Ready for Anything

Table Of Contents

Introduction: Making It Easy to Take It Easy xvii

PART I: CLEAR YOUR HEAD FOR CREATIVITY
or Getting the Loose Ends to Leave You Alone 1
1. Cleaning up creates new directions. 3
2. You can only feel good about what you’re not doing when you know what you’re not doing. 6
3. Knowing your commitments creates better choices of new ones. 9
4. Getting to where you’re going requires knowing where you are. 12
5. Infinite opportunity is utilized by finite possibility. 15
6. Two commitments in your head create stress and failure. 18
7. Priorities function only at the conscious level. 21
8. Closing open loops releases energy. 24
9. If it’s on your mind, it’s probably not getting done. 26
10. Creativity shows up when there’s space. 29
11. The deeper the channel, the greater the flow. 32
12. Worry is a waste. 35
13. You are not your work. 38

PART II: FOCUS PRODUCTIVELY
or What’s the Point of a Point of View? 41
14. For more clarity, look from a higher place. 43
15. You won’t see how to do it until you see yourself doing it. 46
Waking Up Again to Making It Up Again
16. Working hard enough is impossible. 49
17. Energy follows thought. 51
18. The clearer your purpose, the more ways to fulfill it. 54
19. Best is much better than good. 57
20. A change in focus equals a change in result. 60
21. Perspective is the most valuable commodity on the planet. 63
22. You have to think about your stuff more than you think. 66
23. You don’t have to think about your stuff as much as you’re afraid you might. 69
24. If you know what you’re doing, efficiency is the only improvement opportunity. 72
25. Only one thing on your mind is “in the zone.” 75
26. The value of a future goal is the present change it fosters. 78

PART III: CREATE STRUCTURES THAT WORK
or It’s Hard to Stay on Track Without Rails 81
27. Stability on one level opens creativity on another. 83
28. Form and function must match for maximum productivity. 85
29. Your system has to be better than your mind for your mind to let go. 87
30. Response ability improves viability. 90
31. Your system is only as good as its weakest link. 92
32. The effectiveness of your system is inversely proportional to your awareness of it. 95
33. Function follows form. 98
34. You can’t win a game you haven’t defined. 100
35. Whenever two or more are responsible for something, usually nobody is. 103

The Inner Committee
36. Prime your principles instead of policing your policies. 106
37. Use your mind to think about your work, instead of thinking of it. 109
38. You are thinking more valuably than you may think. 111
39. The necessity to plan and organize is inversely proportional to your perceived resources. 114
Why the Human Race Is Taking So Long to Evolve

PART IV: RELAX AND GET IN MOTION
or How to Be Where the Action Is 117
40. You’re the only one playing your game. 119
41. Too controlled is out of control. 122
42. The better you get, the better you’d better get. 125
43. Trusting your action choice requires multilevel self-management. 127
44. Your power is proportional to your ability to relax. 130
45. Surprises, expected, are no surprise. 133
46. The longer your horizon, the smoother your moves. 136
47. You speed up by slowing down. 139
48. You don’t have time to do any project. 141
49. Small things, done consistently, create major impact. 144
50. You have to do something to know something. 146
51. It’s easier to move when you’re in motion. 149
52. The biggest successes come from the most failures. 151

PART V: REMIND YOURSELF OF THE FUNDAMENTALS
or Common Sense Isn’t That Common 155
THE FIVE PHASES OF WORKFLOW MASTERY 157
PROCESSING AND ORGANIZING WORKFLOW 160
THE NATURAL PLANNING MODEL 161
THE WEEKLY REVIEW 163
Afterword 165