Quotes from David Allen

Thinking in a concentrated manner to define desired outcomes is something few people feel they have to do. But in truth, outcome thinking is one of the most effective means available for making wishes reality.

1) collect things that command our attention; (2) process what they mean and what to do about them; and (3) organize the results, which we (4) review as options for what we choose to (5) do.

Too much information creates the same result as too little: you don't have what you need, when and in the way you need it.

As Peter Drucker wrote: "In knowledge work . . . the task is not given; it has to be determined.

As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble. —Ralph Waldo Emerson Used

most stress they experience comes from inappropriately managed commitments they make or accept.

Most often, the reason something is on your mind is that you want it to be different than it currently is

The art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of our great men. —Capt. J. A. Hatfield

I would not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity. —Oliver Wendell Holmes

Anything that causes you to overreact or underreact can control you, and often does. Responding inappropriately to your e-mail, your thoughts about what you need to do, your children, or your boss will lead to less effective results than you'd like. Most people give either more or less attention to things than they deserve, simply because they don't operate with a mind like water.

Complaining is a sign that someone isn't willing to risk moving on a changeable situation, or won't consider the immutable circumstance in his or her plans.

One missed e-mail, untracked commitment, or decision avoided can have hugely magnified consequences.

You can try it for yourself right now, if you like. Choose one project that is new or stuck or that could simply use some improvement. Think of your purpose. Think of what a successful outcome would look like: where would you be physically, financially, in terms of reputation, or whatever? Brainstorm potential steps. Organize your ideas. Decide on the next actions. Are you any clearer about where you want to go and how to get there?

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be: "meetings." —DAVE BARRY

This would be a Zen-like state of productivity, in which you deal with what's present from a perspective that is both detached and fully engaged.

That said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with creating a quick, informal, short list of "if I have time, I'd really like to . . ." kinds of things, picked from your Next Actions inventory.

Nothing is really new in this high-tech, globally wired world, except how frequently it is. When

To ignore the unexpected (even if it were possible) would be to live without opportunity, spontaneity, and the rich moments of which "life" is made.—Stephen Covey

The world itself is never overwhelmed or confused—only we are, due to how we are engaged with it. An

Lots of people have been making lists for years but have never found the procedure to be particularly effective.

When time itself turned into a work factor, personal calendars became a key work tool.

Reacting is automatic, but thinking is not. The

You don't actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. When enough of the right action steps have been taken, some situation will have been created that matches your initial picture of the outcome closely enough that you can call it done. The list of projects is the compilation of finish lines we put before us, to keep our next actions moving on all tracks appropriately

But sometimes I have to get out of my comfort zone to stay motivated to do excellent work over the long term.