A Chance to Be in My Book: What is the Best Thing You’ve Learned from Getting Things Done?
A lot of people that I talk to say “I can’t do everything David Allen outlines in Getting Things Done, but I took away a few key ideas that have made a big impact.” And the main take-away they describe is usually very helpful.
So I’m thinking of having a call-out in the book that highlights the top things various people have taken away from Getting Things Done. I’ve been asking this question of some people I’ve interviewed for the book, and I’d love to hear your thoughts as well.
Just shoot me an email or add a comment below answering this question: “What is the most helpful thing you learned from Getting Things Done?”
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16 Responses to “A Chance to Be in My Book: What is the Best Thing You’ve Learned from Getting Things Done?”
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About Matt Perman
Follower of Christ. Husband of one, father of three. Former director of strategy at Desiring God. This blog exists to help equip Christians in good works, because that's what productivity is really about.
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What did I learn from GTD? One phrase, two words: “Ubiquitous capture.”
It sounds so simple anyone should be able to figure it out on his own, but it revolutionized my productivity.
The most helpful GTD lesson for me was the “Do, Delegate, Defer, or Delete” decision making process. Every time I remember this, I wipe out my inboxes like a productivity ninja.
One of the most helpful things I learned was to keep physical inboxes at my home and office where I can dump out of my bag all the papers, notes, books, etc that I’ve collected for the day; and then to take action on each item (file it, google something about it, put it in the outbox to take with me tomorrow, put in my to-read pile, etc) before it comes out of the box.
GTD led me to an understanding of how I can use GMail labels to more effectively process and manage my email.
The whole concept/category of “knowledge work” was really helpful—never heard or thought along those lines previously. It helped to clarify practically why I struggle the way I do with productivity (my own heart issues obviously not addressed). I wondered why I felt so incredibly productive in seminary and, well, the total opposite in ministry. Seminary was incredibly challenging, but it was so simple: just do what the professors assigned. All my tasks were clearly spelled out. Not so in ministry. As a self-employed “knowledge worker” with nobody handing me a syllabus, I was in quite a different position, and up to that point, I wasn’t able to clearly articulate why I felt so unproductive. The label didn’t cure me—just clarified the problem. It helped to realize that I probably wasn’t the only one struggling.
Learning to ask of every actionable item, the simple but critical question, “what’s the next action”.
BTW, do you have an ETA on your book. Really looking forward to it.
The two minute rule from GTD has been a great help to me. If you can do it in two minutes, do it. Return the call, respond to the email, or make the reservation. Whatever it is, if it can be done under two minutes then get it done!
Keeping the limited amount of RAM in my brain clear of unnecessary stuff, and doing that by making good use of Google Calendar and my Android phone. Write it down, forget about it, and let my brain focus on the task at hand.
Processing your inbox to zero. Two minute rule.
For me, the most helpful takeaway has been distinguishing between projects (multiple tasks) and next actions.
Now, if something has been on my to-do list for awhile, I ask myself: is this really a next action, or is it actually a project? Many times, it’s really a project and I hadn’t put enough thought into it to really figuring out what the next action is.
The most helpful aspect of GTD for me has been Email to Zero everyday by using the folders and process you described in one of your first blog posts. I’ve become an evangelist for this where I work now and those who have adopted it love it. (Those who haven’t–well, they’re stressed out and unsure which way is up.)
I first read Getting Things Done when it was published in 2002 and I’ve read it many time since. The most immediate helpful and lasting impact on me is the concept of knowledge work. GTD has helped me see what knowledge work actual is in practice. And that is, everything translate into some kind of physical next action. GTD as a model has really helped me grasp that knowledge work is the process of refining information into productive action.
Peace of mind comes from knowing that you’ve got all of your open loops captured some place safe–so you can focus your mind on producing the next important thing.
Capture everything!
Set reminders (Allen calls them ticklers). I used to fill my brain with thoughts about what I might be forgetting to do. Now I just set reminders. My mind is now free to be in the moment.
Creating a someday/maybe list was so liberating. Books I want to read; projects to pursue someday; future ideas I have about raising my kids; restaurants I want to try; etc. Just knowing I have all those things written down allow me to move past so many things that would burden me before.
That I have a lot to do but also the power to do it all if I just write everything down.
I have been helped by David Allen’s assertion that “there is no single, once-and-for-all solution.” (GTD, xii) It is helpful to know that I can use as much, or as little, of GTD or other systems as necessary. Productivity will look unique from individual to individual based on their unique needs, skills, and goals.