I have been a good disciple of David Allen’s Getting Things Done for several years now. Finding GTD was life changing and getting it to stick has been difficult. Tonight, I found the dark side of GTD.
I have done a very good job of keeping my mind empty, my commitments clear and tracking my deadlines. The one part of Getting Things Done that I have been doing poorly is renegotiating my commitments. This was the paradox: Clear commitments that are not actively and continually being renegotiated.
Having a baby has changed the amount that I can get done in the few hours I have once she is asleep. I know what I want to get done, but usually there is more to get done than time would realistically allow. This coupled with good and bad days, makes checking items off of my lists difficult.
Internally, I’m not so great at renegotiating commitments. I know I want to vacuum the house every few daysDue to animals., but when it didn’t happen, I would let it fester on my list. That makes me frustrated and then adds to an unconscious level of stress. It is on my list, mostly off of my mind, getting reviewed but not getting done,
What is the solution? Renegotiate. This is where I am: Learning how to renegotiate better. I have been a good “yes” man at work, which usually leads me to working on projects far-a-field from the scope of my job, increasing stress. I am renegotiating those commitments with my bosses and clients. This is easy. Internally and at home, I am figuring out what I want to really get done: Vacuum or Play with Hazel. The answer is easy, renegotiating is not.