You can do anything, but not everything.
Interpretation
Focus on what you can achieve instead of trying to do too much at once.
David Allen emphasizes the importance of prioritization and focus in achieving goals. While potential may allow for the ability to accomplish anything, spreading oneself too thin can hinder effectiveness, so one must choose wisely what to pursue.
In practice
In a team meeting to inspire focus on key projects.
Isn't it interesting that people feel best about themselves right before they go on vacation? They've cleared up all of their to-do piles, closed up transactions, renewed old promises with themselves. My most basic suggestion is that people should do that more than just once a year.
It is a tricky business to know when you should set goals and objectives in order to achieve a focus, and when you would be better off dealing with the acceptance and management of your current reality so you can later step into new directions and responsibilities with greater stability and clarity. Only you will know the answer to that, and only in the moment.
Most of the stress people experience comes from inappropriately managed commitments they make or accept.
Once a week, do a thorough review of all your projects in as much detail as you need to. If you do, your systems will work. If you don't, no system will work.
You don't actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. When enough of the right action steps have been taken, some situation will have been created that matches your initial picture of the outcome closely enough that you can call it "done.
Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.
You must aim high, not in what you are going to do at some future date, but in what you are going to make yourself do to-day. Otherwise, working is just a waste of time.
The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.
Whatever luck I had, I made. I was never a natural athlete, but I paid my dues in sweat and concentration and took the time necessary to learn karate and become world champion.
I'm a big believer in dreaming. If you don't dream it, you can't become it.
I feel endless need to LEARN, to IMPROVE, to EVOLVE, not only to please the coach and the fans, but also to feel SATISFIED with myself
Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
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