{"id":22837,"date":"2025-05-11T16:12:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T23:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/?p=22837"},"modified":"2025-05-18T08:22:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T15:22:35","slug":"have-your-lists-become-listless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/2025\/05\/have-your-lists-become-listless\/","title":{"rendered":"Have Your Lists Become Listless?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"David<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all had this happen. We create a set of lists of relevant items, appropriately categorized. We\u2019re excited, we feel in control, our brains relax, and life is good.<\/p>\n

Then, over time (and often not a very long time), the luster fades. We only look at the lists when our guilt overcomes our apathy; and we gird our loins, committing to some sort of review of them, just because we know we \u201cshould.\u201d Then we begin to resist looking at the lists at all, even though we know it\u2019s the answer to renegotiating our agreements with ourselves. Then we go numb to our system, or at least a part of it. The thrill is gone. We\u2019re in productivity purgatory.<\/p>\n

Why does this happen?
\nWe\u2019ve noticed several things that can contribute, and they are all closely related:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The list is out of date<\/li>\n
  2. The list is incomplete<\/li>\n
  3. The list is not really what the list is about<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This month I expand on each of these three common causes.<\/p>\n

    1. The list is out of date
    \nIt\u2019s not current. There are lots of new things that haven\u2019t made it into the system and the list, and there are old things on it that should no longer be there. When and if we look at the list, we\u2019re not seeing a complete inventory of options for a category\u2014we\u2019re being reminded of how behind the curve we might be in terms of thinking, decision making, and simply keeping up with our world. Reminder of our fatigue, not creativity, is the result of our engagement with the list.<\/p>\n

    2. The list is incomplete
    \nWe still have other things\u2014usually more current and immediately relevant\u2014that ought to be on the list but, because they are more current and immediately relevant, we\u2019re more inspired to let our psyche be driven by latest and loudest than taking the time and energy required to calibrate them appropriately into our total inventory.<\/p>\n

    3. The list is not really what the list is about
    \nOften the lists morph seductively into something other than what they were pristinely intended to be. Most commonly, the next actions aren\u2019t next actions, or the status has changed, but the location of the reminder hasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s tease this last one (#3) out….<\/p>\n

    Next actions aren\u2019t next actions.
    \nCheck your action lists. Is what you read on there really the next, physical, visible, action required? Probably the most common reason for the action lists losing power is that they slip away from the rigor of being real next actions. It\u2019s so seductive to get slightly lazy and assume that \u201ccall Fred\u201d is too mundane a thing to take the time to write down. \u201cMom\u201d or \u201cBoard meeting\u201d is just so much easier, because we can then avoid having to make the final-thinking decision about what, exactly, we\u2019re going to do about Mom\u2019s birthday, or the Board meeting. The result is that every time we glance at the item on the list, we\u2019re subliminally aware that something still needs to be thought through and decided about the commitment; and because we don\u2019t at the moment feel like doing that, we start to resist and avoid the reminder.<\/p>\n

    The status has changed, but the location of the reminder hasn\u2019t.
    \nThe most pervasive items in this category are the actions and projects that have really become, over time, Someday\/Maybe list items, and you haven\u2019t owned up to that yet. It is a very slow and subtle slide from active commitments to commitments that now aren\u2019t so active, due to the new inputs, new commitments, and changes in your world. It\u2019s hard to let go of them.<\/p>\n

    One reason is that most people don\u2019t review their Someday\/Maybe list(s) as often or as consciously as they should. You\u2019ll be afraid to move that action or project to the Someday\/Maybe list, because a part of you knows it might really be going into a black hole (and that\u2019s not really where you want it). For that reason, it helps to reinvigorate your Someday\/Maybe items, perhaps sorting them into more meaningful subcategories for you (e.g. Fantasy Trips, Real Things Maybe To Do This Quarter, But Not This Week).<\/p>\n

    Bottom line: Come back to the purpose of your lists. Are they creating freedom and expansive thinking? Or are they albatrosses around your neck, now? If the latter, there\u2019s nothing wrong with you. It\u2019s simply an indicator that your objective system of reminders of commitments and options is out of date and incomplete. You\u2019re best off taking some luxury time for yourself to get them up to date, or jettisoning them altogether. There\u2019s not much rationale for anything in between.<\/p>\n

    [Note: This essay appeared in David Allen\u2019s Productive Living Newsletter. Subscribe for free here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Come back to the purpose of your lists. Are they creating freedom and expansive thinking?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1,716,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-david-allen","category-featured","category-free-resources","category-productivity-tips","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHave Your Lists Become Listless? - Getting Things Done\u00ae<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Come back to the purpose of your lists. 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