David Allen Is A Genius
February 23, 2010 by: Dave Ozment
If you happen to follow my rare personal commentaries on Facebook you’ll notice that the title for today’s article matches with the headline I broadcasted Saturday morning. I’m being repetitive because I’m twice as convinced in the truthfulness of the statement.
For starters, who is David Allen? Well, I suppose many titles would fit, but I’d define him as a personal productivity guru. His first book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Allen’s concepts while easy to understand are profound in their implementation and application. By no means am I an expert. Barely a novice is where I’d start my self assessment. However, as I listen more and more to his ideas and even start to deploy them in my day-to-day… wow, I’m impressed.
I’m only scratching the surface here, but Allen’s thesis is to clear the mind. He often says that the mind is a great place to have an idea but a horrible place to store that idea. He elaborates by suggesting that a task on the mind will consume more thought and mental energy than it deserves. Rather, those thoughts and ideas and action items should all be captured and processed.
Items determined to require more than 3-5 discreet actions should be logged as projects and each project should reflect a ‘next action’ required to advance the effort.
Actions should then be organized into what he calls ‘contexts’ which speak to when and where they should be completed. It becomes and activity matrix really, which ‘next steps’ can be performed while making phone calls or online or while out running errands?
Lists and folders and note pads and pens are the tools that make this system work… and work it does.
For the last several years I’ve deployed parts of his approach without being aware of his larger premise. For years, every January, I’ve labeled a file folder as “Year XXXX Tax Documents”. Throughout the year when I collect a document that might influence my taxes – receipts, W-2s, charitable contribution statements – I simply file it away.
Without realizing it, I had created a context and was filing appropriately.
Allen takes my simple illustration and blows it out times ten. Everywhere is a context and everything is a project with a discreet next step. The ubiquitous ‘To-Do’ list then is no longer filled with procrastination begging landmines like “eat the elephant” but contains clearly defined actionable next steps like “take bite” and “chew”.
So why then did I FB “David Allen=Genius” on Saturday and why am I trumpeting it again today?
The answer – to me – is clear.
On Friday I cleared my schedule and spent several hours identifying all of my projects and open actions. I pulled from my To-Do list, from actions starred in my notebooks, from phone messages, from actions listed on my white board, and from too many previously ignored emails.
While I didn’t do anything, I organized next steps and pictures of completion for each of 20+ individual projects. After nearly two months of 60 hour work weeks, I left the office early and with a clear mind. As a measure of success, Friday night I didn’t bolt up in bed with heartburn AND an urgent thought of an undone work item… and another… and another… and another. Rather, I slept through the night and the next morning actually remembered parts of my dreams for the first time in too long.
I had no less work to do – probably even more – but I had a true literal handle on the work required. On Monday morning I was able to pick up any project folder and immediately take action towards its resolution.
To make matters better – do you ever hear that expression – I did the same thing Sunday afternoon for my personal/home projects, about 40 individual efforts. It represents a ton of activity and finding time to execute against all of them will remain a challenge, but I have more clarity as to my outcomes than I’ve had in a while. Rather than a mind cluttered by so many concurrent games on pong, I have a mind that is now clear and freed from having to remember such that it can creatively engage.
I like this feeling and have scheduled time with myself to re-establish this baseline each week – called the weekly review by Allen if you’re wondering. This will keep me honest with my activity and organized against my objectives and mentally free to wander and ponder.
Admittedly I’ve only unpacked the small boxes relative to David Allen’s larger inventory of concepts and principles. While I hope to engage elements of this approach again in the future as I learn and benefit from them, I don’t want your learning curve to rely on me. Please visit his site for more information, free newsletters, free podcasts, and free downloadable worksheets and articles.
If you’re interested in any of his books, here are links to help streamline your review and purchase decisions.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life
Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and the Business of Life
Photo By: Joe Thorn
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I’ve been using Project Peir for keeping track of all my tasks lately, it seems to be working really well so far..and it’s free.
Dave – You are right on. Jumped back into GTD 16 months ago after dabbling. Enjoyed great phone coaching and using the GTDConnect resources. Workflow Coaching coming up in three weeks. No turning back. Feeling great. The best part is having a quiet head because of Capture. The simplest and most important benefit from GTD.
Thanks Will, I have a lot to learn and a lot more refinement to go, but just the first steps are having a tremendous impact. I can only imagine how great this will be 16 months in.
Thanks for sharing,
Dave
Good read. The first time I heard David Allen, a light bulb went off over my head almost immediately, Before I listened, I thought it was going to be all about gear when really it’s about understanding how our minds already work and then adapting to that. I was hooked. As you probably know, it is like any other behavioral change. Progress is not a continuing ascension in productivity. There is progress and then slippage but over the course of the last year or so, there has been a considerable net gain for me.
Hye Jerry, thanks for your comment. I agree that the progress will not be linier. I will need to maintain my diligence while these new habits and patterns are being cemented and of course I’ll veer off path from time to time but I’m looking forward to that net gain a year from now.
Thanks!
Dave
I recently read Getting Things Done and found it a great productivity boost. I just wish I could find a simple online system I trust to keep track of all my tasks. I’ve tried quite a few and always end up back with pen and paper.
Would you recommend any of his other books?
Pete´s last blog ..Information Overload
Hey Pete… I’m certain all of his books are great. I’ve spent more time listening to the podcasts and you should give that a try. There’sa series on best practices in which David and 2 of his top employees – one of which is his CIO – sit around and talk about aspects of the program. You might find solutions to your need here.
Thanks,
Dave
Pete:
Take a look at http://www.toodledo.com Great product, iPhone app too.
Highly recommended, and we have an ActiveWords WordBase that works with it.
It may be a good app for some people but an app that relies on to do list and priorities is anything but GTD friendly.
I’ll respectfully and vehemently disagree. I’ve been using Toodledo and the accompanying iPhone app for nearly a year. It is exceedingly GTD friendly.
When you look at it at its most basic, GTD is comprised of nothing BUT lists. Toodledo is not a “GTD app” because there really isn’t such a thing. GTD is tool NON-specific. Everyone’s implementation of GTD is different. Toodledo is one of the more popular online tools employed. There are as many ways to use it for GTD as there are people.
I understand, but in GTD, not only in the book but in his seminars, David Allen repeatedly makes significant distinctions between “to do lists” and contextual next action lists. He says not only that “to do lists don’t work, they have never worked.” That’s not to say that the program isn’t any good. And maybe the “to do list” function can work just as well as next action lists tied to a project. I was simply reacting to the incongruence of “to do list” and “GTD”. It’s like saying I have a great meat recipe for vegetarians.
I’ve read GTD book couple times know and enjoyed it a lot. The concepts are simple but very profound. Perhaps this is the reason it takes time to implement GTD into daily life.
What’s also important is tha you can use the concepts and techniques in the book in every aspect of your life with out a need to follow strict GTD implementation.
Simple things like writing thing down or making decisions about stuff entering your space will take you long way regardless if you set up GTD system or not.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Rafal´s last blog ..GTD Implementation – some tips
Thanks Rafal and you are exactly right. You don’t have to swallow the program whole to realize the benefits. I’ve only taken a few early steps and the diference is fantastic.
I look forward to reading more about your GTD experience.
Thanks,
Dave
Dave,
Lovely to read such a clear and compelling testimonial to the difference between just the information about GTD and its implementation. Trying to convince people that GTD is worth really doing is like talking about chocolate to those who haven’t ever tasted it. Tough. So,thanks a ton for taking the time and effort to share that experience.
All the best,
David Allen
Thanks, Mr. Allen, I am honored that you would take the time to read and comment here. Thank you for making my day, and THANK YOU for your great approach to productivity. Best of luck to you and your team in spreading the word.
Dave
I have never read David Allen’s books before. Now I’m interested; perhaps I will look for it at the local library. Thanks for the review.
Random Thoughts of a Jersey Mom´s last blog ..My $50 Wedding
Definately give him a look… his first book is a little dense – lots of information – but his free podcasts are fantastic for understanding his approach at the higher levels.
Good Luck,
Dave
I am getting ready to download the information now and will check out his book. This should definitely be a useful resource to help me get better organized. Thanks for sharing this information.
Lillie´s last blog ..What everyone should know on how to avoid a tax audit.
Thanks Lillie, you’ll have to let me know what you think about his approach and materials.
Dave