OK, I admit it. A colleague wanted me to read this several years ago and I read it quickly. I know because I made a few notes in the margins at the time. But this time I gave it a deep, thorough read making lots of notes for takeaways.
Basic message is: Don’t let some messiness in a home, workplace or life fool you into thinking the person is unproductive. Many productive inventions, discoveries and people are not the hyper- organized types. Lighten up on yourself.
It doesn’t say that disorganization leads to creativity and productivity, but it doesn’t say the opposite either.
When we try to tie things down too tightly, make them too scripted and too systematic, we lose some of the essence of life and miss out on the happy accidents and serendipitous discoveries.
We all have to manage the tension between order and chaos. But the boss that only wants clean desks also tends to discourage creativity that leads to break throughs.
This is a good balance book to Getting Things Done and even Making Ideas Happen which are both books I really like.
Dave Travis
Managing Director
Leadership Network
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