Calm Achiever - Blog
Actionable Advice to Help You Get Things Done®
The Sure-Fire Secret To Success
A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by...
How to Simplify Knowledge Work
Ever seen the movie Modern Times? Yes, the Charlie Chaplin classic that drove home the mindlessness of the industrial era, without speaking a word. In that hilarious screen masterpiece, Charlie is so numbed by turning screws that he keeps repeating the action, even...
How the GTD® Practice Saves Time
What’s holding you back from fully committing to Getting Things Done®? For busy creatives, it is the excuse - “I don’t have the time!” You’re probably doing well in life. Stuff is being processed. You are not on the verge of collapse. So why invest precious seconds in...
3 Ways To Make The Weekly Review A Habit
What's the easiest way to solve a computer problem? Reboot the computer! 🙂 That's why most support reps will ask you to reboot when something is wrong with your computer. Because rebooting helps ensure that a newly installed software works right. It eliminates bugs...
A Fresh Look at Productivity for Knowledge Workers
In my work as a productivity coach and consultant, I'm seeing a shift in how people are thinking about productivity. Yes, organizations are seeking to become more productive, but they also realize there's more to being productive than just working harder and producing...
20 Things GTD Is Not (And What It Really Is!)
What is GTD? I've been practicing GTD for over a decade, but it can still be challenging for me to explain what GTD is, and how it benefits. It's very easy for new practitioners to mistaken it for something else like time-management, or a way to get more work done....
How You Can Build Perspective – Your Most Valuable Resource
Evolution is all about competitive advantage. Through the ages, different currencies of influence have allowed people to emerge stronger than others. Once upon a time, it was land. Those who had lots of it never starved. They could grow their own food. Fast forward to...
How to Work Less And Do More With GTD
What is our first reaction... … when we see someone putting in long hours, burning the midnight oil & always in a rush to “get things done”? “Wow - he is so busy. Is there something important he’s doing. If I’m not this busy, I’ll be left behind.” On the...
The Art of Saying NO For Startups
“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.” ~ Greg McKeown The word’s out. 90% of startups in India will fail within the first five years. Entrepreneurial India, a recent study by the IBM Institute for Business Value and Oxford Economics...
A Key Habit To Enable Trusted Decisions
Does this Sound Familiar? It’s Monday morning and you enter office exhausted. Partly because you are dreading the avalanche of emails, memos and instant messages that will be coming your way. And partly because your mind has refused to unwind over the weekend. It has...
How Leaders Can Use Checklists for Reliable Success
Don’t confuse checklists with ordinary to-do lists. In their basic form to-do lists are haphazard lists of unclear commitments which cause needless anxiety. Checklists are completely different. They break complex procedures into discrete steps which are then...
Why You Need to Stop Managing Time
Getting Things Done® is often confused with “Getting More Done.” But if you know even a little bit about GTD® you know that it is not just about “getting things done.” GTD® is about getting the right things done so that you lead a full life and grow into the best...
How to Excel as a Knowledge Worker with GTD
We’re different. Quite a bit so. Where just decades ago “work” was considered to be rote - cut and dried, today constant creative thinking and brainstorming, are the essence of our professional lives. Look in the Mirror & Say “Hello” to a Knowledge Worker Do you...
How to Achieve Big Goals Using a Someday/Maybe List
I love taking online courses. Just show me a well put together program about drawing, marketing or productivity - and I tend to have my credit card out. In a jiffy. But after binge buying everything I could lay my hands on, eventually my wallet - and my schedule...
How Rajiv Got Compounded Returns from his Investment in GTD®
The GTD® India family includes professionals, house wives, creatives and entrepreneurs. People from all walks of life embrace its productivity mantras. But when Rajiv walked into a workshop, he wasn't going to be satisfied with testimonials and promises. The wealth...
How to Use Your Natural Rhythms To Maximize Productivity
Recall a time you were super energetic. There’s a spring in your step and you can take on the world. But as fate would have it, there is nothing urgent calling your attention. No last minute deadline. No blinking voice messages. No annoyed boss. So you go on ahead and...
One Reason Why You Shouldn’t Practice GTD®
Yes. You read that right. Even though I’ve been practicing GTD for 10+ years, I’ve come to think that there’s a good reason why GTD may not be right for you. The thing is, GTD will not work for you if you’re addicted to Stress. And you'll not get any of the fabled...
How to Align Everyday Actions with Your Life’s Purpose
Have you ever had the feeling of being lost & left wondering “Why am I doing what I’m doing?”, “Why am I in this job?”, “What does all this mean?”, “Who am I, and what is my purpose?”. In spite of all the achievements, there is a feeling of emptiness. This usually...