Art of stress-free productivity

Commons
#1

It seems to be an art, a technique and a practice…

David Allan, who wrote Getting Things Done, has this 22 minute TED talk on a straightforward process for creating the essential “psychic bandwidth” to being “appropriately engaged” with life unfolding around you. This has broad applications–not the least of which is approaching and calibrating ambitious creative projects (Cosmos’ own development crossed my mind while watching, natch) or even more generally–consistently taking on and succeeding at crucial work amidst outrageously proliferating demands on one’s precious time and attention.

As a creative producer (writer, filmmaker) for many years, and generally intense-thought-monger for even longer, I have developed several techniques for coordinating my time, thoughts and creative energies–as a means of survival as much as style. This talk boils down even simpler why what I do that works, works–and how go beyond, too.

Really curious to hear what others in this “scene” think about this talk, in reflection on their own creative processes, lifestyle pressures, and aspirations. <3

1 Like
#2

I HAVEN’T watched the video but have read Getting Things Done, and Making it All Work, and use it as best I can, which is likely not that well. To me, the only piece missing from Allen’s approach is that sometimes I like to move from FLOW outwards, rather than his approach with is more outside-in. Inside-out and outside-in the way to go?

#3

I haven’t watched it either, but definitely have incorporated some of Allan’s GTD over the years, and could probably use a booster shot.

His company, btw, runs on Holacracy…so there is definitely some compatibility between these methodologies, which operate respectively on personal and organizational scales.

1 Like
#4

Some good old structured commonsense here. And I would have been terribly disappointed if as a management consultant he hadn’t come up with at least one two-by-two matrix. :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes