Getting Things Done

This system was mentioned on NPR. They said hi-tech junkies were hooked on its low tech system of organizing 'your life'. As a result, I read it. At first glance, it appeared to be another of those books aimed squarely at managers and the clueless laptop-toting execu-troids I support in my job. When you read it, the language is hazy and feels like an infomercial. There is a lot of name dropping, and I can see how it would appeal to the people who force the entire IT department to attend a large meeting to watch the video version of "Who Moved My Cheese" right before the big round of layoffs.

But as I read it, I was able to see through the fog of seminar speak and extract some functional gems. That double-talk has gold in it! (If you're willing to look.)

I recently finished the book. Now I'm going through it again to simplify the information and create a system that I can manage. To be fair, the author recommends it. He says numerous times in the book that you can modify the system to meet your specific needs. He goes into far too much detail on trivial points and leaves out some details that I believe should be clarified. If you read it a few times and refer back to earlier passages as you go, you'll figure out what he meant.

I like the part where you write down or record everything that comes to mind. I have a lot of ideas that I lose track of and then have to figure out again later. The Next Actions list and the "Tickler File" / Calendar that you can use to remind yourself about things you might be interested in later but don't have time to think about right now are two of my favorite features. The two-minute rule is fantastic. I began implementing it the moment I read it, and my life has already improved. I like the part where you get rid of all the junk you don't need lying around. However, I doubt there will ever be a 'delegate' box on my flowchart. That's where I believe it's aimed at managers rather than workers.

Because of all the double talk and repetition, I want to give the "GTD" system four stars and the actual book three. If you need this system, you'll love it; if you don't, you'll despise it. Regarding previous reviewers who stated that it changed their lives, This book is about "getting stuff done," not meditation. It's all about output. (Whatever that entails.) I'm using it to streamline the way I handle day-to-day tasks that I've never been able to master. You might find it useful if you feel like you spend your time reacting to events rather than creating them.