Tag Archive - GTD

One of the Easiest Ways to Be More Productive: The Two Minute Rule

March 10, 2010 in GTD with 0 Comments

A few years back I hit a wall. I had thought that I was a competent minister, but when I changed roles from youth ministry to working with adults I started to feel overwhelmed with the work-load. Some of the stuff that I learned from four years of working with high school students applied, but there were a bunch of new things I had to learn, and learn quick.

So I started to search for some ideas to help me become more productive, which inevitably took me to David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. I hate to admit this, but it took me a long time to get through the book, and I really didn’t even finish it until I picked up the audiobook from the library (which is a really cheap way to read a lot of books, by the way). The hardest part for me about the book was how complicated it seemed. There’s projects, next actions, contexts, and the funniest term of the book the tickler file. It all seemed so complicated to get started.

Until I started implemented the simplest idea in the book: the two minute rule.

The essence of the two minute rule is that if a task comes into your inbox (be it virtual or physical) and it will take you about two minutes or less to complete it, you should do it immediately. That’s right. Get it done in 120 seconds or less.

The most enlightening part of this concept to me was how many actions I had in my life and ministry that seemed like they would take a long time to get done, but they really could be done in less than two minutes. Here’s a list of actions that I’ve found can take less than two minutes:

  • Emails sitting in your inbox that you need to reply to.
  • Emails in your inbox that you need to archive/trash/file.
  • Quick phone calls to volunteers to confirm things (be careful with this one, you could get trapped in an hour long conversation).
  • Papers on your desk creating clutter.
  • Books laying around that need to be put back on the bookshelf.
  • A conversation with another staff member.
  • Cleaning up your computer’s desktop of the clutter of files and folders.

There’s a lot of other tasks I could list, but I’d like to hear from you. If you’ve implemented the two minute rule in your ministry, what actions have you been able to do in two minutes or less?

Or if you haven’t ever tried the two minute rule, give it a shot right now. As soon as you stop reading this post take a look at your task list (or your office) and figure out as many different things you could do right now that will only take two minutes. When you’re done come back and share in the comments about your experience.

[image via Leo Reynolds]

Beating Stress

August 11, 2009 in Personal Development with 0 Comments

Stressed Stress will wreak havoc on every single one of us. Living with bad stress for an extended period of time will do horrible things to your health. You don’t have to put up with it. Understanding what stress is and learning to deal with it will give you the edge you need to remain healthy and productive.
Essentially, stress is the fight or flight reaction  innate in all of us. When confronted with a perceived threat the body begins to release chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol that give the shot of strength and speed you need to either fight your enemy, or to flee from them. Understand that your body and your mind deal with life on this very basic level.

Every time you have a task to do, a problem at home, a meeting, etc. your body sees it as a threat, so it releases these chemicals. The problem is you cannot run away from a task, nor can you beat up elders or people that go to your church. Your body will keep you in this heightened state until the issue causing the stress is resolved.
The best way to deal with stress is to resolve the issues causing the stress.
I realize that this may sound like an over simplification, but that doesn’t make it false. If you are being honest with yourself you will admit  the majority of the things bothering you right now are the tasks  you have not completed, the conflicts you have not resolved, and the decisions you have not made. All of those things fester in your mind, and eat away at your spirit and your body.
So here is how you deal with it. Make a plan, or find a system, and work it!

If you are not sure where to begin check out David Allen’s book Getting Things Done. Yes, it is a book on productivity, but this one is actually useful. It’s not just about living out your priorities, like some other productivity systems are. The problem is that just because something isn’t your priority doesn’t mean you don’t have to do it, and the longer you leave it unresolved the more stress it creates.
I wish I could write you a full summary, but since I don’t want his publishing company to come after me, I just have to tell you to read the book. Trust me you will be glad you did.