Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Although I’m using GTD for a couple of years now, I didn’t have the time to read David Allen’s “Gettings Things Done”. Most of the diagrams and workflows you find online are scratching only at the surface of Allen’s methodology.

I’m pretty happy to have read the book entirely and extract additional concepts and tipps how to manage your life even better. For me it’s definitely a strong book recommendation and I recommend it to everyone who has multiple projects to manage across different life areas. It’s not only about some TODO, NEXT or DONE lists.It might take years to fully understand and adapt GTD to your own needs and your own life style.

This is a list of further interesting material mentioned in the book:

• “Getting things done: The science behind stress-free productivity”
  • Your brain is for having ideas, not for holding them
• “The organized Mind” (Daniel Levitim)
  • Describes the necessity of building and utilizing an “external brain”
• “Willpower” (Dr. Roy Baumeister)
• PsyCap

Quotes

Note 1

In order to create productive alignment in your life, you could quite reasonably start with a clarification from the top-down. Decide why you’re on the planet" - David Allen

Note 2

Your brain is for having ideas, not storing them – David Allen

Note 3

“You don’t manage priorities - you have them” - David Allen

Note 4

The energy of your attention

A task left undone remains undone in two places—at the actual location of the task, and inside your head. Incomplete tasks in your head consume the energy of your attention as they gnaw at your conscience.

—Brahma Kumaris

Note 5

“Unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy” - Kerry Glees

Note 6

Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior.

—Dee Hock