Getting Things Done  ## Metadata - Author: [[David Allen]] | [[3. Resources/Authors/David Allen|David Allen]] - Full Title: Getting Things Done - Category: #books - Kindle: [Open in Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWG9M2E) - Document Tags: [[GTD]] ## Document Notes ## Highlights - It is possible to be effectively doing while you are delightfully being, in your ordinary workaday world. ([Location 305](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=305)) - Note: Be, do, have - The art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of our great men. —Capt. J. A. Hatfield ([Location 306](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=306)) - As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble. —Ralph Waldo Emerson ([Location 320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=320)) - Anxiety is caused by a lack of control, organization, preparation, and action. —David Kekich ([Location 333](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=333)) - Chaos isn’t the problem; how long it takes to find coherence is the real game. —Doc Childre and Bruce Cryer ([Location 537](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=537)) - There has been a missing piece in our culture of knowledge work: a system with a coherent set of behaviors and tools that functions effectively at the level at which work really happens. ([Location 539](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=539)) - You can experience what the martial artists call a “mind like water” and top athletes refer to as the “zone,” within the complex world in which you’re engaged. In fact, you have probably already been in this state from time to time. ([Location 548](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=548)) - Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to relax. ([Location 566](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=566)) - Water is what it is, and does what it does. It can overwhelm, but it’s not overwhelmed. It can be still, but it is not impatient. It can be forced to change course, but it is not frustrated. ([Location 568](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=568)) - Tags: favorite - Can You Get into Your “Productive State” When Required? ([Location 576](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=576)) - Think about the last time you felt highly productive. You probably had a sense of being in control, you were not stressed out, you were highly focused on what you were doing, time tended to disappear (lunchtime already?), and you felt you were making noticeable progress toward a meaningful outcome. Would you like to have more such experiences? ([Location 577](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=577)) - If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open for everything. —Shunryu Suzuki ([Location 580](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=580)) - if you get seriously far out of that state—and start to feel out of control, stressed out, unfocused, bored, and stuck—do you have the ability to get yourself back into it? ([Location 582](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=582)) - if it’s on your mind, your mind isn’t clear. Anything you consider unfinished in any way must be captured in a trusted system outside your mind, or what I call a collection tool, that you know you’ll come back to regularly and sort through. ([Location 604](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=604)) - clarify exactly what your commitment is and decide what you have to do, if anything, to make progress toward fulfilling it. ([Location 606](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=606)) - once you’ve decided on all the actions you need to take, you must keep reminders of them organized in a system you review regularly. ([Location 607](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=607)) - write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment. ([Location 611](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=611)) - describe, in a single written sentence, your intended successful outcome for this problem or situation. ([Location 616](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=616)) - Now write down the very next physical action required to move the situation forward. ([Location 620](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=620)) - This consistent, unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy. —Kerry Gleeson ([Location 654](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=654)) - Even if you’ve already decided on the next step you’ll take to resolve a problem, your mind can’t let go until and unless you park a reminder in a place it knows you will, without fail, look. ([Location 663](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=663)) - Rule your mind or it will rule you. —Horace ([Location 672](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=672)) - Most people let their reactive mental process run a lot of the show, especially where the too-much-to-do syndrome is concerned. ([Location 676](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=676)) - Research has now proven that a significant part of your psyche cannot help but keep track of your open loops, and not (as originally thought) as an intelligent, positive motivator, but as a detractor from anything else you need or want to think about, diminishing your capacity to perform. ([Location 678](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=678)) - the key to managing all of your stuff is managing your actions. ([Location 715](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=715)) - Getting things done requires two basic components: defining (1) what “done” means (outcome) and (2) what “doing” looks like (action). ([Location 732](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=732)) - We (1) capture what has our attention; (2) clarify what each item means and what to do about it; (3) organize the results, which presents the options we (4) reflect on, which we then choose to (5) engage with. ([Location 833](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=833)) - 1  |  Every open loop must be in your capture system and out of your head. 2  |  You must have as few capturing buckets as you can get by with. 3  |  You must empty them regularly. ([Location 925](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=925)) - No Action RequiredIf the answer is no, there are three possibilities: 1  |  It’s trash, no longer needed. 2  |  No action is needed now, but something might need to be done later (incubate). 3  |  The item is potentially useful information that might be needed for something later (reference). ([Location 994](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=994)) - 1  |  What “project” or outcome have you committed to? and 2  |  What’s the next action required? ([Location 1007](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1007)) - Do It, Delegate It, or Defer It Once you’ve decided on the next action, you have three options: 1. Do it. If an action will take less than two minutes, it should be done at the moment it is defined. 2. Delegate it. If the action will take longer than two minutes, ask yourself, Am I the right person to do this? If the answer is no, delegate it to the appropriate entity. 3. Defer it, If the action will take longer than two minutes, and you are the right person to do it, you will have to defer acting on it until later and track it on one or more “Next Actions” lists. ([Location 1023](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1023)) - To manage actionable things, you will need a list of projects, storage or files for project plans and materials, a calendar, a list of reminders of next actions, and a list of reminders of things you’re waiting for. ([Location 1034](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1034)) - I define a project as any desired result that can be accomplished within a year that requires more than one action step. ([Location 1044](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1044)) - Projects do not initially need to be listed in any particular order, by size, or by priority. They just need to be on a master list so you can review them regularly enough to ensure that appropriate next actions have been defined for each of them. ([Location 1063](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1063)) - You don’t actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. ([Location 1065](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1065)) - What does need to be tracked is every action that has to happen at a specific time or on a specific day (enter those on your calendar); those that need to be done as soon as they can (add these to your Next Actions lists); and all those that you are waiting for others to do (put these on a Waiting For list). ([Location 1088](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1088)) - Three things go on your calendar: time-specific actions; day-specific actions; and day-specific information ([Location 1093](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1093)) - No More “Daily To-Do” Lists on the Calendar Those three things are what go on the calendar, and nothing else! ([Location 1109](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1109)) - Any longer-than-two-minute, non-delegatable action you have identified needs to be tracked somewhere. ([Location 1125](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1125)) - 1. The Four-Criteria Model for Choosing Actions in the Moment ([Location 1257](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1257)) - Context You are always constrained by what you have the capability to do at this time. ([Location 1260](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1260)) - Time Available When do you have to do something else? Having a meeting in five minutes would prevent doing any actions that require more time. ([Location 1266](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1266)) - Energy Available How much energy do you have? Some actions you have to do require a reservoir of fresh, creative mental energy. Others need more physical horsepower. Some need very little of either. ([Location 1268](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1268)) - Priority Given your context, time, and energy available, what action remaining of your options will give you the highest payoff? ([Location 1269](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1269)) - Doing Predefined Work When you’re doing predefined work, you’re working from your Next Actions lists and calendar—completing tasks that you have previously determined need to be done, or managing your workflow. ([Location 1277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1277)) - Doing Work as It Shows Up Often things come up ad hoc—unsuspected, unforeseen—that you either have to or choose to engage in as they occur. ([Location 1280](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1280)) - Defining Your Work Defining your work entails clearing up your in-tray, your digital messages, and your meeting notes, and breaking down new projects into actionable steps. ([Location 1284](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1284)) - Horizon 5: Purpose and principles Horizon 4: Vision Horizon 3: Goals Horizon 2: Areas of focus and accountabilities Horizon 1: Current projects Ground: Current actions ([Location 1294](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1294)) - Ground: Current Actions This is the accumulated list of all the actions you need to take—all ([Location 1297](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1297)) - Horizon 1: Current Projects Generating most of the actions that you currently have in front of you are the thirty to one hundred projects on your plate. ([Location 1300](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1300)) - Horizon 2: Areas of Focus and Accountabilities You create or accept your projects and actions because of the roles, interests, and accountabilities you have. ([Location 1306](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1306)) - Horizon 3: Goals What you want to be experiencing in various areas of your life and work one to two years from now will add another dimension to defining your work. ([Location 1313](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1313)) - Horizon 4: Vision Projecting three to five years into the future generates thinking about bigger categories: organization strategies, environmental trends, career and lifestyle transition circumstances. ([Location 1317](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1317)) - Horizon 5: Purpose and Principles This is the big-picture view. Why does your company exist? Why do you exist? What really matters to you, no matter what? ([Location 1321](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1321)) - The Value of Thinking About Why Here are just some of the benefits of asking why: ([Location 1482](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1482)) - It defines success. It creates decision-making criteria. It aligns resources. It motivates. It clarifies focus. It expands options. ([Location 1483](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1483)) - Many techniques can be used to facilitate brainstorming and out-of-the-box thinking. The basic principles, however, can be summed up as follows: Don’t judge, challenge, evaluate, or criticize. Go for quantity, not quality. Put analysis and organization in the background. ([Location 1634](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=1634)) - Incompletion Triggers Professional Projects started, not completed Projects that need to be started “Look into . . .” projects Commitments/promises to others Boss/partners Colleagues Subordinates Others in organization “Outside” people Customers Other organizations Professionals Vendors Communications to make/get Internal/external Initiate or respond to: Phone calls Voice mails E-mails Text messages Letters Social media postings Other writing to finish/submit Reports Evaluations/reviews Proposals Articles Marketing materials Manuals/instructions Summaries Rewrites and edits Status reporting Conversation and communication tracking Meetings that need to be set/requested Who needs to know about what decisions? Significant read/review Financial Cash Budgets Forecasts/projections Profit and loss Balance sheet Forecasting Credit line Banks Receivables Payables Petty cash Investors Asset management Planning/organizing Formal planning (goals, targets, objectives) Current projects (next stages) Business plans Marketing plans Financial plans Organizational initiatives Upcoming events Meetings Presentations Conferences Organizational structuring Changes in facilities Installation of new systems/equipment Travel Vacation Business trips Organization Development Organization chart Restructuring Roles Job descriptions Facilities New systems Leadership Change initiatives Succession planning Organization culture Marketing/promotion Campaigns Materials Public relations Administration Legal Insurance Personnel Staffing Policies/procedures Training Staff Hiring/firing/promoting Reviews Communication Staff development Compensation Feedback Morale Sales Customers Prospects Leads Sales process Training Relationship building Reporting Relationship tracking Customer service Systems Mobile devices Phones Computers Software Databases Telecommunications Internet Filing and reference Inventories Storage Office/site Space/arrangements Furniture Equipment Decorations Utilities Supplies Maintenance/cleaning Security Meetings Upcoming Needing to be set/requested Need debriefing Professional development Training/seminars Things to learn Things to find out Skills to practice/develop Books to read/study Research Formal education (licensing, degrees) Career research Résumé Performance objectives Professional wardrobe Waiting for . . . Information Delegated tasks/projects Completions critical to projects Answers to questions Replies to: E-mails Letters Proposals Calls Invitations Requisitions Reimbursements Insurance claims Ordered items Repairs Tickets Decisions of others Personal Projects started, not completed Projects that need to be started Projects—other organizations Service Community Volunteer Spiritual organization Commitments/promises to others Partner/spouse Children Parents Family Friends Professionals Returnable items Debts Communications to make/get Calls E-mails Cards and letters Thank-yous Texts Social media postings Upcoming events Birthdays Anniversaries Weddings… ([Location 2301](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00KWG9M2E&location=2301)) ## Related by Author - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Books/Making It All Work|Making It All Work]] ## Related - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Books/Deep Work|Deep Work]] - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Books/Feel-Good Productivity|Feel-Good Productivity]] - [[3. Resources/Readwise/Books/Slow Productivity|Slow Productivity]]