#384: David Allen — The Art of Getting Things Done (GTD)

284 snips

Sep 3, 2019

David Allen, a renowned productivity expert and author of the bestselling book 'Getting Things Done,' shares insights from his 35 years in management consulting. He discusses the importance of externalizing thoughts to combat cognitive overload and how to define actionable steps for better clarity. Reflecting on his journey and remote life in Amsterdam, Allen emphasizes setting boundaries, balancing structure with creativity, and the transformative power of weekly reviews for maintaining productivity while reducing stress.

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INSIGHT

Your Head Is a Crappy Office

Your brain isn't designed to manage more than four things effectively.
Offload everything that has your attention to gain clarity and avoid broken agreements with yourself.

ADVICE

The Inbox: First Step to Clarity

Start with a physical inbox to collect everything on your mind.
Write each item on a separate piece of paper and put it in the inbox, this process can take several hours.

INSIGHT

Grief and Broken Agreements

Unkept agreements, even with yourself, diminish self-esteem.
Externalizing tasks helps renegotiate these agreements, leading to increased self-trust.

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