A coaching client and I have been reviewing and discussing David Allan's excellent productivity method, Getting Things Done. If you're not familiar with it, I highly recommend the book. Allan's system is simple in concept, elegant in execution and...comprehensive.
Ordinarily "comprehensive" is a wonderful quality for a time- and project-management system. For this particular client (and me, too, come to think of it!) "comprehensive" is just a tad bit overwhelming right now. What to do?
Try This:
The next time you find yourself attracted to a new system or idea, consider the power of what I call "One Good Thing."
Ask yourself:
--What single, useful strategy I can take from the system or process?
--What single shift can I make to free up my thinking or actions?
To take advantage of new ideas without becoming overwhelmed by them, it's important to resist the temptation to think in all-or-nothing terms ("I can either implement this idea fully or put it off for another time"). Instead, review the material you'd like to use and extract a single principle to guide you. In this way, you can begin. Today.
And check back with The Relaxed Writer soon. In upcoming posts, I'll be sharing with you simple "One Good Things" I've taken from Allan's comprehensive time- and project-management system.
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