEVER....I get swept up in friends' bands to see, my brother's games, dinners with parents, arranging apartment moving, getting exercise, all of that "low-level" life stuff and forget about a book I wrote and need to emerge to the world!! David Allen talks about different elevations of actions and projects. Most ALL of my writing is at 50,000 feet -- life-goals, spirituality, beliefs. Then there'se 40,000 feet, consisting of 3-5-year goals, then so on, 20,000 is responsibility, 10,000 is projects and actions and then there's runway, which is always the NEXT action to take (like make a phone call, write an email, get this grocerty item, etc.) Because my writing caused me to operate in the 50,000 level (Which is GREAT and unique and RARE for someone my age, which is why I'm truly wired and on track for massive success), the GTD system allowed me to put ALL levels in my scope. So I could be out grocery shopping for vegetables, but still know that if I checked my projects, reference, and maybe/someday files back at home, I'd "remember" all these other HUGE projects I have going on!
2. The second reason why it's so helpful (and this is really a subcategory of the first reason) is that if someone gave me a business card or a free "gym" class coupon or ANY piece of paper throughout the day, I'd flip out. I wouldn't know what to do with it. I remember one time at this yoga studio in LA and these yoga instructors gave me a free class coupon and I shirked away and they laughed because they said I looked so afraid. They thought I was afraid of "yoga people", which wasn't the case. I was afraid of another piece of paper that was "time-specific" (could only be used on a certain day) that I wouldn't know what to do with. I felt like I had to KEEP in my mental RAM all these books to publish, motivational speaking to do, acting to do and make a career out of FOR CERTAIN, and then I felt like I'd "lose that" by doing simple daily tasks. But you don't lose that! Acting is my passion. it's what I CHOSE to do my junior year in high school. I already made that decision!!! I knew that's what I wanted to do. I've just doubted my decision, or eclipsed myself that I've made it because of lower level (10,000 to runway) to dos. So GTD keeps in check, my decision to do acting, while having things smoothly be added, editted, deleted, adn organized into my life.
3. The bottom line: I'm more aware of EVERYTHING that's an active project in my life and am trying to do versus stuff that's just reference or stuff that's not even in my system and shouldn't be!
Does that make sense? It was just the PERFECT book for me at this time because I'm really NOT "just writing a book for 5 months" and am NOT "just doing a 9-5 web design job". I'm juggling multiple careers, multiple career venues and horizons, and using all of my inteligent and AWESOME writing as leverage and/or as a direct source of income. I was shocked how swept up I got into other MINOR projects that caused me to negelct ENTIRE books I had read!
So this is moving towards the ONE thing and I think it's this: By always keeping fresh in my mind the scope of all my current projects, actions, someday/mabye ideas, and references for those things, I'm CRYSTAL CLEAR on how much I have going on and this gives me the energy and certainty to regain my time and say "No" when necessary. That's it. If someone asks if they want to help them with their project for a few days, and they won't pay me, and I wouldn't get much out if, "no way in hell would I do that"! I just look at my current projects and see something like
1. Keeping old schools up to date of my accomplishments
2. Recording, uploading, and editing Youtube videos.
3. Working on 6 books to publish
4. Look into motivational speaking/ life coachign certifications
5. Create motivational seminar workshop
6. Leadership adventure program -- look into design and lead it.
7. Survivor application -- contact them for a response.
8. Acting -- look into classes, and more auditions
9. Audio Recordings -- upload some more
10. Online Income -- add "checkout system" to my lifecoaching, audio recordings, and other info online.
11. Keep 4 blogs updated
12. Publish John Kooz site
13. Refine VYL site (with blog)
14. HEalth -- stay healthy
15. Life long-term goals -- health, career, gf, freinds
16. Relocat to a CA and/or ELE environment
17. Refine "one and the same video" upload it.
18. Keep in touch with GTD, psych, rottentomaties, song meanings forums.
19. Keep in touch with friends through Facebook, Gmail, and Myspace.
20. Possibly look into sales.
21.
And that VALIDATES MY TIME. I'm MUCH more focused on me and on my time. Before gTD, I'd forget that I wanted to publish my books, and forget that I'm working on a personal bio site, etc. for example, and I'd be like "sure, I could sacrifice a few random days" for some person out of selflessness. now, I'm like NO WAY IN HELL!!! Iv'e got so much going on. This is GREAT and seriously nourishing to my life because it means that the QUALITY of events I do decide to partake in, for me to even consider them, will have to have a HIGH quality in their nature and will have to genuinely further my career, sucess, health, friends, and/or happiness. That's a GREAT thing to know. To know that with this system, I'll say "no" to events that would have wasted my time or things that I've already tried like trying to do book publishing is something, in part, that I've tried a lot of , it's important to remember that, to move forward as much as possible.
"With GTD I keep my current projects, actions, desires, and references in check, in my scope -- fresh in my mind -- so that I control my time and and life more by, frankly, saying "no" to other things, people, conversations, and/or events that would be incredibly incongruent or not relevant to my time." I've spent SOOO many years just being around people and knowing that those relationships were ToTALLY incongruent and irrelevant to my life direction, goals, projects, and tasks. Now, with all my projects, tasks, actions, desires, and references in "view" like "emerged on my mental surface", the only thing that makes sense to me now is interacting with highly successful people, actors, performers, great motivational speakers and/or authors, and/or people just HIGHLY emotionally evolved!! Taking command of my personal projects and life, instantly transfers to being able to take command of whom and whom I don't interact with.
Like at the bar the other night. I had a decent, good, cordial conversation with this 25 year-old woman and we talked about baseball teams and she was giving me a hard time about liking the cubs, and I just queued up in my mind like "current projects of " "publish books, get into acting, move to CA, focus on health, etc." and I was like. This woman is a moron. She's stuck in some chicago-view where one sports team is better than the other, I don't have time for this, and then was just like "okay, I have to go!". Arguing over which sports team is better is just WAY too myopic for me. I went on to have MUCH more meaningful and rewarding conversations. Without GTD I would have likely WASTED my time and continued that conversation for a few more hours, or who knows, longer!! yikes!
So I guess the most succinct AWESOME effect of GTD is it gives me the incentive to more quickly, tactfully, and appropriately, "say no" to stupid things that get proposed to me throughout my daily life while engaging only the rewarding progressive experiences!!!