Chapter 12 Response

In Chapter twelve, Allen reiterates the importance of the next-action step. It is one of the most fundamental, yet crucial action to fully utilize, and only takes ten seconds to come up with your next action. It is also important to have all of your next actions prepared because it gives us more incentive to actually complete the next action if we know what exactly we must do. Knowing what our actions need to look like, on the most basic level, is the key to productivity enhancement (239). Allen also states that the most intelligent, sensitive, and creative people are the ones to most likely procrastinate because they are capable of visualizing scenarios of their work in their heads. These scenarios include what needs to be done and what are the consequences that could happen if something goes wrong. This causes us to freak out and instantly quit. We start to numb out the negative and uncomfortable vision to stop feeling depressed about it. This is when things start to “blow up” and cause panic. This is why utilizing the next-action step is so crucial; it’s a simple ten second step that can prevents tremendous stress from your life.

There are standards for making next-action decisions; clarity, accountability, productivity, and empowerment. With clarity, precisely understanding what your goal is helps with deciding what steps need to be taken to complete the project. It allows for quick and clear thinking. With accountability, you want to make sure you have time to accomplish the tasks you have agreed to do. Already mentioned in the previous chapter, you do not want to overbook your time, which may cause you to flake on your collogues. With productivity, knowing how to allocate your resources efficiently will help you reach your goal quicker. Lastly with empowerment, you want to make sure that you are physically making things happen. This will increase your confidence, self-esteem, and your ability to make things happen.