Mind like water

In part 1 of the Fundamentals of GTD, I introduced a process known as the “mind sweep”. Basically, getting anything and everything out of your head and into a “safe place”. A place where you know it will be tracked. A place where you will look for it later. Keeping things (ideas, tasks, concerns, issues, to-do’s) out of your head and in a safe place can have tremendous benefits above and beyond the obvious productivity benefits.

IT’S A STRESS RELIEVER!

Your mind is free of worry. All the issues that were cluttering your mind are in a safe place. Your mind can give 100% of focus to the task at hand. Your mind is free to generate new, creative ideas. David Allen calls this “a mind like water” – being in a perfect state of readiness. A stress free, clear mind, that is nimble and ready to give full attention to the right things.

What happens when you toss a stone into a completely calm pool of water?

Ripples emanate from the center in perfect response to the impact of the stone. The water neither underreacts nor overreacts. It simply reacts appropriately to the situation, then it returns to calm.

Having a mind like water has been perhaps the best side effect of GTD for me. It’s been an incredible life change. A mind like water puts me is a state of readiness. A state of focus. A state conducive to new, creative ideas. A state free of stress.

Want more details on the benefits of achieving a mind like water? Here are a few links to similar articles.

• An Empty Mind Does a Better Job of Thinking — and feels relaxed...
• HowTo: Have more peace of mind and increase your productivity