Photo by Sir Mervs>

Is there a magic answer to stress? Is there a way we can achieve more AND be less stressed? In his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, David Allen outlines ways to do just that.

For a long time I thought that productivity is a killer of creativity. So I never investigated how to be more productive. But I have changed my mind since reading Getting Things Done. We are much more creative if we’re not stressed. Since focusing on GDT, I’ve doubled my writing output whilst halving my stress levels.

I also started to use a software scheduling program called OmniFocus (for Mac users) which is based on GTD. Read the rest of this entry »

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What is the one thing that you want to focus your whole life upon? That’s a question that came up for me when I saw galloping gauchos. Oh, maybe I should explain that I’m in Argentina at the moment. I was at a fiesta on an estancia, a huge ranch in the Pampas. The sun beat down on a crowd of people.

I snuck off and found a quiet spot under a tree. There I lay down and looked up into the tender green leaves. Ah…! It was so good to get away from the noise and hustle of Buenos Aires and actually hear myself think …even if it was about trivial things, like caterpillars and Camembert (I was drifting off to sleep).

Suddenly I woke up with a start. ‘What is the one thing?’ I thought. If someone said to me, “Do just one thing in life!”, what would that one thing be for me? As you can imagine, it wasn’t the kind of question that is easy to answer, especially on a dreamy, hot afternoon.

Shortly afterward, I went to watch a gaucho competition. The riders took turns to gallop full tilt on their scruffy horses, standing up in their stirrups, and trying poke a metal pencil through a small ring hanging up just within reach. If they managed to spear it, they galloped on in triumph, holding up the pen with the ring dangling from it for all to see.

From the start it was clear who would win. Why? Because one of the older guys was totally focused on the ring, and not on anything else at all. Some of the  younger riders were trying to show off their skills with half an eye on the pretty women in the audience.  But this one gaucho galloped like crazy whilst standing absolutely still in his stirrups. You could see his mind’s eye was fixed on the ring and on nothing else. At that moment it was the One Thing for him. Nothing else counted and nothing else existed.

He managed to spear the ring over and over. It was impressive.

It made me wonder about life. What would happen if I lived my life like that? With all my focus on Just One Thing? It sounds like good advice, doesn’t it: “Just do one thing!” But, I must admit, I don’t seem to able to do that. I’ve got more than one passion in life. Is this a good thing or not?

So, I’d like to ask your advice:

Do you think “Just do one thing and do it well” is a good way to live one’s life? Or not?

Photo by visualpanic

Do you sometimes yearn for a simple life? A life where time seems to flow slower. A life that is spacious where you have time to think, or even to dream?

I did. Until I realized that my life is how I create it. And that I can change my life if I want to.

I can live a simple life. Or I can live a busy life that includes spacious times. Here are five changes that worked for me. I now enjoy life more, am less stressed, and sleep better. I’m a more relaxed companion and friend and more fun to be with. Read the rest of this entry »