Zen Nest

Getting Things Done

Well, who doesn’t want to get things done. GTD is a strongly evangelized (!) publication by David Allen, talking about the art of stress free productivity.

If you got “stuff” to complete, which means just about any TODO, GTD describes a lot of ways in which you can organize and take control of the planning, prioritizing and execution process. David says:

Here’s how I define “stuff:” anything you have allowed into your psychological or physical world that doesn’t belong where it is, but for which you haven’t yet determined the desired outcome and the next action step. [pg. 17]

Merlin gives a cool summary of what GTD is about:

1. identify all the stuff in your life that isn’t in the right place (close all open loops)
2. get rid of the stuff that isn’t yours or you don’t need right now
3. create a right place that you trust and that supports your working style and values
4. put your stuff in the right place, consistently
5. do your stuff in a way that honors your time, your energy, and the context of any given moment
6. iterate and refactor mercilessly

There are also a couple of open source GTD tracking tools such as NextAction and Gravity. So Get Organized!

Living with the Himalayan Masters

I’m fond of Rajini. Now and then, we fans are used to hearing news about him visiting Himalayas, undertaking expeditions on unheard ranges and caves there. We never know how much is real and how much is spun-off from fantasy of journalists who don’t grow tired paparazzying him, but one such story quoted him as recommending Living with the Himalayan Masters.

I’ve just taken this book, and glanced through first few pages. It’s a narrative by Swami Rama, who was a Himalayan sage enlightened under the Mahavtar Babaji tradition. Although he wished to spend his entire life there in the Himalayan ranges, he was forced by his teachers to get back to Society to spread the message of Humanity and Love (Wasn’t it the same case with The Monk who sold His Ferrari?)

I haven’t heard about Swami Rama before, but the book is enchanting as it’s opening up to describe the beauty of a life in the Himalayan region. I understand that as Swami talks about the lessons he was taught there, we get to understand what extents a human life can go to by way of practising discipline. My Yoga classes have just begun, and it’s fantastic to see related content falling in place to complete the experience.