GTD is a methodology, but in order to apply it, you must treat it like a martial art. It requires a gret deal of will and discipline to actually empty your RAM constantly. In the beginning is always nice and even fun to do it. You put all your little pieces of thoughts on your brand new GTD software or on the uber-cool paper sheet with diagrams on it and you feel relaxed and in control.
But after a while, you silently fall into your regular day-dreaming and the thoughts are starting to multiply inside your brain, giving you a strange, yet comfortable, deja-vu sensation…
When it’s actually the time to start again on this habit? When you can say you already master this habit? What takes it to master the empty your RAM kata? Hard to tell exactly, because each and everyone individual is different and has different methods, but I can tell you when you must start again. Or, at least, what are my simptoms of a crowded and tired RAM:
- Whenever I feel I am not doing enough, this means it’s time to have another RAM empty session. Most likely, this session will be full of Someday/Maybe items, because it’s the pressure of the future that keeps you to be productive in the present, and most of what you think you think are barely negative emotions that you need to give a mental body.
- My reflecting face in the mirror is grumpy. You should never ever have a grumpy face in the mirror. Early in the morning face must be a smiley one. If you have grumpy face immediatley after you wake up, you must throw up your brains.
- If you can’t imagine the output of a thing you do. Whenever I am starting something I have two approaches: one is to do without thinking, and be caught in the flow, and the second is to have a clear model of the output and stick with it as a silent witness along the whole process of doing. In the first case, I just do stuff with all my energy, in the second, I closely follow a mental representation of my goal. But if I can’t imagine what and why am I doing at all, it means I have to much dust on my lights and I need to wash the synapse car immediately.
- If the planning of your actions and the whole GTD process had won more than 25% of your time. If you just make plans all the time you will never find time to do. So, it’s time to break out all the little walls in your brain that kept you to move forward.
- Name your own. I am sure you have one too… 🙂
