Getting Things Done

All your lists need to be reviewed at least once a week.

1) Gather and process all your stuff

2) Review your system

3) Update your list

Get clear, current and complete!

The more complete your system is,the more you will trust it. Moreover, you need to ensure that all your lists are kept as distinct entities, otherwise you will confuse yourself. A clear and complete system will allow you to make quick decisions about what action to undertake in any given context, time available, energy and priority.

If something isn't important enough to be done, THROW IT AWAY!

Workflow diagram

This list is for you to consult only when you have the time and the inclination. If you acknowledge the power of imagination to foster changes in perception and performance, you can imagine how this list in front of your conscious mind could potentially add many wonderful adventures to your life.

An Illustrated Introduction

[Definition: Desired result that can be accomplished within a year that requires more than one action step]

This list should contain a comprehensive list of all your current projects. Always make sure you have an action step associated with each project in your action list. Remember don't actually "do" a project, only the action steps related to it. The project list is there to give you an overall view of all your commitments. Also store your support material to the respective projects separately.

Your reference system is allowed to be as extensive as you like. Increasing the size of your reference file does not add psychological weight because you know it is not "actionable".The mere act of creating a file for a topic into which you can organise random notes and potentially relevant material gives you significantly improved sense of control. As a rule it's best to stick to one general reference system (alphabetically ordered) except for a limited number of discrete topics.

For a broad and visual introduction I suggest you watch this 7 min video.

Our Objectives

This presentation should provide you with the necessary tools to become:

• clear: by developing a system to process all your stuff.
• current: by motivating you to keep your orienting maps and lists up-to-date.
• creative: which should happen automatically when you are clear and current.

If any action takes less than two minutes to do, do it now! You will be surprised how much this simple rule will help you clear your mind. Obviously the time frame is flexible depending on how much time you have available.

Getting Things Done

This list should act as a reminder of things you are waiting for. Check this regularly to see if you need to follow up. Furthermore, it is good to have this list handy when meeting with the respective person so you can remind them of anything outstanding. Make sure you always note the date the commitment was agreed on as well as the due date.

Your list of action reminders is where you document your actionable tasks. Avoid using vague statements and rather use a short and clear sentence outlining the action required. Shifting your mind to something that your mind perceives as a doable task will create a real increase in in positive energy, direction and motivation. If an action has been completed but the "project" requires more, be sure to define the next action step! It might also be useful to sort your actions according to location (eg at home, at office etc). This will ensure you don't waste time considering options that are not possible in your current context.

In your calendar you should include actions that need to occur at a specific time or date. Your calendar needs to reflect the hard edges of your day's commitment otherwise you will get confused and end up not trusting your calendar. If you would like to be reminded of more general information at a certain date in the future I suggest you implement a tickler system. Within the tickler system you can file documents by date and consult the respective folder every day.

by David Allen

The Fivefold Path to a Clear Mind

In short you need to learn to clear your mind of tasks that are bothering you, so that you can concentrate on more important things. The work-flow diagram on the next slide will show you in more detail how to set up a systematic method of transferring your mental stress onto a external brain, thus almost instantly creating an improved sense of control and clarity.

Let's get clear, current and creative!

Allen's Ideology

You will achieve...

..... enhanced control and relaxation due to clarity and peace of mind.

The challenge is to eliminate barriers to the natural flow of your creative energies!

1) CAPTURE all the things that need to get done. What do they mean to you? If it's on your mind your mind isn't clear. Therefore, it must be captured in a trusted system outside your mind.

2) CLARIFY. Make front-end decisions about the "inputs". First define what your commitment/desired outcome is. Then proceed to write one sentence clarifying what the next physical action will be (eg 'call Mr X for input' or 'draft ideas for Y').

3) ORGANISE. This involves curating and coordinating the content into a system that you will review and update regularly.

4) REVIEW. Reflect on the system.

5) ENGAGE with it.

Bottom Up Approach

Our mind is made up of five spheres:

Horizon 5: Purpose and Principle

Horizon 4: Vision

Horizon 3: Goal

Horizon 2: Areas of focus and accountability

Horizon 1: Current projects

Ground: Current actions

Allen believes that the best way to free up mental space for higher level thinking is to get mundane/day-to-day commitments off your mind. This approach enables you to unstick your workflow and foster your creative capabilities. The only way to implement this succesfully is to ensure that you create a physical organisation that is superior to your mental one. You will learn to make intuitive decisions and not waste time pondering the same information more than once.

This will require..

Why You Need an "External Brain"

[by external brain I mean a physical organisation of your commitments]

... that you clarify things on the front end, when they first appear on your radar.

... that you empty and update your list regularly.

...that you keep your collection tools close, so you can always collect a potentially valuable thought.

Your mind is designed to have ideas based on pattern recognition however the brain is poor at recollecting. If you use your memory as your organising system your mind will become overwhelmed and incompetent. This is why it is vital that we utilise an external brain. By getting tasks off your mind and into an external system, you can track progress more easily and create a feedback loop. Having a complete picture of your commitments will help you making decisions about what to do in any given moment, which will in turn allow you to engage more fully with the task at hand.

What you need is....

Further Tips and Tricks

...a complete, current and clear inventory of projects.

...an integrated total life management system, custom tailored to your current needs and direction and utilised to dynamically steer out beyond the day-to-day.

Challenges and surprises should ideally trigger your utilisation of this methodology rather than preventing you from using it.

• Never put anything back into "in"!
• You'll want to clear out your notes once they have become inactive, unreal or redundant so your system does not become "stale".
• Set aside a couple of hours in the afternoon of your last workday for a full review and update of all your lists.
• When confronted with any given task you need to either lower your standards and accept not doing it, do it, or put it on your someday maybe list. All three cases will result in a clear mind.

Emails

• The two minute rule applies: if you receive and email that takes less than two minutes to reply to, do it now!
• Those that take more than two minutes to reply to should be archived so you can return to them later.
• Those that aren't actionable, but contain interesting information should be moved to a reference/reading folder.
• You could possibly also have a waiting for folder for those you need to follow up on.
• Delete the rest!

Another tip for handling emails is to set times in the day at which you check your email and only check them then. Thus you won't constantly be distracted from your workflow and when you reach the given time you can make sure to give your emails your full attention and deal with them appropriately.