Ep. 378: Overcoming Resistance to Your Lists  🔗 **Source:** [Ep. 378: Overcoming Resistance to Your Lists](https://share.snipd.com/episode/32c27f8a-266b-44ca-bd68-78e054579e19) ## Highlights - **Lists Support Renegotiation Not Blind Execution** - A list item does not obligate you to act; it supports conscious engagement and renegotiation. - During each weekly review, Ana Maria Gonzalez either recommits, moves the item to Someday/Maybe, or deletes it. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez This is an interesting topic and it's a topic that I would like to add a little more context in the sense of, one, let's all at least for now agree with the idea that you write things down To get them off your mind. And, of course, in addition, it would be nice, why not, to get them done. But we've heard David say many, many times, getting things done, it's not about getting things done. It's about being appropriately engaged. So if and when the time comes for you to engage, which is the fifth step of mastering workflow or previously known as doing, when the time comes to doing or engaging, if your decision is Not doing, that decision can be perfectly fine. Because again, just because it's on the list doesn't necessarily equal that you're going to do it. You may decide not to do it because that's the best decision or the right decision or the most appropriate decision given the context the time and the energy so there's there's a lot to This that meets the eye so that's why it's often very challenging to try to answer a question with just one answer or to share GTD from just one angle because there are many solities about This but let's at least have that agreement that that you write it down to get it off your mind and then let's talk about what we hear as John said from some folks regarding what's been on My list for this number of days or it's been on my list for this number of weeks and I haven't done it well that to me it's not a problem me Ana Maria Gonzalez because that's true for me um the Truth is that it's it hasn't been done not because I've forgotten about it not because I've ignored it not because I'm denying it, not because I'm pretending it's not there, which is A very different ballgame. It has not been done because I've consciously chosen not to do it. And then every week during my weekly review, I've renegotiated the agreement with myself. Therefore, I'm clean. I'm keeping myself honest. So if it's on your list and it hasn't been done and it hasn't been done because you've consciously decided not to do that one, but instead something else good for you, or because it's still On your list because you've done your weekly review and you've renegotiated with yourself that that still belongs to the list because you still want hope to do it then that's good too Because otherwise a you either have done it b you can move it to someday maybe or c you can delete it and be done with it there's nothing in gtd that tells you you must do it with this within This time frame we're not very ruly in that way ([Time 0:03:30](https://share.snipd.com/snip/5d55b63d-062b-4f1e-ab2a-68dd90c88e22)) - **Start With Three Stubborn List Items** - Choose three items that repeatedly repel you or fail to move. - Use those examples to diagnose whether resistance comes from unclear thinking, changing priorities, or an unsuitable tool. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez So before I reveal that and with this perhaps a more robust understanding on why we're here, I want you to take a moment to look at your lists and identify, pick three items you've been Resisting or that seem unclear to you and again it's very difficult for me to say resisting as in not doing because if you haven't done it for the for what I just said you're probably clean And good it's more of those things that you go it's not moving and I'm not quite sure why it's not moving. Or each time I come to my list, there's this thing that I repel. I just don't even want to go near it. I mean, you know which ones, which are these three. Let's put it this way. So just take a couple of seconds or so. And when you're done, if you want to raise your hand, either visually on your little Zoom thingy, then I know to move on. So pick three items, please. John Forrester If resistance isn't a word that fits for you, you could say three items that I look at week after week and they just don't seem to be moving. And you'd like to be more drawn to doing them, more attracted to doing them than you are. ([Time 0:07:20](https://share.snipd.com/snip/0ee8618b-8c13-4ea4-98b9-c9d1f6ca45c3)) - **Stop Letting Your Tool Block GTD** - Replace tools that impose fake due dates, rigid categories, unwanted priorities, or excessive complexity. - Choose paper, digital, or a combination based on what feels comfortable and usable. Transcript: John Forrester Tool getting in the way, this is one that might have been more applicable a few years ago. If it still applies for any of you, for heaven's sake, change your tool unless you're required to use something by your work. Tool getting in the way could be something like your tool forces you to apply a due date to every task, meaning you have to give everything a fake due date. Now, that's crazy. It's not a GTD best practice at all. But if your tool requires that, and I've heard of some over the years that do, that could be tool getting in the way. Or if your tool requires you to categorize something in a particular way, there are tools that come up with default categories. And if they don't let you change the categories or require you to use a default category that doesn't fit your contexts, that could be tool getting in the way. If they require you to create a project for every action or they require you to prioritize, ooh, that wouldn't... That was much more common in the past, is tools requiring you to prioritize or applying a default priority like medium, whatever that means, medium, to every task. Those are examples of tool getting in the way. I don't think we need to belabor this much other than to say, if anything like that applies for you, look for a different tool. There are many, many free and paid choices out there that don't require those kind of constraints that get in your GTD way. Ana Maria Gonzalez Also, in addition, if for some reason you have self-imposed that you need to be digital when you're really more agile on paper, feel free to change to paper. I mean, there's nothing all in GTD that says it has to be, you know, a digital tool or high tech or what have you. You can go low tech as we refer to, and you can just have a paper-based organizer or vice versa. You know, you may be finding yourself that you want to kind of evolve and paper-based is not as practical for you these days or not as mobile or whatever the right answers are and feel free To move to a digital tool. There's so many out there these days that do a good job or some combination of both. You know, sometimes you will need some things that are paper-based, held, organized, along with digital lists. So keep that in mind. And if there's something about your tool that it's itching, that you're not totally comfortable with, or that each and every time you are using your tool, which probably is every day And several times a day, and you find yourself uncomfortable or reluctant, that's feedback. So see if you can identify what that is and just make the change because the tool is there to serve you more so than you serving the tool. So the GTD system is made not only of the tool, but also it's made of your use of the tool. ([Time 0:10:26](https://share.snipd.com/snip/9183d433-b0b4-43e4-adb7-e835b21431b0)) - **A Browser Switch Removed Hidden Resistance** - John Forrester subconsciously resisted work because Office 365 repeatedly demanded re-authentication. - Switching browsers removed the friction and made the work session easier to engage with. Transcript: John Forrester Good point. And as much as I'd like to say this is more tools in the past than the present that do this, I just saw in the comments, there's a comment from Alex about his organization using Office 365. And I was getting a browser that kept forcing re-authentication, I was subconsciously resisting basically everything to do with that until I switched to a different browser for work. Great idea. I've heard from, well, one of my colleagues in here at David Allen Company who was saying, why does Microsoft keep asking me to re-authenticate when I'm already signed in? I looked this up one time and they have certain reasons for it, but that's a current example of if the tool is getting in your way, look for some way around it. ([Time 0:13:40](https://share.snipd.com/snip/8d4e21c6-49d1-496f-9003-7ffde5e1e40b)) - **Too Many Features Can Create Resistance** - A highly technical client resisted GTD after trying to use every Google Tasks feature available. - Ana Maria Gonzalez recommends a feature diet because optional subtasks, nesting, and details can create unnecessary work. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez And last is, I just remember, I was coaching someone recently, a couple of days ago, and he set up his system on Google Tasks. So another thought to keep in mind is just because the tool allows you to use it, to do it, enables you to do it, like, you know, it has sub tasks and details and you can nest. And there's all these different kinds of crazy combinations. And this client was very high tech. He wanted to use it all, of course. And then he began resisting the actually GTD because he had somehow made up that because there were all these features, he had to fill in all these features and use all these features Which of course was adding a lot of unnecessary additional work so i always say just because it's there or just because it's an option it doesn't mean we have to use it we get a lot of feedback Often for people when they look through our setup guides as in all the different bells and whistles, let's say, Outlook has. And why are we not talking about those? Well, because they're not needed for implementing and installing GTD. So keep it on a diet, let's say, and don't go for the whole thing, because it may not be needed. ([Time 0:14:34](https://share.snipd.com/snip/3bebbc4e-12e0-4ec3-87d0-1f47be65cd0d)) - **Finish Your Thinking Before Listing Actions** - Clarify the desired outcome and the next physical, visible action before organizing anything. - “Change light bulb” may be premature when you still need to buy the bulb. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez The other one can be that you haven't finished your thinking. Online to this is that again gtd teaches a fundamental thought process which it's known um as two questions what's the desired outcome and what's the next action which happened during Clarify and then once you get to those answers you can organize i mean so far so good, right? What happens often or can happen is that we bypass these questions or we go through them too quickly or we don't really pause to the, enough to really get to the answer and we end up organizing Into our lists or adding onto our lists incomplete thinking. Perhaps you end up adding a project that is not yet your desired outcome, but it's some component before you get to your desired outcome or your final outcome, or as David says, what does Done mean? So you really have to take the time to think through and get to the answer of what does done mean? Is that when you've finalized a presentation or is that when you've, you know, delivered the presentation? Because those are two very different outcomes related to a, I'm going to use the example, a PowerPoint presentation. And you and only you know the answer to that. Another way to think about this, what did you commit yourself to? What did you say yes to or what you didn't say no to? Did you say yes to finishing the presentation so that then it could be handed off to someone else to deliver it? Or did you commit to delivering the presentation? I know this may sound like a very simple example, but just pay attention to that because that's often one of the reasons why things are not moving off your lists. And the other one can be that you didn't take the time, or it can be an and or, you didn't take the time to think through the next action, which is known as the next physical visible activity. Also known as what does doing look like? So when you're thinking of your next action, really pause, you know, take the time to think it through. Is that really the next action? And one way to know is, do you have everything you need to get that action done? Like if I tell you, go ahead and move on that next action, go ahead and do that next action right now. Do you have everything you need? Do you have, you know, the information you need? Do you have the, what's the word I'm looking for? Maybe requirements or tools or supplies that you need, you know, like change light bulb. That could be the next action. It could be the correct next action. But yet, if I go change the light bulb now, you may say, well, I don't have the light bulb. Well, then it wasn't the next action. So really, this is often overlooked. And it may sound like us being very picky and nitty gritty and, you know, too microscopic about it. But it makes a big difference when it comes to getting things done off your lists. So that's another reason why sometimes things are not moving. Just because you only be, the answer is very simple. You have the wrong reminder on your list. That's the bottom line. So each and every time you look at your list, you're not looking at what you can move on, but maybe three or four next actions into the future for which you don't have what's required. So it may sound self-evident, but trust me, it's more common than not. ([Time 0:16:04](https://share.snipd.com/snip/91011646-8e95-4882-aaaa-5e7dd54e661a)) - **Record Only The True Next Action** - Remove future actions from the Next Actions list and record only the immediate physical step. - Write concrete verbs such as read, draft, call, or purchase so you can visualize doing the action. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez This is a bit of an addition to what I just said when it talks about not the next action. So the perfect example was the one that I just gave, change light bulb when really the next action is buy, you know, purchase light bulb. It's basically you are adding onto your next actions list, action reminders that are not yet the next action. They may be an action in the future. I'm not saying that not to be true, but it may be two or three or four steps down the road. So keep in mind that the definition again for next action is your next physical visible activity that will move the situation forward or will get you to done. So as you know, a project is a multi-step outcome. So it's going to have more than one action in order to get it to done, right? So the next action is what's going to move that situation forward, or it may just be a single one next action that gets you to done. Whatever the reminder is, given the stuff that you clarified and organized, just make sure is the next action. One trick for that, again, is seeing yourself doing it. So whenever you write the next action on your list, pick verbs that pretty much describe a physical action. Read, write, cut, paste, serve the internet, etc. You can see yourself doing, talk, draft, think verbs, verbs like that. ([Time 0:20:01](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7cab3b0c-d1a0-4fb5-9668-3c3e9be97d21)) - **Use Weekly Reviews When Priorities Shift** - Revisit list items when company, job, role, or life priorities change. - Use the Weekly Review to recalibrate your system and renegotiate commitments against current reality. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez Another one is priorities change. Come on guys. How many times I've just said you're going to do something and then, and then you don't do it, but it's not because you didn't want to do it. But priorities change, life changed. And that's okay. This is the power of the weekly review so again doing your weekly review weekly will help you keep your system current you know complete current and consistent because you will be recalibrating Readjusting um bringing it to current given what's what's changing. Company priorities changed. Therefore, your job priorities changed. Therefore, your lists need to be updated, right? And if they didn't get updated, then that's probably why that item, it's not moving. Because it's no longer a priority. And this is muddy territory. Because to say it's no longer a priority, it's a whole other conversation. Because again, you know, you have two things, what you're doing and everything else. That's the bottom line. So this is a very, again, a broad topic. But sometimes it's just a matter of updating your system. And, and again, that's the purpose, one of the many purposes for the weekly review that can help you with this reason number four. Oh, I didn't check on anything more. John Forrester No, that good. And priorities, that's a whole other topic, but priorities changed. ([Time 0:22:40](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6e378ade-ccf1-45fc-ac63-a70c7cd2f661)) - **Dumb Down Overwhelming Projects Intelligently** - Break outcomes that feel frighteningly large or complex into nearer milestones and sufficiently granular next actions. - Keep actions practical rather than absurdly detailed; ask whether you have everything needed to begin. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez Too big or complex. And John and I had a little disagreement, discussion, like we often do, about this one. John Forrester That's what makes these fun is Anna Maria and I will often come at something from a different angle. Ana Maria Gonzalez Of course and I always have to be right at the end John always says oh yeah Anna Maria you're right so then the discussion is done but in any event too big or complex the way I see this one and I read this one and John please share how you see it and you read it it's often I see it more often when it comes to project definitions And I see it more often when you're, when you're looking At your project list and what you're adding onto your project list, because you may remember from the horizons of focus that there are higher horizons, right? You have horizon two areas of focus on accountability and three goals your your goals and number four your objectives and then number five purpose and principles i'm not going to teach Horizons to focus right now but point that i'm making is that sometimes we see folks and this is not right or wrong but it could be the reason why it's not moving but sometimes we see folks Adding on to their projects list more of what we would be defined as a goal meaning an outcome that will be done completed finish more like in two years from now or our definition of an objective It's also an outcome um three or four years now. Is it wrong to put it on your projects list to be evaluated? Because remember, your projects list, it's the driver of your weekly review. And what you put on your projects list are all those multi-step outcomes that that that we've defined as those that will be done completed within 12 months give or take so can it be 14 months Yes it doesn't have to be 12 um but the point is that each and every week when you look at that outcome you can see yourself done so that you can identify what the doing looks like so it's like A trick where you're being pulled towards and in order to to get get to it you need to identify next action so it has to be far as in 12 months from now but not so far that then it becomes counterproductive To the point where it may, I'm going to use a big word, to the point that it may scare you. As in, for example, publish book. And you've never even written one sentence in your life, like me. So if I had a project on my list that would say publish book, I would be petrified every single week. So that will be counterproductive for what it's meant to be. Your project list is to allow you to then see yourself done week after week so that you can more easily identify what doing looks like. It allows you, you know, to do a better job with control and focus amongst other things. So when I say too big or complex, watch if you have not identified perhaps an outcome that it's too far on the horizons. As in time frame, maybe two, three or four years from now. Too complex. That it's just for your mind, it's almost impossible to see what the next action is. If that's the case, then as we say, intelligently dumb it down, bring it down to levels onto your project list and think about what is that next milestone that if I complete, gets me closer To this bigger one within the next months or even up to a year. And that's more likely what your project should be, let's say. So that's how I was reading this one. But John was reading it differently. John Forrester I got a kick out of when you said the project, it could be something that takes 14 months instead of 12 months. I was just thinking that there are probably people out there who read the GTD best practices and take it so literally that they think, well, what happens if I put a project on my list and I don't complete it in 12 months? And do I get fined somehow? Does somebody come and give me a little electric shock or punish me in some way for putting a project on my list that I didn't actually finish in 12 months. That one gave me a little chuckle. I think of this more in terms of actions than projects, that things on your next actions lists end up being too big or complex rather than really granular. For me, a next action after this webinar is completed, Zoom will send me an email saying the recording is ready. So my next action there is to download the recording after Zoom sends me that notification. That's very granular for me. That's quick, and I know how to do that. But if I had some larger thing like making it more complicated than that, it's just granular enough that it allows me to move the project forward. And I know that after that, I'll send it to the audio video editor and there are a whole bunch of other actions that happen as to complete the project. But the idea is to make your next actions so granular that when you look at them, you don't have to rethink them. You've already done the thinking. So too big or complex, if you're looking at anything on your list and you have to rethink what it is, you have to rethink how to do it or anything like that, I would revisit that, redo the Thinking, and make the wording so granular that you don't have to rethink. Ana Maria Gonzalez Yeah, and again, it could be more on the same topic as in not the next action, because if it's not too granular, as John is saying, it's probably because you didn't take the time to really Think it through and identify, I think was one of the reasons before. So it's helping you kind of continue to gain greater understanding on what potentially could be one of the reasons. And that could be one. Your next action is not yet the next action. You added something that was still too big or complex. Yeah. But be careful because maybe your next action, it is to update this, you know, the Google sheet. And when you sit down to do that, you have everything you need to do it. Right. And it may sound complex to do that. However, that is the next action. We don't want to get to the point of you know power on computer um run firefox open google find ([Time 0:25:04](https://share.snipd.com/snip/c9da8199-e165-40bb-b741-edd5530c9a23)) - **Incomplete Capture Makes Lists Untrustworthy** - Incomplete capture makes your mind distrust the entire system, not merely one missing item. - A trusted system requires complete inventory plus ongoing maintenance because life continually adds new inputs. Transcript: Ana Maria Gonzalez Don't have full inventory. Again, that's another one. Go for 100%, guys. You know, just go for it, really. Go for adding everything onto your system. Just give it a world. Trust this process. We've been doing this for so many years. We know it works, not just from teaching it, but from using it. And sometimes, you know, keeping some on your mind and some in your system, it's not going to make any big difference, honestly. It's just going to be more work than what's worth it. And that's often what happens. And because you don't add the full inventory, believe me, your mind, it's not dumb. Your mind is very smart. And if it doesn't have the full inventory, looks at the list and it's going to immediately resist not an item on the list. It's going to resist the list. So forget about overcoming resistance to an item on the list. It's just going to resist the whole list. So go for 100%. That's the bottom line here. And do your job. I mean, this is not, it doesn't come at a very, it doesn't come at a very high price to actually install and implement GTD. But I won't lie, it will require your work. It will require your work, your maintenance, you're coming back to it. Life, it's not done because you've captured, clarifying and organized everything that was up until now because life will continue to bring on things. So this is ongoing. It's a lifestyle. It's not just a one-time event. ([Time 0:32:24](https://share.snipd.com/snip/16389710-e12c-473e-94c8-7fd244045f96))