During inquiry calls, Meg often asks clients to take a look at their lists, especially their Next Actions. She then invites them to pause and reflect on a question:
Do these next actions attract you, or repel you?
It is a simple question, but it often reveals a great deal.
No Such Thing as Neutral
In Getting Things Done, David Allen points out that you never have a neutral response to what is on your lists.
Your next actions either draw you in or push you away.
When lists repel you, it is not that you stop working. Instead, you stop trusting your system. You may find yourself scanning email, reacting to what feels urgent, or keeping things in your head rather than capturing them into your lists.
What This Signals
When a next action repels you, it is often a sign that something has not been fully clarified.
The action may still require more thinking.
It may be too vague.
Or a small but essential detail may be missing.
Rather than trying to fix everything at once, start by simply noticing:
- Which actions do you avoid?
- Which lists feel heavy or noisy?
- Where might a decision still be unmade?
Next, tune in to Meg’s latest GTD Gems video, where she explores next action thinking and why fully defined actions make the difference between a system you avoid and one you trust.
Cheers,
The GTD Focus Team
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