Life events such as graduating from college, or the birth of a new child can really shake up your world. Even if the event doesn’t have a direct impact on your workload, the new reality causes you to lose focus. While GTD tries to prevent that by having you refocus your horizons to ensure you are ahead of the change, we are still human. This means that throughout the process, you will get derailed.

How do I know when I am derailed? I feel unproductive. I may be getting things done, but I don’t feel like I am getting the right things done. It’s what I call “being busy.” To get back on track, I revisit my Horizons of Focus. By visiting and recalibrating my long term and medium term goals, I am able to figure out where my energy should be spent, and where it should drop. It also gives me a chance to remove projects that are no longer relevant, and add projects that align to my new world.

If you feel lost, take a step back and try to view your situation from a higher level. What are you trying to accomplish in the next three to five years? How does what you are doing today impact it?