Precision Change

In a recent episode on the Precision Change podcast David Allen, the “productivity guru” as he is called, offers some great high-level reflections on the importance of his GTD system. Using the dichotomy of being and doing David says that [I’m paraphrasing] if you want to “just be” see how long you can be [...]

Much of the productivity material on the web focuses on hacks, tips, and tricks to increase productivity at work–learning keyboard shortcuts, installing new organizing software, keeping a time log, reducing distractions, etc. This is all fine information, but if we implement these techniques of becoming more productive and are just as stressed, we have failed at the most important thing: becoming stress-free, happy people.

Autokinetics is the first technique I’ve ever seen to explicitly help you access an energized, creative flow state in 10 minutes or less. It’s also a perfect counterpoint to systems like GTD because it involves no “work” whatsoever, and actually cultivates an effortless, purposeless state of mind and body where creativity flows like a fountain, and doing and being merge into easeful activity. In Clay Collins‘ language, it is the ultimate “anti-hack.”

What do people really want from being more productive?

By getting more things done, we believe we will make more money, have more time, and therefore have more happiness. But what are you going to do with that money and time? …

Almost everyone writing, speaking, or participating in personal development is trying too hard. Our culture is infused with an ethic of being the best, raising the bar, endlessly achieving more. What ever happened to good enough?

I just read a short book called The Underachiever’s Manifesto: The Guide to Accomplishing Little and Feeling Great by Ray Bennett, M.D. It’s appropriately very short–you can read it in 30 minutes, after which you feel you accomplished something…something very small. …