An Ah-Ha Moment

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Bruce Keener

I was thinking about writing an article dissing David Allen’s Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life: after reading 10 chapters, I was upset that he just seemed to be saying the same thing over and over. I was close to just tossing the book.

Then, I started reading his chapter 11, and had a nice “Ah Ha” moment. He talked about, among other things, how a cluttered work space, caused by being overloaded with “stuff” to do, can cause us subconsciously to send signals to our customers that we don’t want any more business. And, not only that, the clutter keeps us from hearing some of the important things our instincts are trying to tell us.

  • Note that I do not buy into the New Age philosophy that our thoughts create our reality. (Although I must confess that I do sometimes wonder.) However, it is clear to me that our thoughts have an influence on reality in at least one sense: they do impact our actions, inactions, body language, and our whole mode of being. Hence, I will do well to re-read this chapter of David’s until it really settles into me how true it is and until it impacts how I behave.

To me, that one chapter is worth the purchase of the book. But, I also realized that much of what I had considered to be “repetitive fluff” could be exactly what someone else needs to hear. Yet another reminder to me that I need to be better at suspending judgment.

On a separate matter, I had planned to share an article with you this week on mindmapping. However, I am not yet satisfied with the mindmaps that I will be using for examples. Plus, pictures of a couple of them are too large to fit into this column and I am working on the best way to show them to you. So, it looks like it could be next week before I discuss mind mapping with you.

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  • http://www.billmyerscreations.com Bill Myers

    @Bruce: “However, it is clear to me that our thoughts have an influence on reality in at least one sense…”

    I think that’s just a different way of saying “our thoughts create our own reality.” :) True, if you’re on a plane that’s going down in flames, thinking happy thoughts won’t do a damn thing to save you. On the other hand, there are large swaths of one’s life that are entirely within one’s control.

    I’m glad I read this. Things have gone from bad to worse at work, I’ve been betrayed by a couple of people I’ve trusted, and I’m quite angry. I’ve narrowly averted sending some e-mails that would have been cathartic in the short-term but fatal for me in the long-term. I need to remember that as out-of-control as things seem, I have control over one person: me. And just because someone treats me badly doesn’t mean I am obligated to respond in kind.

  • http://www.keenerliving.com/ Bruce

    Sorry for the current relationship problems, Bill. That sort of thing can really wreak havoc on one’s attitude. Sounds like you are dealing with it well though.

  • http://www.billmyerscreations.com Bill Myers

    Well, that’s why I appreciate this post so much. It can apply to so many areas of one’s life.

    I do know a devout follower of New-Age spritiuality who tried to convince me that everything flows from thought. He pointed to a low garden fence and said the only way I could trip on it — aside from not paying attention! — is if I and everyone else *believed* the fence could block my way. I think that’s a bit… off the mark.

    By the same token, I can’t control a lot of things that happen in my life, but I can limit the damage the bad things do and maximize the good things. I needed a reminder of that today and you provided it. Some people would call that fate or Karma… me, I think it’s serendipity.

    @Bruce: “Yet another reminder to me that I need to be better at suspending judgment.”

    Perhaps. On the other hand, I don’t have to agree with your perspective 100% (and I don’t always) in order to benefit from it.