Posts from — September 2005

Had a great day on Tuesday attending David Allen‘s Roadmap seminar. What luck to find myself in Vermont these days, where the Green Mountain Coffee Foundation sponsored his seminar here and opened it up to the public. I’ve wanted to hear David in person since I discovered his work way back in 1997 and it was great to finally get that chance.

At a point where my semester is quickly becoming extraordinarily busy, it was very enjoyable and worthwhile to spend a day as a student for a change. David’s a master teacher and I left there feeling that getting things done will be less of an issue for me this fall.

I’ve spent part of the last week trying to close the gaps in my system and to make a complete list of all my projects and tasks at hand. I even discovered a few that I’d forgotten about while I was sitting in the seminar! It was a great refresher for me in the nuances of David’s system. The greatest part of the seminar for me, though, was in getting a better sense of how the horizontal axis of his system (clarifying, organizing, and engaging with your “stuff” to transform it into actions) connects to your ability to focus on the vertical horizons which takes us beyond projects and actions to things like one’s goals, vision, and purpose. I have to say that over the last three years I’ve been so consumed with dealing somewhat inefficiently with my stuff that I’ve not thought much about the larger picture.

Already in the last couple of days I am feeling more relaxed because I am more certain that my system has caught all the open loops. It’s given me time here and there to think a bit more about that vertical horizon. And that has been a great thing for me.

Sounds like David had a great time, too.

Here’s a great site that I just came across on Canadian pulp fiction from 1940-52. It’s one of the many great online exhibits created by Library and Archives Canada. They do amazing work there. Being so close to Ottawa now, I am looking forward to going back there to do some research in the near future.

Later this month, I’ll be attending a one-day workshop with David Allen. I’ve been a fan of David’s work for years, long before his book came out and brought him a great deal of attention.

If you’re reading this from UVM or somewhere nearby, it would be well worth trying to grab a seat before they are all gone. David’s visit here is being sponsored by the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Foundation and the seminar price is far below what David usually charges.

You can learn more about David and his work at davidco.com. I highly recommend his books Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity and Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life. His blog and newsletter are also great sources of hints and ideas about being more productive.

Anyone who has seen my office of late will know that I’m not quite there yet, but I’m sure that David’s seminar will be a great inspiration to get my inbox finally under control.

This interview with the mayor of New Orleans, something that everyone needs to listen to, says it all. One of the real tragedies and perhaps the most inexplicable part of the whole event is how long it has taken for anyone to help the people of New Orleans. It’s staggering.

I don’t know if Bush can pull this one out of the fire, but his Air Force One fly-over and glib press conference about all the aid that they are supposedly pulling together for the region is not impressing anyone. Apparently he’s now on his way to the scene, but that’s too little, too late.