Book Recommendation: Getting Things Done
Contact:
Nick & Peter,
Company:
Cre8tive Group
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
peter@cre8tivegroup.com
Most people nowadays find themselves in jobs requiring them to do more, in less time and with fewer resources. The trick in this situation is not overexertion or increasing workloads – it's optimizing our time. We need to become more productive while minimizing stress and without disrupting our personal lives.
David Allen, a productivity guru with 20+ years experience, wrote a book detailing some best practices to accomplish this goal. His book, Getting Things Done, introduced a system commonly referred to as "GTD". Though Allen's writing is not particularly witty or entertaining to read, it is packed full of fantastic content. The book was published in 2001 and has grown in popularity since then and for good reason – he offers valuable and practical advice for staying atop the many tasks that inundate our lives, such as putting together a bid or cleaning out the garage. Even though most of the systems and techniques can be implemented in very low-tech ways, GTD has garnered a large fan base from high-tech audiences.
The subtitle of the book is "The Art of Stress-Free Productivity". And that is really what the book is, a system for increasing productivity – a way not to do more, but to do what we already have on our plate more efficiently. The system doesn't offer one large linear process, but instead provides smaller systems for dealing with certain types of information. The book proposes that if something finds its way to your inbox, it should be processed. If you can deal with it in less then two minutes, do it right then, otherwise schedule a time to do it later, but move it out of your inbox. If you don't have to act on it right away, determine if it needs to be done at some point in the future or kept as reference. If not, trash it.
Peter has found getting everything out of his head has created room for additional creative thinking. Without the to-do's and you-better-remembers rolling around his head, there is a greater ability to focus on the task and hand. When there is no task at hand, new ideas come flowing in, creating better results for all his projects.
Allen emphasizes getting everything "out of your head". The human brain is paranoid about forgetting things, so it will keep bouncing the same thing around in your head until it gets done, or there is a plan for getting it done. When you feel overloaded, it manifests as stress. By keeping to-do lists with small concrete tasks and a reminder file for everything that doesn't need to be done immediately, the brain can rest and be satisfied enough to focus on the task at hand, without interrupting you about that meeting with Bill at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
Some of the benefits of Allen's methodology are immediately apparent. By writing notes-to-self, you forget less – keeping digital and physical inboxes empty assures everything gets noticed.
We've also seen an immediate benefit by putting in place Allen's easy-to-use, alphabetical filing system. Since every file is placed alphabetically, we don't have to worry about remembering a complex hierarchical system requiring training for each new employee. Creating a file is as simple as labeling a manila file and dropping it in the filing cabinet. After implementing this, we find it much easier to file projects away and quickly retrieve them for later use.
Nick (as a self-proclaimed organizational nut) loves the idea of a quick and easy way to file all the stuff that needs to be dealt with. He feels much more productive knowing he can quickly find what he's looking for at a moment's notice, instead of digging through the pile of stuff that accumulates throughout the day.
Speaking of manila files, Allen suggests ditching the hanging folders and plastic naming tabs. Think about how much time and effort it takes to file something in a hanging file folder: you have to find the paper labels, write down the name of the file (while remembering the category the file must be listed under), insert the label into the plastic tab, find an empty hanging file, figure out which of the 12 slots you want to place the plastic tab and finally drop it in the filing cabinet. Filing can quickly become a major project in and of itself. However, if you keep a stack of manila folders near your desk, within "swivel distance", filing is as easy as labeling the folder and dropping it in alphabetical order in the filing cabinet – no complex categories, color coding or tab positioning. They are much more portable than hanging files and fit nicely in a briefcase.
And if you already have a cabinet full of hanging files, just use those as holders for the manila folders – one folder per hanging file.
Allen writes conversationally and is straight to the point. And while the book isn't a suspenseful page-turner, it is full of content that can change how you react to the flood of information and ideas we encounter everyday. Because of the enhancements to creativity and productivity, we are certain our clients will be glad we read this book, and believe the gold nuggets in its pages are applicable to anyone, from stay-at-home dad to CEO.