“All that is very well,” answered Candide, “but let us cultivate our garden.”
-Voltaire
I was fuming. I could feel the blood surging up to my head, fuelling a litany of judgmental thoughts. Brexit. Trump. That maniac on the M1. Something had gotten ahold of me, and my wife’s normally pleasant country walk was now accompanied – not by songbirds – but ranting and huffs.
Then came the pop. Coming down the steep hill past the horses, my ankle had had enough. I was due to get on a plane later that day for an extended trip coaching abroad. “Why me?” I thought, limping home on my long-suffering companion-turned-crutch. “Because,” came the voice in my head, “you weren’t watching your next step.”
I find the Getting Things Done® (GTD®) methodology not only an excellent way to organise and live one’s life, but an interesting way to think about life itself. That is, answering “What’s your desired outcome?” and “What’s the next step?” are not only good ways to clear out your inbox, but to place your focus where it counts.
Doing so has become more precious than ever. Walking past the newspapers on display outside our local shop, or browsing social media on some ubiquitous screen, it seems to me that so many headlines are engineered to provoke indignation and outrage. The topics vary, but the intent is the same. And most of these topics are not (and should not be) anywhere on my project list.
Why then did I let “Take lovely walk with lovely person in lovely countryside” get overtaken by the unplanned action “Pontificate about unpleasant situation largely outside my control”? I suppose the grandiose is tantalising. The mythological Greek figure of Tantalus – from whom we get the word -was condemned to hungrily eye seemingly low-hanging fruit, only to have it recede just beyond his grasp whenever he reached out.
More and more, I’ve come to conclude that real satisfaction lies in sticking to my own areas of focus. Within those “gardens” that are mine to tend lies not only pleasure but productivity – real fruits that I can enjoy. Staying resourceful, controlling what I can control, and supporting those around me won’t win me any prizes. But it certainly has deep rewards.
Now, I’m not advocating a cloistered life, or one spent in isolation from the zeitgeist. It just seems to me that in a world that has become increasingly adept at pulling our attention away from the real work that is ours to do, continually returning to well-defined actions and outcomes has become something of a survival skill. The alternatives are simply too painful.
So if, like me, you’ve been limping along in a grumpy haze, I encourage you to consider what is yours to do, create a system to help you do it well, and mind your step as you go. If nothing else, you will save on ankle bandages and paracetamol.
Be well. Mind how you go.
Brilliant! And perfect! Thank you!
Great! Glad that was helpful, Tamara.
This was a wonderful piece! Such great advice for all of us. Thanks for sharing!
Glad that resonated! 🙂
The most successful times in my life, with the highest achievements, were the times when I ignored a big part of the world outside there; I mean outside of my personal private and working sphere.
I mean: In phases when I really have much to do (also private, not only in the job), I do reduce my media consumption (TV, newspapers, Internet info channels) to an absolute minimum – because of lack of time.
And the result is: Great results in my personal goals, and only a little feeling of discomfort because of not being current with ‘city and world happenings’.
So I fully agree to you, Robert!
But unfortunately – when I have more free available time – I sometimes fall into the trap of too much media, and too much being confronted with things that cannot be changed by me, or worse – that are not really interesting me, and therefore are not helpful in achieving my own goals. But I think that’s human. From time to time it should be allowed to be lazy, and let a day pass by uselessly and monkey-minded.
Hi Klaus,
That’s great, and I too often find that in my “downtime” I am most tempted to veer into areas that are outside my control and toxic. I think it’s a great challenge to “productively do nothing”–that is, to have the confidence to disengage with the lists and be “lazy”, but also direct that laziness in ways that are restorative and uplifting. Something I’m certainly still working on, so thanks for sharing this.
Best,
Robert
Hi Robert,
let me add one more thought at this “productively do nothing” point (a really good phrase).
I’m an enthusiastic GTD practitioner since 2013, and I think I have understood it and I have really implemented it in most parts. My proof against myself is that I often have a free mind (especially when my inboxes are at Level Zero).
The nice thing of being “lazy” as a GTD’er, in whatever activity this is realized, is the fact, that my lists are always supporting me. I mean if I do nothing and let myself fall into a hole today because I have no motivation – this is fully ok and normal human behavior. And the good news: It doesn’t matter concerning my commitments because my system is holding all the relevant things during my “downtime”. I can fully dive into the abyss of life (e.g. partying, hiking, enjoying nature; or simply watching a senseless weak-minded sitcom), and afterwards, on the next day, my System says to me: “Hi Klaus, have you had a good time? I have been waiting for you. Look here what nice things I have stored for you.”
And I answer: “Thank you, System! I didn’t remember all these things. But my battery is fully loaded now because of my weak-minded-deep-dive. Let’s start into the brand-new day!”
Best
Klaus
It’s a brilliant feeling, isn’t it? And you describe it very well. David has often said: “You can only feel good about what you’re not doing when you know what you’re not doing–completely.” Having it all “bookmarked” gives that confidence. And I agree–it totally changes “guilty laziness” into “productively doing nothing”.