How to Get Things Done When You Have Trouble Getting Things Done

Instead of aspiring to become a ringmaster and expert plate-spinner and like David Allen, we can become a sort of expert one-trick pony, learning one reliable way to get one thing done, and getting very good at it.

That’s what finally worked for me, I’m happy to report to my fellow non-naturals. I do short working sprints, with a running timer in plain view, bookending each session with a few quick preparatory steps in order to keep the quality up. I count how many I do, and try to get better each time.

That’s why so many of the books focus on organizing and scheduling the work – they assume you have no problem with the doing part.