On Sunday morning, I had read the paper, finished my coffee, and found myself at loose ends, with some free time on my hands. I began wandering around the house looking for things that needed doing. After replacing a few light bulbs and oiling a yard ornament, I felt that anxious “what am I forgetting?” feeling. I also realized that each of the chores I had just done was on my “Next Actions” list.
One of the prime goals of the Getting Things Done Approach (GTD) is to achieve a “mind like water” — a relaxed state of preparedness, stress-free, so you’re prepared to do things. What I was doing was trying to remember what I needed to do, and that’s never stress-free. I’d done the good work of collecting and sorting my tasks, but I wasn’t using the system. On top of that, when I update my Next Actions, I now have to remember which tasks I’ve already done.
Here’s what I should have done (and I recommend it for you, too):
- Recognize that I have available time AND energy to do SOMETHING.
- Check my Next Actions list and pick what I’m going to do that’s appropriate to my time, place, and energy level.
- Do it!
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But I, like so many, jump right into doing, and that means I’m not always doing what needs to be done, what I’m prepared for, or have the energy to complete. The three steps help us attain a state of mindfulness, being fully present. It requires that we stop and ask ourselves, “what do I do next?”, and answer the question, rather than charging into whatever we run into first.
And by regularly reviewing of my Next Actions list/folder, I find that I am more relaxed. I don’t worry about what I may be overlooking or forgetting, because using the Next Actions list/folder means I’m not overlooking or forgetting anything.
So, your challenge for today: When you find yourself with a few minutes, before you move on to taking action, make a conscious full stop and ask yourself “how much time do I have and how much energy?” Then look at your Next Actions list and choose what you will do next. I think you’ll find it remarkably freeing.
