"Getting Things Done" by David Allen

I attended a presentation by David Allen last week the author of “Getting Things Done”. His presentation was straight forward and to the point. I came up with four keys to getting things done based on his presentation:

1. If you have an action that needs to be done and you can do it in less than 2:00 minutes go with the Nike strategy, “just do it!”

2. Create and constantly update your things to do list. Carrying around a list of things in your head is prone to forgetting and is a constant burden that interferes with your effectiveness.

3. Take one of three actions on emails: delete, file, or put in an action folder. Maintain an empty email inbox and clean desk.

4. Review your to do lists and action folders at the beginning of the day. Prioritize what you need to do and then schedule time if necessary.

This is my take away from what he said and the plan I am now implementing. For more details, and a better explanation of how to get things done, I would suggest reading the book. David Allen also has this simple test that can help you determine how effective you are in getting things done – It takes about 2:00 minutes:

http://www.gtdiq.com/