Connected To Do Lists

I'm reading David Allen's Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity after reading Clay's review of it, and I haven't been able to put it down. I read it while I brushed and flossed, and now I'm fighting sleep to get through chapters. The most significant benefit so far is that it has helped me to tighten up the connections between the tasks I lay out for myself and my desired outcomes and goals. The book is filled with little gems that I appreciate (like "There is no reason ever to have the same thought twice, unless you like having that thought."); most people would scoff at them, but I'm what some call a "stress puppy"; that is to say, I tend to get stuck in a loop of freaking out about a task, dreading it, and feeling guilty if I don't do it or if I don't do it as well as I had hoped. I don't have any trouble figuring out what needs to be done. My major problem is that I have a distorted perspective when it comes to tasks: I know what I need to do, and then when I do it, I feel better, but only because I can cross that thing off the list, not because I understand that task in terms of a desire of mine (which is the only way I can get real satisfaction out of it, satisfaction that can be a powerful motivator). For example, I'm looking forward to grading tomorrow, because I can cast that task as a "Next Action" -- an often-used term in the book -- in the service of my desire to be a good teacher, which is a major driving force for me. Sigh...I think I'm the last person to understand the direct application of the task-goal connection principle, but better late than never, I guess.

I'm looking forward to reading more of the book tomorrow, but it has already helped. I think now I'll divide my to do lists into two columns, one for the task and the other for the goal and desire -- the prize, heh -- associated with it. The funny thing is, a number of my friends and colleagues already tell me that they consider me to be productive. And for good reason, probably: I mean, it's Saturday night at 2 a.m. and I'm reading a book about how to get things done. On a few occasions, my last roommate stuck her head in my room and said, "It's Friday night! Stop working!" I'm good at creating the illusion of productiveness, that's for sure. Don't believe it. :)