Work is a necessary evil

The always-perceptive Ryan Norbauer says:

"I invite you then, patient reader, on a desultory First Night journey with me as I take our mutual favorite hobby—the idle navel-gazing contemplation of productivity—to its most absurd yet logical conclusion: to ask whether eradicating the need for achievement itself might not be the key to happiness in work."

He asks us to consider "the pleasures and benefits of mediocrity." Dude, I'm with you there. GTD and my navel-gazing contemplation of productivity is something I do for fun, not because I care about climbing the corporate ladder and buying myself a Beemer.

I just want to make a living in a way that is pleasurable and productive, and make the most of my free time. David Allen, at least, never argues that the point of GTD is to help you work harder. Instead, he wants to help us spend our time advancing our values and goals. If your goal is to "Pour yourself a glass of port, cuddle up in front of the fire with a book that you’ll probably never finish, and chill," GTD can help by getting you to the couch faster.