…the central principal: Be Trust-Worthy
Why
Trust is not achieved through mental exercise alone; you’re much too smart for that. Becoming trust-worthy is the fruit of keeping commitments that you make, regardless of whether those commitments are to yourself or to others. Out of this trust grows the holy grail of self-confidence – no wonder there is such a thriving community of GTD enthusiasts on the web.
David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” (GTD) system creates an environment where every single one of those commitments that we make is recorded and tracked. As you manage your commitments more effectively, your foundational trust strengthens in tandem. Greater and greater feelings of confidence arise as you follow down the path to GTD. This all stems from an internal knowing that you will make the best choice and that you will ‘get done’ what you say you will ‘get done’.
Allen’s techniques teach you to to be keenly aware of everything that you allow into the spectrum of your life; to scrutinize each idea, email, and friendly request with a sharp eye – all with the understanding that this is really your well-being that we’re talking about.
As he states in the book,
“You’ve probably made many more agreements with yourself than you realize, and every single one of them -big or little- is being tracked by a less-than-conscious part of you.”
Commitments and Our Shrinking Bank Accounts
Stephen Covey refers to the existance of an emotional bank account that each of us have; and this is precisely what David Allen addresses with his system – How to keep it full of deposits. It works like so:
or
Here’s are some common examples:
The gym, errands, appointments, etc.
How
The powerful practice of capturing every bit of information that you deem important is the foundation for building this trust. To be like David Allen, one must live (and work) with a high level of discipline. This is not something that can be so easily taught, but it is something that can be learned – let me explain. The trick is being mentally prepared to accept the fact that good things never come easy. It is the journey, the experiences we have, as we strive towards a goal that make it worthwhile. If such things were effortless, living a fullfilling life would be the norm, not the exception. Likewise, we would never know the joy and satisfaction that comes from conquering obstacles and achieving those goals. Life would be pretty dull.
Lucky for us, life is not dull. It’s full of challenges – and with each new challenges comes an opportunity to grow and know what it means to truly and fully experience all that life has to offer.
In closing, A Favorite Quote:
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all
– Helen Keller