The Greg McKeown Podcast 6. What's Essential: David Allen on Getting the Right Things Done
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Jul 6, 2020 
David Allen, the author of the transformative book 'Getting Things Done,' shares his insights on cutting out the non-essential in both personal and professional life. He discusses the mind sweep technique to enhance clarity, the struggles of high achievers dealing with ambient anxiety, and the importance of personal accountability. Allen also emphasizes connecting with wisdom for growth and the power of gratitude in fostering essentialism. It's a deep dive into how to focus on what truly matters to achieve fulfillment and productivity.
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Your Head Is Not an Office
- Your mind isn't designed for managing many tasks simultaneously.
- Offload thoughts to an external system for better cognitive function, as backed by science.
Mind Sweep with Paper
- Use a mind sweep to capture all your thoughts on individual pieces of paper.
- Create an 'in-basket' to collect these, processing them one by one.
Processing the In-Basket
- Process your 'in-basket' by deciding the next action for each item.
- Follow the two-minute rule: if it takes less than two minutes, do it immediately, otherwise delegate or defer.
