\n
I want to talk about one of the more mysterious best practices in the GTD\u00ae methodology: the art of speeding up by slowing down.<\/p>\n
I am making the assumption that all of you reading this are on some track of improvement and growth to begin with. I mean, why speed up, instead of slow down, as an end-result? If we were here to merely fulfill entropy, the thicker, duller, slower, and generally more unconscious we became, the more on track we would experience ourselves. I have to admit I do have some component inside of me that seems to align with that\u2014my comedy team of Sloth and Indolence, with their cute little assistant, Gravity. Pretty seductive, especially as I move into my later years, to give in to that siren\u2019s call.<\/p>\n
There is a more dynamic and more \u201creal\u201d part of me, though. It is naturally buoyant, has direction, is continually expansive and is in upward movement. The trick is how to maximize my alignment with that. If someone asked me whether I would consider expressing that with more effort instead of less, I would say, no, I\u2019m not interested. (For me, increasing productivity means getting a result with as little effort as possible.) But if what we\u2019re getting to here is how to truly access more and more of that refreshing, rewarding, and fulfilling aspect of ourselves, is \u201cworking harder\u201d required to get there\u2026? No.<\/p>\n
One of the subtlest ways that positive energy retreats from us is in our busy-ness. Losing perspective in trying to control everything, finish it all, fix it all\u2014all at once. It shows up in ways like practicing Getting Things Done\u00ae out of frustration instead of inspiration, or helping yourself and others out of compulsion, not compassion.<\/p>\n
One of the greatest lessons I have learned and continually must practice is that in order to really be in control, I must surrender. In the martial arts things must be held lightly. Grabbing too tight, whether it\u2019s my muscles, my ego, my trowel, or my lists of projects and actions, can be dangerous and ultimately ineffective. I must at a moment\u2019s notice be ready to let go, walk away from it all, and do nothing. Nothing at all. As a matter of fact, your ability to do nothing\u2014to be idle, to daydream, to nap peacefully, to give yourself permission for 100% zoning out\u2014is a hallmark of GTD maturity. And if you don\u2019t believe me, just read the plethora of new data from the cognitive scientists about the need for the brain to rest\u2014daily. That\u2019s a bit tough to do, though, unless you\u2019re REALLY onto the GTD game.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I want to talk about one of the more mysterious best practices in the GTD\u00ae methodology: the art of speeding up by slowing down. I am making the assumption that all of you reading this are on some track of improvement and growth to begin with. I mean, why speed up, instead of slow down, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7034342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,116511,116512],"tags":[12716,15893],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7034341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-free-resources","category-productivity-tips","tag-productive","tag-slowing"],"yoast_head":"\n
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