Uneasy Rhetoric

Merlin Mann posts a tid-bit about someone who had an “a-ha” moment regarding the Getting Things Done “system.” That person’s epiphany also happens to reflect why I prefer GTD to Covey and the Franklin system:

The best summary is on page 19 [of the book]: “The real issue is how to make appropriate choices about what to do at any point in time. The real issue is how we manage actions.”

A commenter to Mann’s post also suggests:

GTD is about clearing my mind and reducing my anxiety until I can actually think about whatever’s actually in front of me.

I want to be able to get a handle on all of life’s little projects and achieve Allen’s “mind like water” state so that I have the headspace for bigger issues.

I always found Covey’s system a little too rigid, and a little too focused on the big picture. But reading this comment to Merlin’s post makes me wonder if maybe I should go back to Covey and see if there are elements of Seven Habits I can adapt to GTD:

I shied away from full-monty GTD after a change in projects at work. The stark reality of what I had to do, and the fact that it didn’t get me anywhere near The Big Nouns, was causing more anxiety. [...] In the long run, it’s probably better to keep yourself aware of the deviation between your necessary next actions and your goals. When the right thing comes along you will recognize it.

The truth is, I’m a long way from internalizing any organizational system, but GTD was the first organizational book I’d read where I really felt excited about the possibility of getting my discombobulated self in order.