Getting Things Done

[njbair]

Has anyone read this book? I've been meaning to read it for years and I finally got to the point where I can't put off getting organized any longer.

I'm through chapter 2, and so far it feels like David Allen wrote the book just for me. The way he describes how tasks come in and overwhelm us is so spot-on, and the parts I've read so far about how to manage it all, really seem to make a lot of sense.

So I'm just wondering if anyone else here has read GTD and/or adopted the methodology.

[Belfong]

I’m using Things app which helps to get things done. And while I have not read the book, I read that the app can cater to this methodology.

[mashby]

I've been a big fan of GTD for a long time now and re-read it now and again. It's a great book and has really stood the test of time.

What I like best about it is that it's not based on a specific tool and the concepts can be applied to anything. So if you're more comfortable with paper, use that. If you like software, use that. Considering that I was using a Palm Pilot when I first started with GTD, I can attest that it evolves with the tool that works best for your situation.

Belfong mentioned Things, which is a great app for the Mac and iOS. OmniFocus is great too if you need something more complicated. TaskPaper if you want something more basic.

I'd suggest waiting on choosing an app though until you're comfortable with the ideas in the book and begin implementing the concepts in whatever you're using now.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

if I read this book, will it make me want to clean my apartment?

[mashby]

if I read this book, will it make me want to clean my apartment?

Ha! Not exactly. It'll help you empty your mind of all the things you think you should do and then help you to make decisions on what you actually want to do. Surprisingly it's helped me say no to a lot of things.

[Altis]

I'm going to look into this. I often suffer from 'analysis paralysis' where there's so many things I need/want to do, to the point where I end up not really doing any of it.

Thanks for the tip.

[vivalarevolución]

I'm intrigued already.  Encountered any advice on how to deal with having too many interests?

[tp4tissue]

Has anyone read this book? I've been meaning to read it for years and I finally got to the point where I can't put off getting organized any longer.

I'm through chapter 2, and so far it feels like David Allen wrote the book just for me. The way he describes how tasks come in and overwhelm us is so spot-on, and the parts I've read so far about how to manage it all, really seem to make a lot of sense.

So I'm just wondering if anyone else here has read GTD and/or adopted the methodology.

You do realize, that Reading the book -getting things done-,  Instead of actually getting things done, is STILL presently putting off getting things done..

[njbair]

Thanks everyone for the good replies so far.

Has anyone read this book? I've been meaning to read it for years and I finally got to the point where I can't put off getting organized any longer.

I'm through chapter 2, and so far it feels like David Allen wrote the book just for me. The way he describes how tasks come in and overwhelm us is so spot-on, and the parts I've read so far about how to manage it all, really seem to make a lot of sense.

So I'm just wondering if anyone else here has read GTD and/or adopted the methodology.

You do realize, that Reading the book -getting things done-,  Instead of actually getting things done, is STILL presently putting off getting things done..

Show Image

This was actually my initial resistance to the whole thing. But as has been mentioned, over the past fifteen years or so, it's really proven itself, and studies have even been done to validate a lot of the principles regarding the ways we think.

I've been a big fan of GTD for a long time now and re-read it now and again. It's a great book and has really stood the test of time.

What I like best about it is that it's not based on a specific tool and the concepts can be applied to anything. So if you're more comfortable with paper, use that. If you like software, use that. Considering that I was using a Palm Pilot when I first started with GTD, I can attest that it evolves with the tool that works best for your situation.

Belfong mentioned Things, which is a great app for the Mac and iOS. OmniFocus is great too if you need something more complicated. TaskPaper if you want something more basic.

I'd suggest waiting on choosing an app though until you're comfortable with the ideas in the book and begin implementing the concepts in whatever you're using now.

Yeah I've been using OneNote for task management so I just created a GTD tab with pages for Projects, Waiting, and Next Actions. Then I spent an hour this morning moving all of my existing items onto those pages. I kept some other tabs I already use, such as Meeting Notes and Quick Notes, but I'm just going to treat those as in-trays and empty them regularly.

What amazes me is that just two chapters in, it's already changing the way I think about organization. I'm looking at some of our in-place systems and seeing ways we can improve them to be more action-oriented.

[ideus]

As any advice is only as good as your ability to put it to work.

[njbair]

As any advice is only as good as your ability to put it to work.

That's the beautiful part about GTD. It requires no new skills. I was skeptical for years and thought it was just a fad. But I've been really impressed with how easily I've started picking up the mindset.

[ideus]

As any advice is only as good as your ability to put it to work.

That's the beautiful part about GTD. It requires no new skills. I was skeptical for years and thought it was just a fad. But I've been really impressed with how easily I've started picking up the mindset.

The advice is awesome; the mindset easy to grasp, then the hard part comes: to get the discipline to follow it.

[Belfong]

I'm going to look into this. I often suffer from 'analysis paralysis' where there's so many things I need/want to do, to the point where I end up not really doing any of it.

Thanks for the tip.

The point of GTD is that you just brain dump all the things you want to do into a box, one task/idea at a time (in Things app’s case, it’s an Inbox). Then, every morning you look this box of chores and drag and drop them into Today, which are things you need to get done today. You can also drop them to Next or Someday. As you disciplined yourself in prioritizing your task, you wil find that all these tasks are not so daunting and you don’t need to overly analyze them. That’s frees up your mind to really concentrate on the task that need to get done today.

[njbair]

I'm going to look into this. I often suffer from 'analysis paralysis' where there's so many things I need/want to do, to the point where I end up not really doing any of it.

Thanks for the tip.

The point of GTD is that you just brain dump all the things you want to do into a box, one task/idea at a time (in Things app’s case, it’s an Inbox). Then, every morning you look this box of chores and drag and drop them into Today, which are things you need to get done today. You can also drop them to Next or Someday. As you disciplined yourself in prioritizing your task, you wil find that all these tasks are not so daunting and you don’t need to overly analyze them. That’s frees up your mind to really concentrate on the task that need to get done today.

Well put. And then over time you build confidence in your system and your subconscious mind learns to trust it as well, freeing you to from that wandering mind.

[swimmingbird]

I think I need to read this book

[ideus]

I'm going to look into this. I often suffer from 'analysis paralysis' where there's so many things I need/want to do, to the point where I end up not really doing any of it.

Thanks for the tip.

The point of GTD is that you just brain dump all the things you want to do into a box, one task/idea at a time (in Things app’s case, it’s an Inbox). Then, every morning you look this box of chores and drag and drop them into Today, which are things you need to get done today. You can also drop them to Next or Someday. As you disciplined yourself in prioritizing your task, you wil find that all these tasks are not so daunting and you don’t need to overly analyze them. That’s frees up your mind to really concentrate on the task that need to get done today.

Do you have a link for the app? Is there an Android's one?

[bcredbottle]

I need this book, or something. ****ty use of my time is ruining my life, no hyperbole.

[n__dles]

I just did a massive *brain* dump (get yo mind out the gutter) coz I'd kinda fallen off the GTD wagon the last week or so. So when I saw this thread and being so invigorated with GTD enthusiasm, I:

• wrong a novel of a post
• timed out by the time I tried to submit
• lost everything

So basically in many, many more words I said this:

The point of GTD is that you just brain dump all the things you want to do into a box, one task/idea at a time (in Things app’s case, it’s an Inbox). Then, every morning you look this box of chores and drag and drop them into Today, which are things you need to get done today. You can also drop them to Next or Someday. As you disciplined yourself in prioritizing your task, you wil find that all these tasks are not so daunting and you don’t need to overly analyze them. That’s frees up your mind to really concentrate on the task that need to get done today.

Well put. And then over time you build confidence in your system and your subconscious mind learns to trust it as well, freeing you to from that wandering mind.

and explained how incredible org-mode is for GTD (and many, many other things) & rambled about unexpected benefits like more work/less stress, clearer perspective about my life, long-term goals, the path that brought me to where I am today and where the path I'm on is headed..

But yea GTD is totez rad and has a low barrier to entrance. So, leave GK google GTD, read stuff for an hour, start using GTD. No special software required.

Eventually you'll want to use better tooling, really there's only one option: emacs org-mode. vi users are switching to emacs for org-mode. A dev of a popular agenda/organization thingy for VIM abandoned his project for org-mode. If you use emacs you already have org-mode, if you use vi you can use evil mode for vi emulation so you don't have to reprogram your brainstem, if you use any another editor you *need* to switch to emacs or vi... really.. like asap   

[mashby]

I'm going to look into this. I often suffer from 'analysis paralysis' where there's so many things I need/want to do, to the point where I end up not really doing any of it.

Thanks for the tip.

The point of GTD is that you just brain dump all the things you want to do into a box, one task/idea at a time (in Things app’s case, it’s an Inbox). Then, every morning you look this box of chores and drag and drop them into Today, which are things you need to get done today. You can also drop them to Next or Someday. As you disciplined yourself in prioritizing your task, you wil find that all these tasks are not so daunting and you don’t need to overly analyze them. That’s frees up your mind to really concentrate on the task that need to get done today.

Do you have a link for the app? Is there an Android's one?

Things is Mac and iOS only. Same thing with OmniFocus. Not sure what apps are out there for Windows, but any list making tool could be used, so just go with what's easiest.

[iri]

I'm going to look into this. I often suffer from 'analysis paralysis' where there's so many things I need/want to do, to the point where I end up not really doing any of it.

Thanks for the tip.

The point of GTD is that you just brain dump all the things you want to do into a box, one task/idea at a time (in Things app’s case, it’s an Inbox). Then, every morning you look this box of chores and drag and drop them into Today, which are things you need to get done today. You can also drop them to Next or Someday. As you disciplined yourself in prioritizing your task, you wil find that all these tasks are not so daunting and you don’t need to overly analyze them. That’s frees up your mind to really concentrate on the task that need to get done today.

You need to read a book to do that?

[SpAmRaY]

I bought this book about 8 months ago, not sure what I did with it though.

[Belfong]

Honestly, you don’t need to read that book. Just looking at Things app Getting Started guide will give you a general ideas. For more complex project management though, you might need the book.

http://culturedcode.com/things/guide/

[mashby]

You need to read a book to do that?

The author David Allen is very self depreciating that his book is nothing more than common sense. That being said, it's a process that many of us wouldn't come to naturally. Additionally, it's about dealing with the increasing commitments that happen due to our successes.

Is the book for everyone? Certainly not, but if you find your self overwhelmed with too much to do and not enough time to do it and your current process isn't working, then it's worth a read.

Lastly, the GTD method is really just the first step. Most nerds, myself included, fixate on the tools and the process and less on the results. It's like getting into karate to learn how to kick ass, then after you get your black belt you learn that you never have to get into a fight.

[iri]

A dev of a popular agenda/organization thingy for VIM abandoned his project for org-mode.

Looking at this presentation, it seems he abandoned Vim for drugs.