Wednesday, November 22, 2006

GTD and the Stockholm Syndrome

Have you ever heard of the Stockholm Syndrome?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome

It's a condition in which a hostage starts to identify with, and even defend, their captor.

It occurred to me that there may be an element of that going on between me and GTD.

I first read the book "Getting Things Done" about 4 or five years ago. It struck me then - as it does now - as a great workflow tool to help get in control of your working life.

However, for unknown reasons, I find that I am struggling to get it working as I'd like. It may be the struggle to find a 'trusted system' - I am wary of using an electronic method and paper can be fiddly. It may be dark hidden reasons - the same fear of failure / success that is supposed to be the mark of the procrastinator. Or it may be something completely different.

Despite all of that, I find that I keep coming back to it with the mindset that it must be right so I ought to stay with it, regardless of whether it's the right thing for me.

Has anyone else hit this?

Has anyone tried it and decided that it's not for them? The only references I see in the blogosphere seem to be overwhelmingly praiseful.

Am I the only person that GTD won't fly for?

Answers on a sheet from a Hipster PDA, please...

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