Have your lists become listless?

Have your GTD lists become listless? David Allen explains the three common causes when we find we’re less interested and involved with our lists.

We have all had this happen: we create a set of lists of relevant items, appropriately categorised – we’re excited, we feel in control, our brains relax, and life is good.

Then, over time (and often not a very long time), the lustre fades. We only look at the lists when our guilt overcomes our apathy; and we gird our loins, committing to some sort of review of them, just because we know we “should.” Then we begin to resist looking at the lists at all, even though we know it’s the answer to renegotiating our agreements with ourselves. Then we go numb to our system, or at least a part of it. The thrill is gone. We’re in productivity purgatory.

David Allen