Philosophers have grappled with this question for thousands of years. Learning how to untie (and prevent!) those knots takes a longer answer. Then, making it worse, we beat ourselves up for not having much progress to show after burning all that energy and time stressing ourselves over it. We grind ourselves down and wear ourselves out by attempting things we weren't quite ready to make happen. The net result is, counterintuitively, not merely doing less or less effectively, but sometimes not doing anything at all. Things that are too advanced for our level of experience. Too large of things to handle in one sitting. The short, simple answer: we're trying to do too much at once.

The internet gave us new, massive obstacles: unlimited distractions, infinite options, and an endless outlet for spiraling on our fears. Instead, we wind up overwhelmed, having too much. The internet has made it easy to find answers about what to do, and how to do it.Īccess to information is rarely our bottleneck anymore. We couldn't find support services, systems, or software. We couldn't find answers to questions we ran into. More importantly, what can be done to change it? Many people today know what to do, but aren't doing it.īefore the internet, the major roadblock used to be a lack of information. Yet, somehow, months or even years pass, and you haven't done it. You already have what you'll need to do it. (Originally posted on Facebook, reshared here with permission) It comes with a lovely companion piece, Self-Calm, which I wrote about here: ' I saw real results from the second day after starting it. If you find yourself doomscrolling, thrashing around unproductively, or unable to get started on those big projects, then you don't even need to read that whole page - just buy it and get started. I'm only halfway through it, and it's already been a big help.Ĭhris DeLeon's Self-Command is a very straightforward and humane system for staying on task and remaining productive in the face of distraction, stress, or ambiguity. I'm not big on self-help books, or rigorous GTD mechanisms. I wanted to share something that's helped. I've been more distractible, less focused, and either unproductive, or else diligently working on the wrong things. 'It's been a stressful couple of years for everyone. ( Self-Calm isn't part of that offer, but it's available free separately.) A reader's recommendation: Check that link above to see if that's the case today. Because Udemy frequently runs discount promotions they may even be cheaper to get that way, and then you'd also have the course which pairs well with these. IMPORTANT UPDATE (Apr 2023): Self-Command and Self-Doubt are now also included with my new video course about simple techniques to plan and finish long-term side projects.

Gtd audiobook