BOOK REVIEW: Getting Things Done
by David Allen
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ABOUT THE BOOK (from Amazon):
Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots.
Allen has rewritten the book from start to finish, tweaking his classic text with important perspectives on the new workplace, and adding material that will make the book fresh and relevant for years to come. This new edition of Getting Things Done will be welcomed not only by its hundreds of thousands of existing fans but also by a whole new generation eager to adopt its proven principles.
MY REVIEW:
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I’ve read a lot of productivity books, but this one absolutely changed my life!
In Getting Things Done, David Allen teaches that you must capture, clarify, and organize absolutely everything, even the seemingly insignificant tasks (i.e. change the lightbulb in the entryway).
From reading this book I learned how to properly capture all of my to dos — all of those notes jotted down on Post-Its, items rolling around in my mind, requests sent to me via text message or Slack, emails that need follow up, etc. I learned how to properly categorize those tasks so that my mind can be clear when needed and I can be most productive during the times where it makes the most sense.
Learning how to capture and properly clarify and organize all of your to-do items can take a bit of work. I cover my own process in more detail in this post. But it is well worth the effort and practice if you want to accomplish peace of mind and sleep better at night.
Creating (and following) this system has been a game changer for me! Sure, I still wake up occasionally with that lingering item in my mind, but I capture it quickly in my app. Then I can rest easy knowing that due to the system I created based on the GTD methodology, I’ll be able to take care of it the next day when I’m back at work. I now accomplish Inbox Zero every morning by about 8 am, which is something I always thought was a myth among professionals, and I’m known for being a go-to person for getting things done!
If you’re interested in learning how to better organize your workload and be more productive, Getting Things Done is a must-read!
Favorite Quotes:
“It’s possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control.” – David Allen, #GettingThingsDone
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“Let’s face it: if there’s no good reason to be doing something, it’s not worth doing.” – David Allen, #GettingThingsDone
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“The highest performing people I know are those who have installed the best tricks in their lives.” – David Allen, #GettingThingsDone
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BONUS: The GTD Guided Mind Sweep
In addition to systemizing my daily workflow and prioritization, I’ve found it super helpful to listen to the GTD Guided Mind Sweep (podcast episode #3):
I do this every month or two and every single time I do it I end up with at least 25 things to add to my to do list–things that are filling up space in my mind when I don’t even realize it. When you listen, be prepared with a piece of paper and a pen. Write down everything that comes to your mind as he talks. Then when you’re done transfer all of those items into your central to do list organizer (I use Todoist).
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