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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
The self-help book industry runs rampant with cliches, euphemisms and gimmicks. Allen's book is a breath of fresh air in that it consolidates the most sound approaches in a way that speaks volumes to both the high-powered CEO and the graduate student just trying to get her dissertation organized!
Allen's approach is centered around the idea that "things that have your attention should have your INTENTION." Although we know that is common sense, Allen offers a method of storing and processing the multitude of attention items, so that one can focus on one item at a time without worry about what's on the back-burner.
In addition to offering concrete ideas for organization, Allen also addresses the emotional and psychological impediments to getting things done. Unlike other authors, he does not patronize his readers or make them believe that they should aspire to be paragons of organizational virtue. He's a realist and offers many instances of "if you can't do this, try this."
Even if one does not adapt Allen's entire system for a lifetime, components like the "2-minute rule" and the "Next Action Decision Making Standard" will positively impact personal productivity and mindset. This book will NOT help those who aren't yet at the place where they want to make a positive change.
Allen has defined the "core methods that don't change with the times, and which, when applied, always work." Having read many books on organization and procrastination, I do believe this is the last book I will need to read.
Allen's approach is centered around the idea that "things that have your attention should have your INTENTION." Although we know that is common sense, Allen offers a method of storing and processing the multitude of attention items, so that one can focus on one item at a time without worry about what's on the back-burner.
In addition to offering concrete ideas for organization, Allen also addresses the emotional and psychological impediments to getting things done. Unlike other authors, he does not patronize his readers or make them believe that they should aspire to be paragons of organizational virtue. He's a realist and offers many instances of "if you can't do this, try this."
Even if one does not adapt Allen's entire system for a lifetime, components like the "2-minute rule" and the "Next Action Decision Making Standard" will positively impact personal productivity and mindset. This book will NOT help those who aren't yet at the place where they want to make a positive change.
Allen has defined the "core methods that don't change with the times, and which, when applied, always work." Having read many books on organization and procrastination, I do believe this is the last book I will need to read.
A timeless classic. I have read bits and pieces of this over the years, but it takes an end to end read followed up by reviews to implement the practices. It does not matter if this was written years ago. The principles transcend whatever system you are using for tracking. The 9th chapter is probably the most valuable in the entire book.
Just like any help book, take the parts that are helpful and leave the rest. Yes, he has lots of examples that are totally not what the average person experiences-- but people with those experiences might read this book. I don't agree with everything he says (I definitely don't agree with Inbox Zero anymore), but I did use the tools and organization style and suggestions to create organized projects with clearer to-do lists and it has really helped me so far. I've been less anxious, more organized, more productive. I didn't use everything from this book (I haven't gone through all my closets and whatnot), but it helped me navigate putting everything that was stewing in my brain onto virtual paper so I could focus better.
Really great and practical advice. Way too long and repetitive. I'm sure maybe a lot of people need the repetition, but I could have down without the entirety of Part 3.
Resonated with me.. But system is time consuming... took parts of it..
For something that is supposed to save time and simplify my life, the Getting Things Done approach (author David Allen) seems overly complicated and time consuming to me. It is replete with laundry lists” of things to do and methods for doing them, to the point that, if I adopted the methods whole cloth, I think I would be managing my time all day long rather than actually getting things done.
I still like the simplicity and directness of Covey’s “priority management” approach, as described in his book First Things First. While not strictly time management – in fact, he argues that one cannot manage time, only priorities – Covey’s four quadrants have helped me immeasurably to think about and focus on what is most important to me and to do those things in their proper order.
Nonetheless, I found some useful (to me) tidbits in Allen’s book. He describes five phases of getting organized:
1. Collection: gathering everything needed to get organized – all your “to do’s,” paperwork, project inputs, etc. – all in one place, and then placing them into some sort of in-basket. That can be physical, electronic, voice recorded, or any other means one prefers.
2. Processing: Encompassed in a few questions and actions. Question #1 is “What is it?” Based on that answer, the next question is “Is it actionable.” If so, the third (and most valuable to me) question is “What’s the next action?” (see my review of Regina Brett’s God Never Blinks for a similar idea). Another useful idea is the two minute rule – if the next action would take two minutes or less, do it now. Keep in mind, though, that many things that can be done in two minutes aren't worth doing at all! Finally, for everything else, do it, delegate it, or defer it...mostly, do them.
3. Organizing: After doing what you can, then distribute the remainder into three locations: trash, incubation, or reference storage. In my experience, most of what I would have put into reference storage twenty (or even ten) years ago is now easily found on the web or in easily accessed databases. Avoiding “compulsive keeping” (my words, not his) is my biggest challenge to staying organized and simplifying my life and office.
4. Reviewing: Simply staying on top of what needs to be done so that it doesn’t become forgotten. Many ways to do this, but the book is somewhat dated as it was published in 2001. The principle is what matters here, not the method.
5. Doing: This one is obvious…
The most useful insights to me were what I found in the section on processing, and in particularly the questions to ask yourself as you engage in daily, weekly and more long-term planning. This is one book that I think would have been better as a meaty article. In book length, it feels too much like what some of my students do...padding a paper with non-essential material to make it reach the desired length.
I still like the simplicity and directness of Covey’s “priority management” approach, as described in his book First Things First. While not strictly time management – in fact, he argues that one cannot manage time, only priorities – Covey’s four quadrants have helped me immeasurably to think about and focus on what is most important to me and to do those things in their proper order.
Nonetheless, I found some useful (to me) tidbits in Allen’s book. He describes five phases of getting organized:
1. Collection: gathering everything needed to get organized – all your “to do’s,” paperwork, project inputs, etc. – all in one place, and then placing them into some sort of in-basket. That can be physical, electronic, voice recorded, or any other means one prefers.
2. Processing: Encompassed in a few questions and actions. Question #1 is “What is it?” Based on that answer, the next question is “Is it actionable.” If so, the third (and most valuable to me) question is “What’s the next action?” (see my review of Regina Brett’s God Never Blinks for a similar idea). Another useful idea is the two minute rule – if the next action would take two minutes or less, do it now. Keep in mind, though, that many things that can be done in two minutes aren't worth doing at all! Finally, for everything else, do it, delegate it, or defer it...mostly, do them.
3. Organizing: After doing what you can, then distribute the remainder into three locations: trash, incubation, or reference storage. In my experience, most of what I would have put into reference storage twenty (or even ten) years ago is now easily found on the web or in easily accessed databases. Avoiding “compulsive keeping” (my words, not his) is my biggest challenge to staying organized and simplifying my life and office.
4. Reviewing: Simply staying on top of what needs to be done so that it doesn’t become forgotten. Many ways to do this, but the book is somewhat dated as it was published in 2001. The principle is what matters here, not the method.
5. Doing: This one is obvious…
The most useful insights to me were what I found in the section on processing, and in particularly the questions to ask yourself as you engage in daily, weekly and more long-term planning. This is one book that I think would have been better as a meaty article. In book length, it feels too much like what some of my students do...padding a paper with non-essential material to make it reach the desired length.
I like productivity tips, I know GTD is tops, and I even liked as much as I've read so far, but I have a really hard time picking this one up and have run through a few rounds of borrowing. Time to call it and let this one go.
Re-reading. Hope some more helpful tricks stick. Seem to be falling behind these days.
Too detail oriented -files folders and postits and organizing tools.