The Habit Of Finishing Things

One of the greatest challenges to keeping an empty head is maintaining the drill of processing our interactions to closure. In the course of our day, we often generate much more value-added thinking and many more agreements with ourselves and others than we realize, especially in the context of conversations and communications.

Whom have you talked with in the last 24 hours--personally and professionally? What did you tell yourself (or any of them) that you or they would/could/should/ought to do, in any of that? Any ideas, information or perspectives show up that could be important downstream?

I still have to work with myself to ensure I've captured, decided, and tracked all the commitments and creativity that happen with phone calls, meetings, social interactions, and even random communications in the hallways. I do know that this is one of the sources of the free-floating anxiety many people experience relative to the gnawing sense of overwhelm that is so pervasive. It seems that there is an unconscious part of us that hangs onto all of those incomplete creations. It is a part that will not let go until it can trust those agreements have been kept or re-negotiated with ourselves.

And we have so many interactions! Studies quoted in the Wall Street Journal indicate that the typical professional handles over 170 in a typical work day. Wow.

This is why it is critical that we all take time every day to process this stuff. What did I tell Bob I was going to do? What did Kathryn say I should pick up next time I'm at the hardware store? Who's got the next action on the project we decided needed doing at the staff meeting?

You already have handy trigger lists to help with this review:

* the Sent folder in your email program
* the Call Log on your cell phone
* the Calendar with your appointments
* and likely others that are unique to your personal and professional environment

Scanning those may remind you of something you forgot to capture, whether it's a creative idea, an agreement you made, or an action you'll want to take in the future.

Review the day, capture what needs tracking, and then get some sleep.

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You can find out more about David Allen and GTD at www.davidco.com.

The David Allen Company is a professional training, coaching, and management consulting organization, based in Ojai, California. Its purpose is to enhance performance and improve the quality of life by providing the world's best information, education, and products in the fields of personal productivity and work/life balance.

Comments

[capitalismisntamoral]

I'm sure you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs characterization of personality types.
It's been a while, but one of the axes of their model concerns making decisions. To
paraphrase, some people tend to either make decisions easily and quickly while others
like to keep their options open.

Your method of persuading people to adopt your methods is that they will feel less stressed and
overwhelmed, iff they do what you suggest.

People make decisions on different time scales. If someone likes to keep his options open and often do
things on the spur of the moment, wouldn't it be MORE stressful for such a person to force herself to make
decisions too quickly and to have to keep exact track of all her open loops? Her unconscious mind is already keeping track anyway.

[JSBock]

With respect, your comment demonstrates a deeper understanding of MBTI preferences than of David Allen's Getting Things Done. Yes indeed, as a strong Perceiver on one of the four MBTI axes I do prefer to put off making final decisions until they must be made. (Who knows what pertinent information will show up between now and then? Having to undo a hasty decision is inefficient and stressful.) However, if you get familiar with GTD, you'll discover that it encourages us to defer decisions until we have enough information. GTD includes a method for deferring decisions while simultaneously reducing stress. GTD simply suggests that you move the deferred decisions out of your inbox, onto a list that includes the date by which you need to decide. Your unconscious will feel the relief, just because you consciously decided not to decide -- yet -- and kept track of that in a place outside your mind. Believe me, I still drive those on the Judging end of that axis crazy, but at least they know I will keep my agreements and decide in time. They don't have to rely on my unconscious reminding me of due dates, because the item is tracked externally.

[kellygrrrl]

It helps to make little points along the way to at least FEEL like you're finishing something.

Like "graduation" from Kindergarten, Elem. School, Jr. High, High School - give yourself that opportunity of celebrating something completed -- even though you are clear that it is just another step in your Education.

[demican]

I just wanted to read whatever was behind that captivating photo. That little guy is representative of the computer generation for sure.

[dadw5boys]

Buy a home then you will realize that nothing is every really finished. But you will remember every nail, every screw and every bucket of paint.