15 Apr 07

David Allen writes:

One subtle life skill should become part of the competency set for all professionals (and all people): How fast can you get back to “ready”? How easily and rapidly can you relax and refocus when it’s necessary to do so? How good are you at creating a centered, balanced, aware, and open state of mind for the next input or impetus that emerges in your world? When something pushes your button, rings your bell, grabs your attention, bothers, upsets, engrosses, or excites you, what is your lag time to unhook from those feelings, clear the decks internally, and engage again appropriately with a fresh perspective and with the new subject/object that must now be confronted?

This, I think, is why we all need productivity systems. We need some way to keep track of what we’ve agreed to do. Even if we’ve just agreed with ourselves to do it. Especially if we’ve agreed with ourselves.

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