One Item at a Time

In Getting Things Done, David Allen offers this advice on managing the tasks on your desk...

"You may find you have a tendency, while processing your in-basket, to pick something up, not know exactly what you want to do about it, and then let your eyes wander onto another item farther down the stack and get engaged with it.  That item may be more attractive to your psyche because you know right away what to do with it — and you don't feel like thinking about what's in your hand.  This is dangerous territory.  What's in your hand is likely to land on a 'hmppphhh' stack on the side of your desk because you become distracted by something easier, more important, or more interesting below it.

"Most people also want to take a whole stack of things out of the in-basket at once, put it right in front of them, and try to crank through it.  Although I empathize with the desire to 'deal with a big chunk,' I constantly remind clients to put back everything but the one item on top.  The focus on just one thing forces the requisite attention and decision-making to get through all your stuff.  And if you get interrupted (which is likely), you won't have umpteen parts of 'in' scattered around outside the tray and out of control again."

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