While in most previous chapters, Allen has focused on the horizontal level, explaining what needs our attention and action "across the horizontal landscape" of our life (211). In this chapter he focuses on the vertical level: "digging deep and pie-in-the-sky thinking that can leverage creative brain power" (211), applying it to project planning. This kind of deep, focused thinking is at times avoided. Allen explains that this may be due to feeling out of control with current actionable commitments, which is how I've felt this month. I can identify with the result Allen describes as "an unconscious pushback" which resists focused planning (212). Allen's solution is to set a specific time for this type of planning.
I also found a few other aspects of the chapter particularly interesting, including the notion that we often think of something when we're in a place that has nothing to do with that project. We might be driving somewhere and suddenly think of a great way to develop a paper that is due shortly. Allen suggests having the proper tools and structures in place to support project thinking and to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the thing I took away from this chapter most was not letting things fall through the cracks. In Allen's terms, closing our open loops and knowing our intended outcomes.
I also found the random project thinking interesting. I never though to premeditate a system for my random ideas, which occasionally happens. Although common sense, I liked how ALlen reiterated that we have to get comfortable with the organization system we use in order to fully utilize it.
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