Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done – David Allen

Do you feel overwhelmed by email, meetings, projects and an endless to-do list? David Allen’s Getting Things Done offers a proven method for regaining control and achieving what he calls a mind like water.

In Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, Allen, a leading productivity consultant and coach, explains that our minds are good at having ideas but poor at holding them. When we try to remember everything we need to do, we feel stressed, distracted and reactive. His solution is to capture every task, idea and commitment in a trusted external system, so the mind is free to focus on the work at hand.

Allen sets out a clear five-stage workflow: capture everything that has your attention, clarify what each item means and what action it requires, organize the results into appropriate lists and categories, reflect through regular weekly reviews, and engage by choosing the right action at the right moment. He introduces practical tools such as the two-minute rule, next actions, project lists, waiting-for lists, someday-maybe lists and context-based task lists, and explains how to set up an effective filing and workspace.

Clear, practical and adaptable to any job or lifestyle, the GTD method has been adopted by millions of people and organizations around the world.

Getting Things Done is an essential guide for professionals, managers, students and anyone who wants to feel more relaxed, organized and in control of their work and life.