Allen discusses how to manage the negative feelings that
come along with all our stuff, and we need to understand the source in order to
get rid of those negative feelings. I
have definitely felt guilt, frustration, anxious, and overwhelmed when I told myself
there was something that I needed to do but failed to complete it, which is the
result of breaking the agreements I made with myself and breaking the trust I
have with myself (227). Allen’s
preventative measures really help, because I do not necessarily need to make the
agreement with myself. The habit of
collecting helps me see what I already have on my plate, therefore I can decide
if I am able take on more things.
However, I would try not to lower my standards even though Allen says it
is OK. Of course, simply completing the
task would be the ideal way of keeping agreements, but a “renegotiated
agreement is not a broken one” (230). I
can reschedule or put it on a different list (i.e. someday/maybe list) to know
I will still get around to the task and not totally disregarded.
I think Allen’s point of using “your mind to think about
things, rather than think of them” is really important (233). When I keep thoughts in my head, I will
constantly be reminded that some task needs to be done instead of actively
processing the task and deciding what next actions I should make to keep them
moving. Capturing everything means I have no more reminders popping up, and this is extremely helpful in feeling less mentally tired. I want to be the type of person
that others can trust, but most importantly I want to trust myself to complete
what I set out to do as Allen points out there is a unique trust people have with
those who “without fail receive, process, and organize in a airtight manner”
(225).
I also found Allen's point about using the mind to think about things, rather than think of them very interesting. I find that just keeping thoughts in one's head does create anxiety. If I have a project I haven't thought about thoroughly and broken down into smaller pieces, I find I often think it is going to be much more difficult or a lot easier than it actually turns out to be. This can lead to not allotting the appropriate amount of time to complete it.
ReplyDeleteAllen mentions that using the 2-minute rule can be extremely helpful with getting things completed and ultimately less stress for you. I think you will find (or already have found) the 2-minute rule very helpful in your life.
ReplyDelete