Ready to Read? Ready for Anything?

I am going on vacation soon. So I am doing a little advanced planning by choosing some books to take along with me.

I picked up David Allen’s Ready for Anything 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life. I just wanted to read the first chapter or so to see if this is a read I wanted to tackle while on vacation. Oh my! The first words I read totally spoke to me. Here they are.

1. Cleaning up created new directions.

Completion of open loops, whether they be major projects or boxes of old stuff we’ve yet to purge and organize, prepares the ground for cleaner, clearer, and more complete energy for whatever show up. We’re often not sure what’s next or what to tackle. At that point, just clean or complete something – something obvious and in front of you, right away. Soon you’ll have the energy and clarity to know what’s next, and you’ll have cleared the decks for more effective responsiveness on every front. Process your in-basket, purge your e-mails, or clean your center desk drawer. You’ve got to do it sometime anyway.

I am also a fan of Allen’s Getting Things Done principles, so I am not surprised, that this brief paragraph states what I love to do every day with our clients. Moving things (anything) forward creates clarity and frees you up to handle the next “thing” that comes into your life.

I am looking forward to relaxing on the beach or in a comfy chair and reading the rest of this book next week. I’ll let you know what I think of the whole read when I return.