Are you out of your mind? | David Allen

hopefully I'll smash a box here are you.

out of your mind you ought to be enough.

to be crazy but to give you clear space.

by the way how are things in your head.

office where is your head office for.

most people I know this is their head.

office the problem is it's a really.

crappy office your head evolved to do.

some very sophisticated things what.

you're doing right now you're noticing.

in this situation the environment you're.

using long term history and pattern.

recognition that's a light that's a.

person that's a presentation you're.

doing that brilliantly computers can't.

even come close to that and yet you go.

to the store to buy lemons and you come.

back with six things and no lemons what.

happened you were using that as your.

office and it sucks us in office it.

really does your brain actually did not.

evolve to do a very good job at.

remembering reminding prioritizing or.

managing relationships before between.

guests how many things it can do that.

with a certain number guess what that.

number is before you start to sub.

optimize your cognitive process new.

research for things that's it folks as.

soon as you add a fifth or a six you're.

gonna be driven by latest and loudest.

now I stretched that a little bit and.

one of my jobs back forty five years ago.

I was waiting on tables and a cool.

little French restaurant in West LA the.

cool thing about being a waiter in that.

restaurant was to see how big an order.

you could take without writing anything.

down I got up to a six stop I could.

handle six people I couldn't do seven I.

could do six standing there casual.

elegant slightly snobbish yes I think I.

mean we're talking appetizers you know I.

don't race stuff to drink me making.

recommendations between the wines well I.

think Matt that madam I think Oh.

excellent choice MANET very good I take.

that order and six people casually.

elegantly walk back to buy as soon as it.

got behind the kitchen door.

I'm totally maxed that was it I couldn't.

do it and I was beginning to taste.

something that became a major principle.

that I've researched and implemented.

with thousands of people over thousands.

of hours 101 it's a basic principle of.

stress-free productivity so here's a big.

idea for your folks and that's your mind.

for having ideas but not for holding him.

it was not designed for that it really.

wasn't now when I was just a year old I.

was already using my head as my office I.

could tell right I mean that's serious.

stuff going on all right man geez and I.

was probably a lot more serious than I.

should have been however I had no idea.

what was coming toward me as I began to.

grow up that's what started to show up a.

little more complexity in my life right.

and I started to get very hungry to find.

out how to stay clear amidst all of this.

and get into clear space I discovered.

the value of having clarity and nothing.

in my mind I loved that freedom I love.

that peacefulness I love that sense of.

no distraction of being fully present.

with what I'm doing that's a high highly.

cool place to be so I there is an image.

about that state and it's possible to.

get to that state I steal an image from.

the martial arts mind like water the.

metaphor is basically water is highly.

flexible it's very fluid and it seeks.

balance and it's always totally.

appropriately engaged with its.

environment it doesn't overreact it.

doesn't under react if you're taking one.

meeting to the next emotionally are you.

taking home to work in your mind or work.

at home in your mind you're not in a.

mind like water state we're talking.

about clear now as I trained to get a.

black belt in karate in my 20s I started.

to experience some meditative kind of.

exercises that are that happen in the.

martial arts many times there may be a.

spiritual component to that but boy.

there's a real practical component to.

that if four people attack you in a dark.

alley you do not want 2,000 unprocessed.