--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The real issue is how to make appropriate…" description: "\"The real issue is how to make appropriate choices about what to do at any point in time. The real issue is how we manage actions.\" — David Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/david-allen-2835_action_the-real-issue-is-how-to-make-appropriat_2598676.png" --- # The real issue is how to make appropriate choices about… ![“The real issue is how to make appropriate choices about what to do at any point in time. The real issue is how we manage actions.” quote by David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/david-allen-2835_action_the-real-issue-is-how-to-make-appropriat_2598676.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/david-allen-2835_action_the-real-issue-is-how-to-make-appropriat_2598676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/david-allen-2835_action_the-real-issue-is-how-to-make-appropriat_2598676.png) > “The real issue is how to make appropriate choices about what to do at any point in time. The real issue is how we manage actions.” [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Making appropriate choices and managing actions are central to effective time and task management. **In simple terms:** Choose wisely and manage actions well. Key Takeaway Prioritize decisions and track actions. Themes productivity decision-making time management Mood focused practical Type instructional motivational When to use this quote - project planning - daily tolists - goal setting Key Concepts task prioritization action tracking Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which tasks to prioritize? - What tools help you manage actions? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Appropriate Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate-choices-1924902/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Issue Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issue-manage-1924901/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage/) [Manage Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage-actions-1793967/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-issue/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The approach is not to limit the choice, but to provide a broader choice. It's appropriate to have choices that are indulgent and others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wyckoff/the-approach-is-not-to-limit-the-choice-but-to-provide-a-broader/) [Richard Wyckoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wyckoff/) > [Basically, managing is about influencing action. Managing is about helping organizations and units to get things done, which means action. Sometimes, managers manage actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/basically-managing-is-about-influencing-action-managing-is-about/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [“Any cycle that traps someone in a state of perpetual disadvantage is the real issue for the person experiencing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debby-irving/any-cycle-that-traps-someone-in-a-state-of-perpetual-disadvantage-is/) [Debby Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debby-irving/) > [You don't want to get so distracted, focusing on what the opposition is putting forth that you forget to remind America that the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/you-don-t-want-to-get-so-distracted-focusing-on-what-the-opposition/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [The real issue at hand is how God is going to respond to a culture when the majority of the people seek to veto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/the-real-issue-at-hand-is-how-god-is-going-to-respond-to-a-culture/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [The real issue for the public is to figure out which narrative do we want. We can have a bigger government, if that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hubbard/the-real-issue-for-the-public-is-to-figure-out-which-narrative-do-we/) [Glenn Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hubbard/) > [The real issue is not whether two and two make four or whether two and two make five, but whether life advances by men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-wilson/the-real-issue-is-not-whether-two-and-two-make-four-or-whether-two/) [Colin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-wilson/) > [I actually don't mind whether people can choose the sex of the baby - in fact humans have been trying to do it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-actually-don-t-mind-whether-people-can-choose-the-sex-of-the-baby/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [The real issue is not whether baking biscuits is meaningful, but the extent to which the activity can seem to be so after it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-real-issue-is-not-whether-baking-biscuits-is-meaningful-but-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [The real issue is not if a crossing is put in, but when. 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The real issue is whether the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joschka-fischer/we-shouldn-t-discuss-the-world-of-tomorrow-in-terms-of-becoming-a/) [Joschka Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joschka-fischer/) > [The real issue is not talent as an independent element, but talent in relationship to will, desire and persistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-glaser/the-real-issue-is-not-talent-as-an-independent-element-but-talent-in/) [Milton Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-glaser/) > [Almost no one raises the real issue of tax avoidance, right? And of the rich just not paying their fair share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/almost-no-one-raises-the-real-issue-of-tax-avoidance-right-and-of-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More by David Allen > [“Klara Sztucinski, and Elliott Kellman. The administrative”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/klara-sztucinski-and-elliott-kellman-the-administrative/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/your-ability-to-generate-power-is-directly-proportional-to-your/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“Too much information creates the same result as too little:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/too-much-information-creates-the-same-result-as-too-little/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [You don't actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. When enough of the right action steps have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-don-t-actually-do-a-project-you-can-only-do-action-steps-related/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [You won't see how to do it until you see yourself doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-won-t-see-how-to-do-it-until-you-see-yourself-doing-it/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“It’s the nature of human experience, which is always in some form of motion, to veer off course—sometimes in major, but consistently in minor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/it-s-the-nature-of-human-experience-which-is-always-in-some-form-of/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“The real challenge is to make good communication a handy and well-used tool. 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Frankly, as soon add you have two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/everything-you-ve-told-yourself-you-ought-to-do-your-mind-thinks-you/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“We need ways to validate and support our thinking, no matter how informal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/we-need-ways-to-validate-and-support-our-thinking-no-matter-how/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“The value of goals is not in the future they describe, but the change in perception of reality they foster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/the-value-of-goals-is-not-in-the-future-they-describe-but-the-change/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“Taking the inventory of your current work at all levels will automatically produce greater focus, alignment, and sense of priorities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/taking-the-inventory-of-your-current-work-at-all-levels-will/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“have discovered that one of the major reasons many people haven’t had a lot of success with getting organized is simply that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/have-discovered-that-one-of-the-major-reasons-many-people-haven-t-had/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Without a gut-level sense that you are ultimately in control of what's happening to you, you won't even consider the option that you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/without-a-gut-level-sense-that-you-are-ultimately-in-control-of-what/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/your-mind-is-for-having-ideas-not-holding-them/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything; if you can use a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-can-decide-what-specifically-something-means-to-you-and-what-you/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) [Explore all 147 David Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. 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