In a Nutshell: Getting Things Done and the Art of Stress-Free Productivity teaches you how to get a grip on your cluttered desk and office with a side order overall improved peace of mind and life. Allen teaches you that half organized thoughts are a burden, decreasing your productivity in all areas of your life. By getting your thoughts, wishes and needs in a place that you know you’ll review, you free up mental RAM and relieve the low levels of stress that accompanies any thought of action that isn’t taken care of immediately. Getting Things Donehelps close off the mental loop of, “But I got to this done, and that finished!” A mindset that will drain you and leave a mess in its wake.
Why Buy This Book: If you feel overwhelmed about your life, Getting Things Done will give you the tools and take you through a step-by-step process to get control and excited about your life again. Allen says that all things we want to do take up mental energy whether it is a “Someday I’ll” project or “Don’t forget to buy milk on your way home from work”. Our minds are not the best storage places for to-do lists. Allen gets all that is in your mind and on your desk in an organized system that will feel like freedom in a cup.
Why Not Buy This Book: If you are naturally organized, in your mind and your stuff, you might not find his system works for you. The book is dense so reading it might take longer than you’d expect. You have to be motivated to throw all your ‘stuff’ in the pile and go through it. You’ll have to get a large stack of white paper and empty out of your head all the dreams, hopes and wishes you’ve got stored in there. If you are looking for a quick and easy filing system, this book isn’t for you. If you don’t want to focus on your entire life, then you probably won’t be inspired to fully implement his system. You’ll have to follow through in order for it to be effective. If you want quick answers to problem areas, you won’t find them in this book.
Why I Recommend This Book: I read the book on a whim, picking it up in an airport book store. It changed my life. It was a wonderful tool to realize that your brain doesn’t categorize the desire for a trip to the Grand Canyon in a different area than the need to clean out that junk drawer. Getting everything out of your head (yes, it takes a while) and onto paper, then organized into a place you’ll know you’ll review it, most certainly helped me to relax and start enjoying life better. There is no sweeter feeling of pleasure than knowing that you know when, where and why you need to do any action to move your life forward in an easy-to-review system. Getting Things Done does empower you to know that you are constantly using your time in the best possible way at any given moment in time. That is pure bliss for over-achievers in this fast-paced world.
Book Review - Getting Things Done by David Allen (Penguin 2001)
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