Been there. In fact, I think I'm there right now, because I'm posting on a forum and not doing one of my actions!

Just a small suggestion - take another spin through your Next Action lists, and try to find one that either: 1. Catches your interest this time around, or, 2. Appears very do-able (even if it's not that interesting).

If you've got some fairly small actions (which you probably do, if they are true next actions), try to group a few of these together. Tell yourself, "dammit, I'm gonna get these done," put your head down, and go.

If you can power through a few items, no matter how mundane, you get the reward of checking some items off your list. This can provide just the lift you need to get more motivated to tackle the bigger fish. A lot of projects start off with some drudgery before you get to the good stuff. So maybe now the interesting work just got a little closer.

Just a thought, FWIW. Good luck!

Say it with me: "GTD is not a motivational system." It's great at helping you keep track of everything so you know where to find things and what you can do at a given place and time, but the urge to do those things has to come from somewhere else.

For some people, just having everything organized is energizing enough to get them to tear into their lists and get things done. For others, it can be tougher. For me, GTD finally highlighted my procrastination problems.

One of the challenges of starting GTD is learning to think of the actions without the baggage of the projects they move forward. It's one thing to see "Photoshop web header image" on a list and another thing to think about all the other web site development that still has to be done to get that project finished.

Another challenge is finding the right length for your lists. I discovered that I have a problem when I have to choose from too many options. Give me a list of 5 actions in a context, and I can crank through them. Give me a list of 15, and I can't make a choice. Do you have long lists?

You don't mention contexts. I presume you have chosen contexts and organized your actions accordingly -- but are those contexts really good reflections of your work?

Look at your action lists, and make sure that each action really truly is something you could do right now (or as soon as you find yourself in the appropriate context). Many items that end up on my action lists are really mini-projects or things that need something else done before I can get to them. That "something else" is really the next action, but that doesn't always leap to mind.

I agree with Paul -- set aside a block of time and just do. It may be forced and uncreative, but it can start the process of getting things knocked off your lists. GTD is a workflow management system, so your work needs to flow.

Give some of these things a try and let us know how it goes for you.

This is one of my biggest obstacles, too. I'd bet half to 2/3 of my "actions" list is really projects right now. This week, I've been lucky to just to capture things in any way as they come in, let alone actually categorize them correctly.

I'm feeling very "white belt" GTD this week...

I'm the opposite of this; I work best with 25-40 items on my NA list. As long as they are good, well defined NAs, I feel a real sense of progress crossing them out through the day.

There's your problem. (or at least part of it.)

You don't like the system you're using, therefore you don't fully trust yourself to stick with it, therefore you can't really trust the out-of-your-head system, therefore it's all still just as much in your head as it was before, therefore there's no drop in anxiety.

I realize that this doesn't really help, since it doesn't tell you what system *will* work for you, but I don't know what system works for you. A low-tech hPDA system works best for me-- even though I'm in a tech field and on the computer all day. But for GTD to work, you really need a system you like and are comfortable with.

You are getting good advice here (as is the norm on this board). GTD is a tool to help *you* do things, not to do them for you. I know that sounds pedantic, but it is really important to keep that in mind if you want to realize the goal actually being the best you think you can be.

I am a terrible self-motivator and notorious procrastinator. The rush and gush of daily life will not stop and that makes it even harder for me. I have to pick at my lists one NA at a time. As much as I hate hearing it, my wife is right, "Just pick something and do it." The anxiety subsides when I have the "to do" and "done" in balance.

As for your system, you need to find something you like that works for you. Easier said than done. There are a lot of great setups to choose from. Experiment with a few of them with your content and see what sticks.

Keep with it and keep doing. That is the only way to see results.

You might want to apply something I read in The Artists Way: "Leap and the net will appear." Also, "I'll provide the quantity and God will provide the quality."

In other words, just _do_ stuff, and don't worry about the quality. Just worry that it gets done. Do that enough, and the quality will creep in.

Picasso was brilliant, yes, but he made gazillions of paintings that, in his own words, were "crap." But he kept plugging away, and created some of the 20th Century's best artworks. There's a lesson there: keep going!

It's kind of like what Yoda said: "Do or do not. There is no try."