Getting Things Done — a meditation

I don’t know what’s been happening at GTD and David Allen’s company but hats off to the Marketing Department.

GTD seems to have infiltrated my every being and every being I come into contact with at the moment.

A few weeks back I was in a state of despair, anxiety and fatigue.

As a CEO, Father, Husband, Son and Musician I was spinning too many plates, my cup was overflowing and I couldn’t get on top of anything. To be honest I couldn’t discern what I needed to get on top of first!

Something had to give…….I either needed to drop something or become more productive with the limited time I had.

Enter David Allen and his seminal book; Getting Things Done: the art of stress free productivity. First published in 2005, I was wary of its cult-like status.

This blog is not a critique of his approach or a how to guide, there are plenty of those out there for you to feast your eyes upon.

No, this is more about how David’s approach has made me feel, improved my sleep, my work and ignited my creativity. It is NOT a panacea, it takes time, dedication and practice but I have found it to be VERY effective.

Equally, I’ve only been doing this sh*t for a few weeks so I’m definitely not a black belt. [Disclaimer — try it out for yourself]

Introduction

I don’t routinely read books that even a hint of looking like they’re directed at ‘executives’. They turn me off as a reminder that these might be tomes that are not driven by the same beliefs or principles as my own. As a former productivity hater, this book has changed my approach to work and made me think about productivity in a whole new way. It is also not confined to the world of work but is a holistic approach to managing our whole selves.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Here are some of my favorite tips:

• The 2-minute rule: If you see an action item that takes less than two minutes to complete, do it immediately. This way, your inbox (whether your home or work inbox) will always be empty (or almost).
• Structure: The vital importance of having a system in place for when you need to make decisions about what gets done next had passed me by. I was firmly in ‘headless chicken’ mode not quite knowing what to focus on next. Using this structuring method i’ve been able to get everything out of my head and into a structured system to be better able to:

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them”

David Allen

Conclusion

I’ve been practicing GTD for a little while now and I still feel like it hasn’t sunk in.

It’s a meditative habit that I keep coming back to and practising. I find that when I do, I am better able to cope with the constant flow of todo’s, thoughts, demands of modern living.

It is not for me to say whether this is for you but it has certainly helped me gain control, perspective and time.

Soundtrack: No Guru, No Method, No Teacher by Van Morrison