New In Conversation with Theo Compernolle

[John Forrister]

For this In Conversation interview, David talks with Theo Compernolle, a doctor with a 35-year background in medicine, psychiatry, teaching, and research. Throughout his varied career, Dr. Compernolle has had a keen interest in stress management and how to use our most important tool -- the brain. His most recent book is Brain Chains, which you've heard David mention several times recently. You'll find this interview to be educational, and perhaps challenging, as you learn that we may be using technology in counter-productive ways.

https://gettingthingsdone.com/connect/multimedia/audio.php?titleid=689&trackid=1315

 

[Longstreet]

Thanks, John!

 

[John Forrister]

I read Brain Chains on my iPad. Of course that had me wondering about how much I think I'm multitasking on my iPad and computer.

I even took this test.
https://sites.google.com/site/liberateyourbrain/home/do-you-need-this-book

After you've listened to the interview, and whether or not you've read the book, I'm very interested to hear what GTD Connect members have to say about the ideas.

 

[GTD-Sweden]

Thanks for a great interview and topic!

Some reflections:

1 Compernolle has and interesting background, going from clinical psychology to the business side of it.

2 And his focus on how the new information technology, especially the smart phone, is a new stress factor is fascinating. The brain is high-jacked by the highly addictive e-mail. A good insight for me anyway.

3 Its further fascinating to get a lecture of how the brain works, for example that it is constituted of a massive network and how the reflective brain functions.

4 We also learn about leaving the e-mails for doing some important predefined work in the morning - a good advice.

5 So we should leave the phone sometimes for stress reasons. I wonder - It might be a good advice to get a notepad and use that as a capture tool instead of the phone sometimes? People not doing the GTD technique (that is 99.9 % of the persons I engage with on a daily bases…) might think you are rude, doing some texting on Facebook and so on. And, as bonus, you will get the low-stress benefit of shutting down you phone, as Compernolle advices.

 

[GTD-Sweden]

Further thoughts after a second listening - interesting also how GTD maps to Compernolle´s third Archiving brain and that he´s work and the GTD method meets head on in that GTD helps us to ”optimize” the function of the powerful Reflective brain. That is - we are not disturbed and interrupted by the need of buying cat food (as David always says).