I was doing some work in the local library (a fairly small one), when I decided to take a little break and peruse the shelves. The productivity section was small indeed, but it yielded a little unexpected treasure: Getting Things Done by Edwin C. Bliss, subtitled “The ABCs of Time Management”. Now, I’ve heard this book mentioned a couple of times, mainly in the context of David Allen’s more famous book of the same name, but I had little idea as to its content. A glance at the sign-out stamps indicated that has been borrowed roughly once every three years. Obviously not a very in-demand book in this neck of the woods. Without further ado, I slapped down my library card and took it home.
First, let me say that I’ve heard a little bit of condescention and smugness used when mentioning Bliss’ book, mainly from hard-core GTD fans who have never read it and somehow seem to resent the back that an earlier productivity book could somehow use the sacred nomenclature. Folks, the term “getting things done” is a pretty run-of-the-mill –even bland– title that… uhm… seems to offter advice on getting things done. While I hesitate to congratulate either Bliss or Allen (or their publishers) on their creativity when naming books, I certainly don’t hold a lack of originality against them either. “It is what it is.”
On to the book. I was very pleasantly surprised. In a way, this is more in line with what Allen hopes to achieve in Ready for Anything, a collection of productivity ideas and wisdom. Bliss, also a consultant of many years’ experience with megacorporations and a lecturer on organisational and time management issues, has put together a book that is deceiving in its randomness. Rather than start at a particular point and build up to a complete, self-contained system (as Allen, Covey and others do), he instead organises the sections alphabetically. He moves from “After-Action Reports” to “Alcohol”, and finishes with “Xenelasia” and “Yesterday Trap”. (There is no “Z”, but I’m not going to hold this against Bliss; I would have liked his take on Zen, though.) In other words, you can open the book, start anywhere, and absorb of few pieces of advice before you rush off to actually get things done.
While Allen and Covey back up their ideas mainly with anecdotes, Bliss is more logical about presenting evidence to back up his thoughts. While he does share the occasional personal story, his approach is far more scientific. He quotes surveys, statistics and studies, and gives well-researched examples for certain topics. These little “mini-essays” –each averaging a page or so– are filled with practical advice, insights into the leaders of large companies, figures from little-known but meaningful reports, and plenty of great little (dare I say it) “life hacks” that cause your neurotransmitters to suddenly figure in the right sequence.
For example, he mentions the “Stand-up Desk”. Now, I’ve never really considered this idea. Apparently, not only great writers like Hemingway, Woolf, Carroll, Nabokov and Winston Churchill used standing desks, but many leaders of large organisations do. This caused me to reflect on something that I’ve noticed about my own thinking habits: all my heavy duty thinking, I tend to do while pacing or standing at whiteboards. Bliss quotes a USC study that indicates an acceleration of 5-20% in the brain’s information-processing speed while standing instead of sitting, as well as a marked improvement in reaction time for anyone working on difficult tasks. He also mentions the fact that a desk should be about elbow height, and that there should be a bar to raise one foot occasionally to prevent back problems. This entry alone has kick-started the creaking gears in my mind: the next time I change around my office, I will certainly try a standing desk for a while. I might have to play around with the ergonomics, especially with regard to using a laptop, but it sounds like a worthwhile experiment.
Bliss covers many other topics in the same way, including the need for sleep, how to overcome mental blocks, the use of exercise in increasing productivity, procrastination, a step-by-step guide to handling correspondence quickly, and so on. There’s plenty of solid, practical advice that one can put into play almost immediately, and enough scientific research to feel informed about your choices.
I am not sure if this book is still in print or not (my edition was updated in 1991), but Amazon.com carries some copies that are quite inexpensive. Highly recommended, especially considering the price.
This reminds me of another book that uses the “GTD” tag: “Getting Things Done” by Roger Black. Again, this book is more of a collection of what (this year
we’d refer to as life hacks, together with suggestions for more general ways of being organised and “at one” with yourself, such as drafting up a list of personal standards to adhere to, etc. I actually discovered the Black book before I’d ever heard of David Allen (in fact, I think I discovered David Allen by doing a web search for the Roger Black book!).
Like the Bliss book, the Black book has some interesting suggestions, and if you come across a copy in a library or a second hand book stall (I think it’s out of print now, and may never have been in print outside of the UK), I recommend picking it up.
At least one of these books is on my list to read but being a more right brained person I think Covey (whom I’m currently reading) may be more my style. But with regarding to standing, the theory is it makes for a better painter. (Yoga is recommended for anyone who has to sit still to work on detailed work for long stretches of time.)
Who else has heard the theory that getting up and walking around every 90 minutes maximizes productivity? Plus if you are trying to lose a few extra pounds standing/walking burns more calories. And as long as pacing isn’t part of procrastination, how’s that for multi-tasking?
But I wouldn’t knock anyone who needs to rest their tired feet. The foot bar (which comes with most larger easels) makes good sense. My two or three cents (Canadian) for the day….
I currently have an adjustable desk that uses an electric motor to move up and down. So I can have a normal desk for intense keyboard work or raise the desk to a standing position when I’m busy working on different machines, with the whiteboard, etc.
I’m not sure how it’s going to work out yet, but it’s a big improvement over my old desk that was too high….
I just received my copy and I have to say it’s a very nice, easy read. I love Bliss’s “shorts”, quick hit format… somethings really do stand the test of time as alot of Bliss’s comments are echoed in DA’s “GTD”, in Fiore’s “The Now Habit”, and some of the other contemporary self help books I have read. It just goes to show, the art of getting things done dosen’t change much over time, even with technological advances. GTD occurs in the mind and is projected out the hands; it’s formulated internally as an attitude and exits as a habit.
As for the stand up desk, it’s funny to note how much I pace and walk around as I work creativly. I’d REALLY like to try a standup desk but my cubie wouldn’t support both a stand up and a sitdown desk. I would need an adjustable desk, I think and good luck getting my boss to buy one. Hell, I’m lucky to have a wooden bench with a chisel and stone tablets! (heh, just kidding)
Nice review.
See “A Million Monkeys on Getting Things Done” at Orbit Now!
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there are several researchers at berkeley working on the idea of standing while working. check out Galen Cranz’s amazing book The Chair- on the evils of the chair and the futility of attempting to build a better one! Galen actually is working on building a moving office, where one can write novels and scientific articles (it is Berkeley) all while moving around, talking w/ your hands, etc. One of Galen’s big emphases is laying down. When you’re tired or grumpy, lay down – don’t sit – for a few minutes. Another prof found that he cured his own insomnia only after switching to a standing desk. He also happens to study weight loss and unfortunately didn’t find it helped with that. ;( I suffer personally from back pain and found that the standing desk was good only because it enabled me to move more, but it has it’s own ergonomic ills. Definitely invest in a good tall chair if you’re going to do it (like a drafter’s chair) or better yet, perch (see Galen’s book).
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