The next step

[Anonymous]

I've been using GTD for about six months now and the improvement has been tremendous. Less stress, more organization and the feeling that things are moving along...I think GTD is serving its primary function with me and I am satisfied.

So, my question is really about the next step. My status quo is working and now I want to move my life along further. I think this requires a top down approach to work in conjunction with GTD. What do you guys think? Can anyone recommend any books that provide a more aerial view but that are consistent with GTD?

I tried Anthony Robbins system some time ago-- called RPM-- and despite the rave reviews other people have given it, it really stressed me out. Too much focus on the big picture, constant tension between what I was doing and what I should be doing. Thus, I am looking for something more low-key that can focus me on the big picture while staying grounded in the present. Make sense?

Suggestions appreciated!

 

[Anonymous]

The Big Picture

David's treatment in GTD of looking at your life from the 10,000-foot, 20,000-foot, up to 50,000-foot levels is really pretty decent. Steven Covey's discussion on creating a personal mission statement could be valuable. Anything Tony Robbins did related to values might also be good.

There's nothing particularly magical about any of these materials. Basically you are just answering a series of questions about where you want your life to go. Questions like "What do I want on my epitaph?" or "What is really important to me?" prompt you to clarify your mission and values. Questions like "Where do I want to be (ten / five / three) years from now?" prompt you to clarify major outcomes that will take long-term effort to achieve and prompt you to make choices about the overall order in which you want to work toward them.

The value of all of this lies in the comparison between your current situation and your desired outcomes. You mention experiencing the tension between "what I was doing and what I should be doing" as though it were a problem. That tension naturally arises from the gap you perceive between your desired outcomes and your current situation. You can use this tension to motivate you to do two things. First, start initiating projects to create your desired outcomes. Second, stop, avoid, or refuse projects that don't contribute meaningfully to your desired outcomes.

Hope this is helpful.

Scott

 

[Anonymous]

next step

Scott-

This does help a lot. Thanks for your response.

It is interesting that you say there is nothing magical about the materials you suggested. David Allen's materials have been "magical" for me at the runway level. I mean, I never thought I could handle all my shifting responsibilites in such as effortless way. It really is great. I guess I am looking for something similarly magical for the big picture.

Stephen Covey talks about paradigm shifts-- for me GTD was just that a runway level. Iguess I am looking for something really different at a higher level.

 

[Scott_L_Lewis]

Magic

It is interesting that you say there is nothing magical about the materials you suggested. David Allen's materials have been "magical" for me at the runway level. I mean, I never thought I could handle all my shifting responsibilites in such as effortless way. It really is great. I guess I am looking for something similarly magical for the big picture.

This reminds me of a saying attributed to Arthur C. Clarke: "A technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic." For someone who didn't know what you were doing, the transformation in your productivity might seem magical.

I think the "magic" of life planning is similar. If you take time to think about your life's direction in a disciplined way, formulate plans to make that happen, and consistently and skillfully act on those plans over a sufficiently long period of time, you will have a satisfying life...like magic. I use the acronym FIPS to describe this. It stands for Focus, Intensity, Persistence, and Skillful means.

All that being said, there is one technique that is magical - writing things down. David touches on it in GTD. It has two magical properties. First, it is an invaluable instrument for supporting sustained thinking over a long period of time. Second, writing down desired outcomes just seems to do something to your brain to start moving you toward them. I've occasionally looked through some old written goals and found that I had realized some of them. All I remember consciously doing to pursue the goals was to write them down. Over the intervening period, I "just did" whatever it took to make them happen. I've seen the book Write It Down Make It Happen by Henriette Klauser mentioned a couple of times recently. I haven't read it, but when I start seeing a book repeatedly cited, I start thinking I ought to.

While I'm in book recommendation mode, if you are in to Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), you might want to take a look at "The Secret of Creating Your Future" by Tad James. It covers a lot of what we've discussed, but also adds some NLP techniques for dealing with sabotaging emotions.