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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed reading this, and I see the logic behind the organizational systems outlined here. However, it is a bit dated at this point, making implementing the strategies require a bit of creativity to work with our more current tools.
slow-paced
📚 2025 #10: “Getting Things Done” by David Allen
⭐️💫 1.5/5: Warning: This is the salty review of someone whose corporate responsibility was basically to be digitally organized and well-documented. This book started as a solid 4 ⭐️s, then consistently declined as it went on and on and on...
First, this should be called "Getting Things Organized" because really the only advice for getting things done was to do the things you need to do. Yes, there was the 2-minute rule and the do/defer/delegate/delete of time management. The rest of the book was pretty much a drawn out explanation of how to intake, organize, and review your tasks.
Second, if your job requires the level of organization and task management outlined here, you should already be on top of 90% of what's in this book -- or have an assistant that does all that for you. Maybe I'm just crazy and the average person doesn't know how to properly use a calendar, CRM, or note-taking app, even if required to do so for their job.
Third, the long lists of examples and repetitiveness throughout were almost enough to drive me crazy. Having flashbacks of headset-wearing tech bros shouting "GTD!" was.
⭐️💫 1.5/5: Warning: This is the salty review of someone whose corporate responsibility was basically to be digitally organized and well-documented. This book started as a solid 4 ⭐️s, then consistently declined as it went on and on and on...
First, this should be called "Getting Things Organized" because really the only advice for getting things done was to do the things you need to do. Yes, there was the 2-minute rule and the do/defer/delegate/delete of time management. The rest of the book was pretty much a drawn out explanation of how to intake, organize, and review your tasks.
Second, if your job requires the level of organization and task management outlined here, you should already be on top of 90% of what's in this book -- or have an assistant that does all that for you. Maybe I'm just crazy and the average person doesn't know how to properly use a calendar, CRM, or note-taking app, even if required to do so for their job.
Third, the long lists of examples and repetitiveness throughout were almost enough to drive me crazy. Having flashbacks of headset-wearing tech bros shouting "GTD!" was.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Getting Things Done (GTD) is an excellent methodology whether using pencil and paper or an electronic system for tracking your work. This work is foundational to personal productivity. Maybe a little over the top for some people if they aren't bent this way but there are many tools that can be picked up from reading this book.
I finally got this done! I started this ages ago. I don't remember when, but when I finally started listening to it again in November 2013, I was giving it a second chance. The problem was the format - audiobook. I really need to take notes or write something down. This time, I used the note feature on Audible to bookmark places. Still, this dragged on. I ended up buying the Kindle version! It was under $10 so I didn't feel so bad as if I had bought 2 books. This week I charged through the big chapter 7 that has most of the really practical hands-on stuff I was looking for. I listened at 1.25x and 1.5x speed to stuff things into my brain and prepare for going back and reviewing in print. That helped a lot. There are many great tips and I have tried implementing a few already such as the tickler file. My main takeaway is about open and closed loops. That is a big trap for me. I fret over an entire project instead of just looking at "what is my next action". Anyway, I finished this round of reading. I will be back. I am giving a talk in June on time management for technical communicators, and this book plays a part in that. Therefore, it won't be long before I am back and translating my notes into slides. :)
If you have ADD like me, this could change your life. Seriously.
Some of the concepts are helpful, and I've actually implemented them. But the book is really repetitive and includes a lot of unnecessary details. If some of that was trimmed down, it could be a great book.
I like Allen's ideas in this book, but it was SO repetitive. I'm a pretty efficient person by nature, so there was nothing earth-shattering in Allen's ideas/suggestions for me. The last chapters were the best, I thought, as it was more big picture and motivational. There were lots of quotes interspersed throughout, which I liked as well. I also liked his focus on asking "what's the next action here?".
Overall, not that impressed, though. I think it could have been distilled down and condensed. If you're in need of a total overhaul, you may like this book better than I did.
Overall, not that impressed, though. I think it could have been distilled down and condensed. If you're in need of a total overhaul, you may like this book better than I did.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
I started with GTD so long ago I didn't even have a Kindle back then. That's the only reason I can think of why I didn't read the book on a method I've been using for so long. I do recall starting with it when Remember The Milk was still a to-do list app, eventually moving to Todoist. It almost feels like a different lifetime.
Most of the book thus was familiar to me. But what I really got out of it was the section on how smart people procrastinate the most. It's because we can instantly imagine the whole doom scenario in great detail. It's still the killer for me, overthinking and catastrophising a task so I don't even want to contemplate what the next action is. For that alone it was worth to finally go through this book.
Most of the book thus was familiar to me. But what I really got out of it was the section on how smart people procrastinate the most. It's because we can instantly imagine the whole doom scenario in great detail. It's still the killer for me, overthinking and catastrophising a task so I don't even want to contemplate what the next action is. For that alone it was worth to finally go through this book.