Fuss and Bother

Thanks to Reader M for sending us this meditation on “doing nothing.”

It’s significant because it was written by David Allen, someone who has devoted a career to encouraging productivity in others. He’s the guy behind Getting Things Done or GTD:

All this fuss and bother about personal organization and information management and knowledge work and AI and the increasing stress levels of our culture. It’s enough to… what?

How about pruning my Japanese maple this afternoon, with a fabulous bottle of Belgian ale to assist? How about some sweet schmoozing with our two little spaniels? An ad hoc hug with my wife in our kitchen, as she does what she does so well there? How about just taking time to take time for — nothing?

It’s a reminder that “activity” and getting your shit together should really be in service of something: our humanity. If we take our eye off this prize, work so easily takes over. And becomes pointless.

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Escape with the best of them by reading New Escapologist Issue 19.