{"id":143525,"date":"2021-06-03T12:24:23","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T12:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.next-action.co.uk\/?p=143525"},"modified":"2021-06-03T12:41:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T12:41:30","slug":"gtd-from-the-top-episode-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.next-action.co.uk\/2021\/06\/03\/gtd-from-the-top-episode-6\/","title":{"rendered":"GTD From the Top – Episode 6"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n \u00adWelcome back to GTD\u00ae from the Top. In this series I\u2019m aiming to distil the core ideas behind the Getting Things Done\u00ae methodology into easily digestible bites. I\u2019m hoping that you\u2019ll use this series to reflect on how GTD might better help you or your organisation to be as productive, fulfilled, and stress-free as you want to be.<\/p>\n \u00ad<\/span><\/sub>Earlier in the series we explored the fundamental nature of our\u00a0commitments<\/em><\/a>, and the importance of both\u00a0achieving<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0maintaining<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>as concepts to understand our productivity.\u00a0 In the third edition I looked at the importance of\u00a0envisioning outcomes<\/em><\/a>\u00a0as a way to influence both what happens in the future and to optimise our current engagement with our world.\u00a0 In episode four I explored\u00a0best practices in organising<\/em><\/a>\u00a0the information we use to keep ourselves productive when we want to be, and undistracted when we don\u2019t.\u00a0 In the last edition<\/a> I considered what\u2019s necessary to make sure that your organizational system is set up and maintained so that it provides optimal support.<\/p>\n In this last episode in the series, I\u2019ll look at how we can best choose, minute to minute, what to focus on.\u00a0 In a world that provides us with a steady stream of options, some of them productive and some of them unproductive alternatives (options that feel, in the moment at least, like procrastination), how do we choose optimally?\u00a0 How can we trust that we are regularly focused on the things that are best for us, in that moment?<\/p>\n Not everyone is used to making such thoughtful decisions.\u00a0 In my years of working with clients I\u2019ve seen many who regularly don\u2019t give these decisions much thought.\u00a0 Rather than decide themselves, they delegate the responsibility of making the decision to the universe.\u00a0 They focus on the latest email that\u2019s arrived in their inbox or the last message in their Microsoft Teams channel.\u00a0 Why steer myself when the world seems so willing to steer for me?<\/p>\n How many of us have allowed ourselves to be driven by their email inbox?\u00a0 I certainly have.\u00a0 You might reasonably ask what the problem with that approach is.\u00a0 Hey, the thinking goes, at least I\u2019m busy.\u00a0 If the boss checks, I\u2019m engaged in something that looks like it\u2019s helpful to the organisation.<\/p>\n The next time you\u2019re tempted to let the world steer, try this experiment.\u00a0 Write down the top five things that are important to you over the next few months. Then check your email inbox or your Slack channels.\u00a0 How many of those things that are important to you are represented on the first page?\u00a0 Not that many, I\u2019m guessing.\u00a0 So the downside of letting the world steer is that your inbox\u2019s estimation of what should have your attention is at odds with your better-informed judgement about what\u2019s important to you.<\/p>\n So, if you were going to steer yourself, what would you consider to ensure that you were consistently choosing the things that deserved to have your attention?\u00a0 What might get in the way of making optimal decisions, and how would you avoid those obstacles?<\/p>\nEpisode 6: Where should your focus be?<\/h3>\n