passing the buck (part 1)

[nudone]

here's a question and an observation i have...

it's just occurred to me that i have several list taking 'devices'. i have notebooks from years ago, bits of scrap paper - also from years ago, note taking software - things like 'texnotes' and 'mylife organized' and i'll even include 'surfulator'. i've a pocket pc - with lists on it, of course and then there's ms outlook. and, there's always that carousel of lists/ideas floating around in my head at any given moment in time.

so, what's my point?

i've used for a brief period and then abandoned each of these note/list recording devices (except for my own head) and then tried to find another method of keeping the information stored. i've put the blame onto the device for not magically transforming me into a 'doer' rather than a 'dreamer'. i fear that this is just going to happen again with the next method i take up.

the problem is that i'm just rewriting the lists - maybe this is good as it allows me to weed things out - but it obviously wastes time as there really shouldn't be a need to keep blaming the 'device' and then moving onto a new one. i've now reached the point that i've become sceptical that a list taking method/device will work - which is not something i like as i'm obviously being prejudiced and blaming the tools rather than the workman (which is me in this case).

i'm wondering if this is a common reason for GTD failure?

if anyone knows of a way that i can stop blaming the tools then please let me know. thanks.

[danielburs]

Good point. As people often say, learning new productivity software is a great way to procrastinate real productivity. (so is posting to lists like this).

Sticking to one thing is among the hardest things we learn - we've been trained out of it for our whole lives - alternatives galore - the great American way seems to say that a wide range of choices is equal to true freedom - while many spiritual traditions say, well, the opposite.

Pare down the choices. Take a moment when you're about to make a change, when you're in that discomfort of "now I'm getting down to work - it's a sign to make a cup of coffee (check the news, email, pee, whatever) - just sit in that discomfort for a moment. Next time, after the moment, think what drives the  discomfort. Try that a few times - just being aware of it is an important first step.

My 7 year old dear son is often saying "I know, Dad" - but the fact is, there's knowledge that is gained from information, and there's knowledge that is gained from experience (usually kinesthetic experience, but not only), and they are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. So, learning to do the same thing over and over is valuable, and not something that can be learned any other way than just doing it.

So just do it. Stick to your routines - they will set you free. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true.

[urlwolf]

Nudone,

I don't have the stats but I think most of us produce more ideas than we can actually, realistically implement. Having unfinished stuff is normal. Not every idea we weed out is a concious decision, sometime we 'procrastinate it out'

I think your feeling of unsatisfaction has less to do with the bucket you use than with the actual fact that we cannot follow up every idea that comes up. I'm struggling with this at the moment as well.