Stress-free productivity does exist

As we approach the end of each year, many people make the usual review of what they have achieved, find out whether they feel good or not about it, and articulate a good set of resolutions for the new year.

Sometimes we need some kind of rigor to keep complex projects under control, find a solution or determine the right steps to take in order to complete them successfully.

Inevitably, every organization reflects somehow the weakest link of the chain that makes up its structure. Even if you are a freelance, you need to interact with more people to get your work done (partners, customers, suppliers). If there is someone in your work chain who does not respond to email for two weeks, your efficiency—or your organization’s—will be penalized. Dullness in a team member is contagious and begets dullness in the system.

In GTD it is not necessary to explicitly define the priority of every action, because priorities sit in a hierarchy of different levels of perspective. This is what David Allen calls the Six-Level Model for reviewing your own work:

Humor is a tangible demonstration of the most important attributes of the right side of the brain: the ability to place situations in context, to see the big picture, to combine different elements to create new things, and so on. According to various investigations, humor reduces hostility, relieves stress, allows a better criticism and helps to communicate difficult messages. It turns out that, used skillfully, it can be a great stimulus for creativity, a trait increasingly necessary for success.