David Allen's Blog, page 39

GTD Courses and Coaching

Our Global Partners offer GTD public and private courses and coaching services around the world. Find GTD training near you.

 

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There is always more to do than you can do

 

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Is there anything besides GTD?

QUESTION: Is there something else besides GTD worth exploring in the area of personal process management?

DAVID ALLEN: Frankly there is nothing in the area of “personal process management” beyond the GTD process itself. Many people mistake GTD as something that has to have all the suggestions in the book in some format; and most people think of GTD as a “system” instead of a “systematic process,” which it really is. Anything that “customizes” GTD or says it goes beyond it is simply saying that for some people in certain circumstances that systematic process may look like x, y, or z.

Whatever gets something off someone’s mind, that creates more cognitive space and freedom to be present and put your attention where you want it, with no distraction, is GTD. IF you could hire 40 people to follow you around, wherever, to whom you could trust off-loading any ideas or potential future reminders about anything and walk you through whatever thinking you need to be doing about anything, at the appropriate time…you don’t need any tool or additional process. That would be GTD, as well.

 

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The Easiest Hard Rule to Follow

If you pass one tiny piece of paper on the ground, without picking it up, you’re fired.

At least, that’s the story I heard once about a standard for employees at Disneyland. Apparently they had figured out how many less human resources they needed to keep the place clean, if it was kept spotless. Think about it: where will you be more inclined to throw a gum wrapper—on totally clean grounds or somewhere where there’s trash already?

That’s true around our houses and offices, too. If you’ve already broken the code, and left unclarified, unorganized “stuff” lying around, you’ll easily (let’s say even automatically and unconsciously) leave more of it.

When my inbox is at zero, it’s so much easier to keep it cleaned up. As soon as it starts to get semi-out-of-control, the chaos seems to speed up exponentially.

That’s why something as mundane as a physical in-tray has so much power in keeping our thinking processes clean-edged. If all undecided and unprocessed stuff is in there, it tends to keep it in there. Most people, if they have an in-tray at all, aren’t really using it as such, and no wonder there’s usually so much residual incompletion lying around in their spaces (like the first flat surface when they walk into their house or office).

Keeping things sorted makes it a heck of a lot easier to keep on keeping things sorted. Clean your house, empty your email inbox, clean out the in-tray on your desk, then fire yourself for not keeping it that way. It’s the laziest way to do it.

–David Allen

This essay appeared in David Allen’s Productive Living Newsletter. Subscribe for free here.

 

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New Getting Things Done for Teens book

The most interconnected generation in history is navigating unimaginable amounts of social pressure, both in personal and online interactions. Very little time, focus, or education is being spent teaching and coaching this generation how to navigate this unprecedented amount of “stuff” entering their lives each day. How do we help the overloaded and distracted next generation deal with increasing complexity and help them not only survive, but thrive? How do we help them experience stress-free productivity and gain momentum and confidence? How do we help them achieve autonomy, so that they can confidently take on whatever comes their way?

The new Getting Things Done for Teens book will train the next generation to overcome these obstacles and flourish, by coaching them to use David Allen’s internationally renowned Getting Things Done® methodology.

 

Learn more/buy the book: gtdforteens.com

 

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Marx’s GTD Story

Your name 

Marx Acosta-Rubio

What do you do for work?

I own several companies and coach entrepreneurs how to be successful and happy.



Where do you live?

Near Dallas, Texas.

How did you hear about GTD?

A friend recommended the book and then I hired David Allen to be my first consultant for my first company back in 2001, and I was HOOKED!



How has GTD made a difference in your work and life?

It is hard to describe what a difference GTD has made in my work and life (and aren’t they both the same?). I can tell you that I could NOT imagine my life without GTD. GTD allows me to be highly ambitious while at the same time fully relaxed, present, and moving forward in the right direction(s), while deliciously following my intuitive choices. There is a certain “smirk” that permeates most all GTD practitioners – as we have a secure sense of being able to handle anything, and not be stressed about it. Truth is, things take a lot less effort and can be done in a much faster time than people realize. After all, as David says, “There are no problems, only projects.”

What areas of GTD are you doing really well (or at least better than you used to)? 

Keeping my head clear, and following my intuitive choices, is something I have focused on and can finally say, I am pretty good at it – most of the time.



What areas of GTD would you like to get even better at doing?

I would love to be able to move more quickly, and effortlessly, up and down between the levels of the Horizons of Focus. (And yes, it is a current project.)



What is one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out with GTD? 

Best advice I got, from David, and I think I would pass this along as the best piece of advice I would give to anybody wanting to start, or already doing GTD. Doing GTD 100%, is light years better and significantly different than just doing it 99%.  You won’t believe how much better and incredible it is – and unfortunately, the only way to understand this advice, is to experience it.

 

 

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Episode #42: Getting Things Done for Teens

David Allen, Mike Williams, and Mark Wallace discuss the brand new book Getting Things Done for Teens, including what’s different, what’s the same, and some of the wisdom they’ve garnered in writing the book together. Learn more at www.gtdforteens.com.

 

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GTD & Things Setup Guide

We’re excited to announce the release of our new GTD Setup Guide for Things 3! We know some of you have been wanting this one for years. Here you go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy the full Guide

Download a sample

 

 

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There is no “perfect” way to do GTD

Your name:

Jodie E Francis

What do you do for work?

I work for a federal government department as the information management lead for our branch’s national scientific collections housed in Ottawa, and we are in the process of moving our collections to a more modern facility.

Where do you live?

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

How did you hear about GTD?

I discovered GTD almost 6 years ago when my director at the time put me on a large complex file and told me I’d better “find a system” to manage my tasks and email inbox.

How long have you been practicing GTD?

Almost 6 years. Several times, I have gone looking for a ‘simpler’ system but I keep coming back to GTD.

How has GTD made a difference in your work and life?

At work, our team is small and the work is complex. GTD helps me manage my commitments and follow up on things I am waiting for, so nothing falls through the cracks. At home, it means our children get to school, appointments and activities prepared and on time, we plan for family vacations, and attend local exhibits and festivals that strike our interest. Before GTD, the months and years just drifted past and we would miss opportunities. Although not a GTD practitioner himself, my husband is supportive, and we have consciously built a life that is in line with our higher horizon values and goals.

What areas of GTD are you doing really well (or at least better than you used to)?

Calendar management, Inbox processing, Waiting For, and Tickler.

What areas of GTD would you like to get even better at doing?

Mind Sweeps and Weekly Reviews. I still resist writing things down because I feel I will need to action it. I need to keep reviewing and culling my long lists, reminding myself that just because I have captured it, does not mean I need to ‘do it’. I regularly fall off the wagon, and it is always because I have begun to feel overwhelmed by the length of my lists and stopped doing Weekly Reviews.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out with GTD?

Maintain a beginner’s mind. There is no “perfect” way to do GTD, just like there is no “perfect” GTD tool or “perfect” yoga practice. Start with the book, learn from experienced practitioners like those on GTD Connect, and commit to using GTD for at least a month. Then give yourself permission to begin to adapt your practice so it serves your unique needs. Oh, and do your Weekly Reviews! Really. Just do them — you will not succeed without them, and the effort is completely worth it.

 

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Are you out of your mind?

Most people are trying to manage much of their life and work in their minds, but your head is a lousy office! Recent cognitive science research has proven its limitations for remembering, reminding, and prioritizing. In this humorous TEDx talk, David Allen emphasizes the need to keep track of any and every thing that we need to be reminded of in an “external brain,” making room for more creativity, intuitive thinking, and just being present.

 

 

 

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