Review: Getting Things Done - A real-life case study
Nearly all books I review will have been the audiobook version. Listening is much more efficient for me given that I drive quite a bit.
My Background
In order for you to appreciate how effective David Allen’s book is, I must tell you a little bit about me. I used to keep all of my appointments in my head or if they were really important, I would tell the secretary to remind me. I used my desk calendar to draw pictures while I was on the phone as well as to perform calculations. I have been known to have stacks of paper on my desk. On a final note when I was implementing my GTD filing systems on January 15, 2008, I opened some mail from 2003.
After I Read the Book
It’s been two months now since I first read the book. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I am more productive than I was 60 days ago. I have and use a filing system at work and at home. Although I still have to find time to process my in-basket, I do not find the task as daunting. I use my Google calendar faithfully to keep my appointments and my list of incompletes. Now that everything has a place, I am more relaxed and in control of my workflow.
The Book Review
Getting Things Done By David Allen
Getting Things Done was written by a life coach guru who trains people how to work more efficiently and effectively. Today more than ever, we are bombarded by incoming mail, email, text messages, requests, appointments, tasks, etc. Unless you have a system in place to process these tasks, they will be forever stuck in your mind as an “open loop“. This book gives you the tools to close these loops thereby emptying your mind of tasks.
Here is a list of a few key tools that will help you achieve “mind like water”:
- You must have infallible collection buckets.
- You must have a way to remind yourself of what needs to be done.
- In order to accomplish anything you have to know what is the exact next step.
- Anything that takes less than two minutes to accomplish should be done immediately.
- A calendar must be an integral part of you work flow management.
I do not wish to go into detail on these points given the brevity of the book. This is not your typical business book that you passively read. Getting Things Done is more of a guide that you must work with as you read in order to reap the benefits of the advice. You will find yourself wanting to read it again and again to refresh your enthusiasm for organization. The information contained could be life changing for anyone. In my humble opinion, colleges should add David Allen’s principles to the curriculum for all incoming freshman.
The Phenomenon
David Allen’s teachings have spun off almost into a culture of their own. Here are some links to GTD groups and sites. The last one is David Allen’s site.
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Getting_Things_Done
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GtD_Palm
http://googlegroups.com/group/43Folders
Here is a sample of Mr. Allen’s seminars.
Getting Things Done and Entrepreneurship
No matter what life you live, organization is an integral part of success. Wether you are a stay-at-home mom or the CEO of a fortune 500 company, GTD can help you. These skills are especially important for anyone who aspires to be self-employed. When you are organized, you can relax; once you relax, creativity flows freely. Going with Tim’s rating scale, I would call this book a buy. Buy a copy for yourself and share it with a friend when you are finished. You won’t be disappointed.