BOOK REVIEW - Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

One of my recent non-fiction reads is Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. The book addresses the balance between getting things done and doing them well and savoring life, a balance that often seems pretty elusive to me.

The program has three aspects: 1. capturing all the things that need to get done in one spot, 2. making front end decisions to have a workable inventory of "next actions", and 3. coordinating all of that content. I was able to implement the first two steps immediately, but the third step wasn't as helpful or satisfying for me.

We are living in demanding times. we are always on, always connected, addicted to our gadgets. Our jobs and interests are constantly shifting. The book points out that in the past 72 hours we have received more change-producing, project-creating, and priority-shifting inputs than our parents did in a month, maybe even a year. No wonder my mom thinks I'm shoving way too much into a day!

We take on more than we have resources to handle. Most stress comes from inappropriately manged commitments we make or accept. And our ability to generate power is directly proportional to our ability to relax. We need to learn to say No and resist the urge to entangle ourselves in so many things.

Traditional organizational tools and processes can't keep up with the speed and complexity of life, and the changing priorities. They also don't incorporate big picture AND small open details well. The book doesn't dictate which scheduling tool is used, but focuses on capturing ALL the projects and to do's in one place, shifting our thinking to clarify what a successful outlook looks like, and breaking everything into the next physical action step. The book points out that the vast majority of people have been trying to get organized by rearranging incomplete lists of unclear things; they haven't yet realized how much or what they need to organize in order to get the real payoff.

Capturing everything in one repository allows us to stop dwelling on things, to empty our mind. If our mind keeps coming back to the same things, those are the things that need to be dealt with, even if they don't feel like our biggest priority. For everything, define what "done" means and what "doing" looks like, the outcome and next actions. As we get the small day-to-day things under control, we can devote more time to focusing on the larger horizon to tackle longer term goals. Start with projects that seems to be stuck and reclarify the outlook and next steps, how to get there, and even if it should still be on the list. One of the most powerful life skills is being able to define clear outcomes.

From a practical standpoint, for everything new that comes in, ask if it can be resolved in two minutes. If it can, resolve it right away. If it can't, ask if it can be delegated, if we are the right person to do it. If it is our task or project, capture the item and the next action step into our organization system. I implemented the two minute rule right away, and it works well.

Work on emptying your in box. Not by getting it all done, but by making sure everything is captured and what you're going to do with it. Delete what you can, file what you want to keep but needs no action, do it if it will take less than two minutes, and add it to the capture system if it needs more time or actions.

Another interesting tip is matching up to do items to context (where we are in relation to the environment we need), time available, energy available, and priority to maximize productivity. At work I usually save easy tasks for Friday afternoons, when my attention span is lowest.

And trust your gut on what to do next. Deal with what is most on your mind. Break complex tasks into smaller manageable tasks and get started.

The book suggests a weekly regrouping ritual, to review and re-prioritize the list. I've already been doing this consistently, so I was hoping for more concrete guidance. But resetting my to do list each week has been extremely helpful. The point is trying to prioritize and respond to things on your timeline, rather than waiting for them to become a bigger issue that sucks time and energy on its timeline.

Overall a good book with some tips and philosophies I can use, just wish it when a little further on the practical implementation and continuing refinement.