Getting the Right Things Done

Dear Essentialists:

Essentialism means getting the right things done.

This is why I was so pleased to have David Allen (author of "Getting Things Done") as my guest on this week's episode of the podcast. Listen here.

One key insight from the interview is, "Your head is great for lots of things but not great as an office." 

Are you using your mind as an office? Does it feel crammed full? Do you ever feel you have too many tabs open at once?

According to this interview, our minds can juggle no more than two things at one time before we experience cognitive decline. Any more than that and our productivity is compromised. While we can multitask, we cannot multifocus. 

You do put this into practice right now by doing the following: 

1. Pick one item that has got your attention.
2. Decide what done looks like for that item.
3. If you can get it done within the next minute or two, do it now.

You may be surprised at how getting one thing done generates momentum for you. You may do another item and then another. And each time you free up mental space. It's a cleansing process. And with each completed item you can feel yourself reaching a more creative state. Such is the power of getting the right things done. 

Essentialism isn't just a way of thinking. It is a way of doing too. 

Thank you, for reading this. I really appreciate it. 

Greg

p.s. A shout out to Megan S who writes, "I'm loving these 1-Minute Wednesdays! They are genius. Thank you so much for doing this." If these have been helpful to you too, please consider sharing them with one person who could benefit.