Are neat people more productive? How easily you can make a mess is how truly productive you can be. Maximum freedom to generate and play around in creative chaos is the optimal condition for constructive thinking and work. This is true on a project, in the kitchen, in your office, and at your writing table—anywhere …
Category Archives: David Allen
Episode #45: Dealing with Competing Priorities
Do you ever struggle with managing competing priorities and don’t know how you’ll get it all done? Join David Allen for a conversation that’s packed with practical GTD coaching advice on how to deal with competing priorities–from getting a higher perspective on your life and work, down to trusting your moment-to-moment action choices. Listen …
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When did email become my job?
Question: At what point did answering e-mail become my job? David Allen: Well, at what point did answering anything—your mail, having conversations in your hallway—become your job? It’s all your job. You just have to decide what your work is. As the late, great Peter Drucker said, that’s your biggest job, to define what your …
What should you do?
What should you do? With many choices you are given moment-to-moment, what should you do? There are five steps in the Mastering Workflow model of GTD®: Capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage. So which step is most important? How do you decide whether to collect stuff, process an inbox, organize your work, reflect on all …
Getting things off your mind
Even very important things can be on cruise control and not on your mind. If your attention is being grabbed, then there’s almost an inverse relationship there. The degree to which your attention is being grabbed is the degree to which you are not free to place your attention where and how you want to. …
Where should I start with GTD?
People worldwide are discovering the Getting Things Done® methodology; and often I’m asked, “Where should I start with GTD?!” They have either read the book, been to a course, heard about it on a podcast or from a friend; and they have sufficient inspiration or at least curiosity to test it out. But because there …
Episode #44: GTD for Creative People
Musician Evan Taubenfeld and entertainment lawyer Danny Passman join David Allen and Coach Kelly Forrister in an inspiring conversation about GTD for creative people. Lots of wonderful nuggets in this episode about finding the creative spark within the structure of a GTD system. Listen Now—GTD for Creative People Subscribe or Download to …
What is GTD?
Keys to the GTD® Methodology People often ask us, “So, what is GTD?” If you’re new to GTD or have been looking for a succinct way to explain it to others, check out this short video where David Allen shares the keys to the Getting Things Done® methodology. Hear why GTD can help you feel …
The Resistance to To-Do Lists
The main reason people resist to-do lists I understand the resistance to to-do lists, and the complaints about keeping them. I’ve noticed a couple of reasons for this. The main one is that most to-do lists are incomplete lists of still un-clarified “stuff.” Looking at them creates as much stress as they might have relieved in …
Episode #43: The Power of the GTD Weekly Review®
David Allen shares his thoughts on what a good GTD Weekly Review is and isn’t, as well as some valuable tips and tricks from his years in the trenches. This episode pairs well with Episode #7, the Guided Weekly Review. David has said that the Weekly Review is the “critical success factor” in making your …
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There is always more to do than you can do
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 …
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 …
New Getting Things Done for Teens book
The Challenge Teens Face Today 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 …
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. Listen Now Subscribe or Download iTunes Stitcher Libsyn Google Play Music Spotify SoundCloud
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 …
Starting with where you are, not where you should be
Question: Why does Getting Things Done® focus on the “weeds” rather than the higher-level stuff? Why don’t we start with goals and vision and then make our way to day-to-day work? David Allen: I appreciate your question. The professional and personal self-help training programs consistently emphasize higher-horizon focus—clarity of purpose, values, vision, goals, etc. I agree that …
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The principles of GTD apply to everything
Question: Dear David Allen, Is there an adaptation of your method for writing a PhD? I find GTD helpful in life and at the job, but I have trouble adapting it to a research project. Do you have any tips? David Allen: The principles of GTD apply to everything, but they don’t engage with the …
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Control or Spontaneity? The Paradox
When people discover the level of personal organization I work within, they often ask, “Wow, does this guy ever have any fun?! He’s so organized!” My response is usually, “Who’s not having fun?” Frankly, I organize for freedom, not for hard work. Much of my personal system of organization was built and is constantly being …
Episode #41: David Allen Talks with General Randal Fullhart
David Allen talks with General Randal Fullhart (Ret.). Graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1979, Randy has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He shares insights and tips about his own journey with GTD, teamwork, and leadership. Listen Now Subscribe or Download iTunes Stitcher Libsyn Google Play Music Spotify …
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