GTD and Maslow

The other day, a client and I were talking about how economic and social uncertainty might affect the way some of our target audiences perceive messages.  The discussion turned to how needs and personal status affect perception and action -- the same ideas that psychologist Abraham Maslow first offered in his Hierarchy of Needs theory.

Maslow envisioned a five-level pyramid that represented how an individual's motivation changes depending on various needs:

1. Physiological -- basic needs, like food, water, sleep, and shelter

2. Safety -- feeling secure in terms of health, employment, personal safety, etc.

3.  Love and belonging -- having friends, family, intimacy

4. Esteem -- confidence, achievement, respect from others, respect of others, etc.

5. Self-actualization -- where an individual is "growth motivated," rather than "deficiency motivated"

As we were talking about some of the traits and needs related to people at various stages, it occurred to me that many of the factors that define self actualization are also good predictors of success in using GTD.

Maslow and others noticed some specific identifying traits in people who are "self actualized:"

• They are independent
• They are autonomous
• They don't seek outside approval or validation
• They embrace reality and basic truths
• They are spontaneous and flexible
• They enjoy solving problems
• They transcend their circumstances, rather than merely "coping with" them

 

Sounds like a great description of a successful GTD user to me.

I've seen people comment that GTD is only applicable "for executives" or "for people who can control how they work."  Others suggest that it doesn't have enough innate "motivating tools" or that it isn't "structured enough."

Although I believe these criticisms are off base, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if what GTD's critics are actually getting at is the degree to which a user is self actualized.  After all, if someone is at a point in life where they need approval or they don’t feel comfortable being autonomous, they may not be entirely comfortable with operating in the self-sustaining way GTD requires.

The good news is, using GTD could put someone on a path to self actualization by offering a framework where they can learn to operate in a new way.  For example, it’s a lot easier to “transcend” your circumstances and embrace reality if you’re experienced in casting your activities in terms of “context” and taking action based on current reality.

Similarly, GTD supports spontaneity and flexibility by weaning users off the artificial structures of task scheduling and teaching them to assess their options in the moment. 

I’m curious to know: How do GTD users feel about their own efforts and the degree to which they are self actualized.