How to get things in order. The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Book cover How to get things in order
Author	David Allen
Genre	Business
Original language	English
Original published
Translator	Yulia Konstantinova
Publisher	Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
Release
Pages	416
Carrier	book, file
ISBN

Getting Things Done, GTD(translated from English- “getting things done”, but more often and incorrectly - “how to put things in order”) - a technique for increasing personal effectiveness created by David Allen and described by him in the book of the same name, the first edition of which was published in 2001 and has been translated into 23 languages .

GTD is based on the principle that a person should free his mind from remembering current tasks (there are exceptions in cases where several tasks on different projects are interrelated) by transferring the tasks themselves and reminders of them to an external medium. Thus, the human mind, freed from remembering what needs to be done, can concentrate on performing the tasks themselves, which must be clearly defined and formulated in advance (“what is the next action to be taken?”). Contrary to popular belief, GTD does not refer to time management, criticizing it for its narrow focus and limited effectiveness.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen - Animated Book Summary And Review

✪ DAVID ALLEN - HOW TO GET THINGS DONE - Part 1/2 | London Real

✪ Getting Things Done Summary by David Allen (get Book Summary PDF in link below)

✪ Getting Things Done by David Allen (Study Notes)

✪ BECOME ORGANIZED IN 3 WEEKS WITH GTD - STEP 1!

Subtitles

Prevalence

1. collection;
2. treatment;
3. organization;
4. review;
5. actions.

Allen uses the analogy of "altitude" to illustrate his second major model - six-level performance review model, to see the perspective of tasks and assignments. Ascending line:

1. current affairs;
2. current projects;
3. range of duties;
4. coming years (1-2 years);
5. five-year perspective (3-5 years);
6. life.

Rising to a bird's eye view, everyone can consider the “big picture” of their affairs.

Allen recommends a weekly review at various levels. The insight gained from these reviews allows one to manage personal priorities, which in turn prioritize whether and when to complete specific tasks and assignments collected during the workflow management process. During the weekly review, a person analyzes the contexts of tasks and arranges them into appropriate lists. Examples of grouping similar tasks include making a list of necessary phone calls or a list of errands that need to be completed in the Center. The rules for generating contextual lists can be determined by the presence of a tool or the presence of a person/group with whom something needs to be discussed or introduced.

Allen emphasizes that the first two models are sufficient to gain control and vision in most tasks and projects. However, there are some cases that require deeper thought and reflection. For this, the third main model is used - natural planning method. While in workflow management one does " horizontal focusing" on the implementation of individual tasks, in the natural method of planning is done " vertical focusing»on planning projects and thinking through topics. The planning model consists of 5 stages:

1. defining purpose and principles;
2. vision of desired results;
3. organization;
4. determining the next specific action.

GTD facilitates this process by storing, tracking, and using detailed information related to the task being performed. Allen suggested that many of the failures we experience were caused by insufficient “upfront” planning (that is, while still figuring out what needed to be achieved and what specific actions were needed to achieve it). It is important to think through this in advance, creating a sequence of actions that can be completed without returning to planning. Allen argues that our mind's "reminder system" is ineffective and rarely reminds us of what we should and can do. this moment and in this place. Therefore, information about “next specific actions” that are contextually related to a given moment and place can serve as external support that ensures that we give ourselves the right reminders in right time. Since GTD is based on maintaining additional records, it can be considered an implementation scientific theories distributed cognition and extended mind.

A brief description of GTD from Allen's book, Ready for Anything:

Get everything out of your head. Make decisions about required actions when a task arises - not when it requires an emergency termination. Organize reminder notes about your projects and planned activities into appropriate categories. Maintain this system, replenish it and review it so often that in the future you can trust even your intuitive choice of action (or non-action).

Principles

Basic principles of GTD:

Collection

Productivity without stress begins with the process of unloading the mind, which consists of fixing everything more or less important on paper or other media - what Allen calls basket: a physical mailbox, an electronic mailbox, a voice recorder, a laptop, a pocket computer, or a combination of these. The point is to get everything more or less important out of your head and onto a convenient medium for later processing. All bins must be emptied (processed) at least once a week. Allen does not insist on any particular collection method, but emphasizes the importance of emptying the basket regularly. Any storage location (physical, email, tape recorder, laptop, PDA, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is processed regularly.

Treatment

The cart is processed strictly according to the following algorithm.

1. We start with the top element of the basket.
2. We make one element at a time (and never return anything back)
   • If the element requires an action:
     • Do this (if it takes less than two to five minutes), OR
     • We delegate this to someone, OR
     • Let's put this aside.
   • If the element does not require an action:
     • We leave it in reference information, OR
     • Throw it away OR
     • On the “maybe someday” list.

If the action takes less than two to five minutes, it should be done immediately. The two-minute rule is based on the approximate time it takes to formally defer an action.

Organization

To keep track of items awaiting attention, Allen recommends using a set of lists.

• The following actions- For each element that requires attention, decide what is the next action that can be physically performed. For example, if there is an element “Write a project report”, the next action could be: “Write a letter to Mikhail with a proposal for a meeting” or: “Call Marina to find out the requirements for the report.” Although an item may require quite a few steps and actions, there will always be something that must be done first, and that step should be described in the next action list. It is preferable that these steps be organized by the context in which they can be done (for example, “in the office,” “on the phone,” or “in the store”).
• Projects- Every open loop in life or work that requires more than one physical action to achieve a goal, becomes a project. Projects need to be monitored and reviewed periodically to ensure that each project has a next activity associated with it so that the project moves forward.
• Deferred- When an action has been delegated to someone or when some external event is expected before a project can move forward, this is tracked in the system and periodically it is checked whether an action is required or a reminder needs to be sent.
• Someday/maybe- Things that will be done at some point, but not right now. For example, “learn Chinese” or “have a pool party.”

A calendar is important for keeping track of appointments and assignments; however, Allen recommends that the calendar be reserved only for those things that must be done by a specific deadline, or for meetings and errands with a set time and place. And things should be recorded in lists of next actions, not in a calendar.

The last key organizing component of GTD is the document system. The document system should be easy, simple and interesting. Even a single piece of paper, if needed for reference purposes, should get its own folder if the existing folders are not suitable for it. Allen proposes a one-dimensional, organized in alphabetical order, a document storage system in order to quickly and easily recover the necessary information.

Review

Action lists and reminders will be of little use unless reviewed at least daily, or as often as possible. Given the time, energy and resources available at the moment, you need to find the most important task that can be done immediately and do it. If you have a habit of putting off your business, everything will end up in what you do. simple tasks and avoid difficult ones. To solve this problem, you can do the actions from the list one by one, similar to how the cart is processed. GTD requires at least a weekly review of all activities, projects and pending items to ensure that any new tasks or upcoming events are entered into the system and that everything is up to date.

Actions

Any organizational system is useless if it spends too much time organizing tasks instead of actually doing them. As David Allen argues, if such a system is made easy to perform necessary actions, then a person will be less inclined to put them off or become “overloaded” with too many “open loops.”

Means and techniques

43 folders

Allen suggests organizing your documents using a system called "43 folders." Twelve folders are used, one for each month, and an additional 31 folders are used for each day of the next 31 days. The folders are organized to help remind the user of the activities that need to be done that day.

Folders and binders

Allen mentions in his book that for easy searching and structuring of information, it is better to use folders, thus, all documents related to one project will be in one place. This allows you to find faster necessary documents. Even if only one document relates to a project, it is still better to put it in a folder, since new documents on this topic may appear.

My story will be divided into 2 parts:

• About the GTD technique, if someone doesn’t know or has already forgotten.
• About specific tools for working with GTD and specific examples from my personal practice.

0. Preface

What is a typical day like for a project manager?

The customer calls. The team asks in the chat why the API specification differs from the technical specification. The air conditioner is blowing on Vasya. HR is worried: Misha came in wearing a clean, ironed shirt. Don't go into the forest - the scoundrel is lathering up for an interview. The timeline needs to be clarified. Recheck tasks in the tracker. The customer calls again. Someone threw a funny picture into the chat. A colleague asked me to look after his affairs while he was on vacation. The customer calls again. I think it will be released soon. It would be good not to forget to buy food for home in the evening, otherwise your wife will cut it up. We are somewhat behind on the front. It would be good to read this article. Ugh, it's already 19:00. When's the release?

Do you recognize yourself? Terrible? Then this article is for you.

If you don't recognize it, you're lucky. Or maybe you can do even more?

1. Introduction

What is GTD?

GTD ( Getting Things Done ) is a technique for increasing personal effectiveness created by David Allen and described by him in the book of the same name. The title can be translated as “How to do things to the end.”

The main idea is that in order to work effectively and grow on yourself, to achieve something more, you need a clean mind. Because:

• Complex tasks cannot be accomplished if it is not clear what to do. Constantly thinking about what to do and the fact that the task has not been completed interferes with work.
• The daily routine (small tasks) is distracting. It creates discomfort, tasks “hang in the memory” and take away the feeling of harmony.

GTD is about how to remember nothing and forget nothing at the same time.

2. About GTD

How to understand that you need it:

• You are cutting a complex timeline for a critical stage of the project. You need to take into account a bunch of risks and correctly distribute tasks among resources. Someone sends a funny picture to VK. The next hour is spent watching second-rate public pages.
• This evening we need to review and agree on the terms of reference. At the end of next week there will be a presentation with the client. Make a presentation in PowerPoint or better yet in Google Slides? It would be good to find out where their office is. Should I wear a suit or show up as usual? (Approval of technical specifications took 2 days.)
• After your morning planning meeting, you should think about renovating your home in the bathroom. I’ll set the tasks later, before going to bed. Moreover, there is a rally in 2 hours. Why take on the job? I still won’t be able to do much of anything.

Here it is worth talking separately about human multitasking. The topic is debatable. For example, lookwikipedia.

Two important aspects:

• A large number of scientists believe that A) Multitasking does not exist; B) The time to quickly switch between tasks becomes a bottleneck.
• Multitasking increases the number of errors.

And this is where we need GTD.

Because here's what GTD offers to solve problems:

• Write down, don't memorize.
• Classify (into contexts and importance) and decompose (identify simple steps in complex tasks).
• Review the task list.

1. What should you write down?

Anything you need to do something with. Incoming emails, open browser tabs, unsorted files on the desktop, an unfinished book, a drill that we did not return to our neighbor (reminding us of the need to hang a shelf).

2. How to record?

A) Break it down into “contexts”. For example, everything that belongs to 1 project goes into 1 folder. Making repairs is a separate list. Buy for the dacha - separate list. "Contexts" are location/action based. Contexts are initially about places, but ours are about projects.

B) Decompose. That is, do not write “Join into new project”, and set smaller tasks: “Gather a development team”, “View documentation”, “Meet the customer”, etc.

3. How to conduct a review?

Check your task list every day. Close completed tasks and set new ones. If the task is not being done, then reformulate or decompose it.

3. Tools

The conversation about tools will be from the point of view of a project manager. But everything I’m talking about can be applied to anyone

Our tasks:

• Apply GTD to your daily workflow.
• Be less distracted and do more.
• Quickly get involved in completing tasks.

Progress has given us cloud technology and wearable devices and this is the best thing that could happen to us to organize our tasks.

What I personally use:

• iPhone/iPad/MacBook
• Gmail and other Google services
• Wunderlist
• Evernote
• LastPass

1. iPhone/iPad/MacBook

Unified ecosystem. All devices have built-in capabilities for immersion in work. Disabling notifications and reminders, data synchronization, convenient search, available applications and services, and so on.

Tips & Tricks:

• Calls and messages
• Notes and reminders
• Spotlight search
• Virtual desktops

2. Gmail and other Google services

Gmail is the most important tool in a manager’s work and one of the main “inboxes”. This is what my box looks like. Gmail has essentially 3 killer features:

• Shortcuts
• Automatic filtering
• Search

Inbox

I filter all incoming emails by project and by main status: A) Requires action; B) You need to follow the answer. Automatic filtering allows you to save time and sort everything into labels automatically.

You can also see a clean inbox. This is exactly what it should look like most of the time.

3. Wunderlist

Wunderlist - Gmail assistant. This is a todo service that is available on all desktop and mobile platforms. It can organize tasks by categories and dates, send notifications, make checklists and write comments on tasks, and you can attach files. There is functionality for collaboration. In general, a simple tool that has everything you need.

This is what my tasks look like for today.

4. Evernote

Evernote is a cloud-based notepad replacement. A very powerful tool that allows you not only to write, but also to attach files. It is most convenient to use it for meetings and call reports, and other important records. For example, like this.

The calendar takes care of reminders of events. The most important thing is to connect it to your phone and other devices. Nothing special.

6. LastPass

LastPass is a cloud service for creating and storing passwords. I remember only 3 passwords: Last Pass, personal Gmail and Steam. Everything else is stored in the cloud.

5. How to Get Started

Once at one of the conferences, I heard from a speaker what, in my opinion, was an excellent idea. He said that reports are very interesting, but very useless if after the report you do not return home and start applying what you heard in practice.

What to do right now? Look at your computer and feel sad.

1. Tabs vs. browser windows

Do you like to open a million tabs and leave them for later? It's disgusting. Admit it to yourself honestly - you will never get to most of it. But the browser will eat up the entire battery and RAM. It will take a couple of minutes to restart it. And it will be impossible to find what you need quickly.

Don't keep too much. Use contexts. One task - one open window and a minimum number of tabs. Once you've done your job, close the window.

2. The desktop as it was intended

The desktop is not a place for shortcuts. Yes Yes!

Windows has a Start menu, OSX has Spotlight Search. It is better to redirect the downloads folder to your desktop. Work only with those files that are needed right now. The rest is in the trash.

3. Zero Inbox

Emails should not be in your inbox. Only those that appeared there since the last mail check. Small things - go straight to work. Large ones - in the archive and under the label “Needs to be done.” As they say, keep your inbox clean. You can also check your email once every few hours. Nobody will die from this.

6. P.S.

For further enlightenment:

• The same article in a video retelling at a student conference:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwtpCB31fDg&list=PLsbmsv9XN4FiUUQpMZKa-zUpuIMlxe6HH channel "Tales from the Project Office"

Dedicated to Katherine,

to my wonderful partner in life and work

Have time to live!

For quite some time now, the abbreviation GTD has become as familiar to many people in Russia as USB or GPRS. On online forums dedicated to time management and personal effectiveness, the “Getting things done” system is discussed as actively as choosing a diary or setting life goals.

Fortunately, over the ten years of existence of the Russian time management community, the question “To plan or not to plan time?” ceased to be relevant. Not planning your time, being late for meetings, forgetting about your obligations is as indecent as not using a fork and knife in a restaurant. Over the past few years, time management has taken the same place in our lives as the gym or swimming pool. Being in good physical shape is natural. The methods can be different - swimming, yoga, volleyball... - the essence is the same. Likewise, it is fashionable and natural to do everything, not forget anything, and always find time to work, relax, communicate with family and friends.

The main question is what methods of self-organization to choose, relatively speaking, “what suits me better: swimming or the gym?” How can you set up a personal time management system easier, more comfortably and with pleasure? Depending on the psychological type Some people find it easier to eat with a knife and fork, while others find it easier to eat with Japanese chopsticks. In any case, a certain system, sequence, and methodology are needed.

Every developed country has experts who specialize in time management. Russian readers are well aware of the books of Lothar Seiwert, head of the Heidelberg Institute for Strategy and Time Planning; Stephen Covey, President of the American FranklinCovey Corporation; Brian Tracy, leadership and effectiveness specialist; Kerry Gleason, Stefan Rechtshafen, Julia Morgenstern and others. Some works have not yet been translated into Russian and are waiting in the wings - books by Mark Forster (Great Britain), Harold Taylor (Canada), etc. Among such specialists is David Allen, whose system is well known in the USA and has already gained many fans in our country.

David’s own work schedule is impressive: the schedule of his seminars in largest cities USA and Europe. His book is clear, practical, recipe-based, technologically advanced. Some principles and recommendations are worth arguing with, and, undoubtedly, the Russian translation of the book is destined to serve as a catalyst for active discussions. But one thing is certain: the book is in demand and useful. Its popularity in Russia even in the English-language original is proof of this.

I wish you, the reader, with the help of David Allen’s proven experience and practical recommendations, learn to have time to live. Live a rich, effective, beautiful life, in which every minute of Time has its own weight and the highest value.

I wish you success!

Gleb Arkhangelsky,

General Director of the company "Organization of Time",

creator of the Russian Time Management community

www.improvement.ru

From the author

Here is a treasure trove of strategies and principles. You will find new strength in yourself, learn to remain calm and will cope with things much more efficiently, spending significantly less effort. The ability to get things done and successfully complete tasks is important, but at the same time, you personally should not be prevented from enjoying life, which seems almost or even completely unavailable when working hard. However, we are not talking about a “either/or” choice: believe me, you can work effectively and at the same time live for your own pleasure in the world of everyday worries.

Productivity is one of the most important aspects of work. Perhaps what you do is really important, interesting or useful, or perhaps it is not, but the work must be done either way. In the first case, as a rule, you want to get the maximum return on the time and effort spent. In the second, take on a new business as soon as possible, without leaving any “tails”.

The art of relaxing the mind and the ability to free it from all worries and worries is probably one of the greatest secrets of great people.

Captain J. Hatfield

And whatever you do, you would probably like to be more calm about what is happening and feel confident that at the moment you should be doing exactly what you are doing. Whether you're having a beer with co-workers after work, admiring your baby sleeping in his crib in the middle of the night, answering an email, or having a quick word with a client after a formal meeting, you need to be confident that this is what you should be doing. At the moment.

While working on the book, my goal was to teach you to work as efficiently as possible and relax as soon as you want or feel the need.

I, like many of you, have been looking for answers to the questions for a long time: what to do, when and how. And now, after more than twenty years spent developing and implementing new methods for increasing individual and organizational productivity, after much research and attempts at self-improvement, I can confidently say that there is no single universal solution. None computer programs, seminars, personal planners, and personal mission statements will not make your work day easier and will not make decisions for you day after day, every week, and throughout your life. What's more, once you find a way to make your work more productive and simplify your decision-making process by at least one level, the world opens up to you. new circle responsibilities and creative goals, for the achievement of which it will no longer be possible to use some simple formula.

But while there are no simple tools to perfect personal organization and productivity, there are steps we can take to improve them. Year after year, as I worked on myself, I found deeper and more important things to focus on, ideas to think about, and things to do. I have found simple processes that can greatly enhance a person's ability to approach the world's concerns creatively and constructively that anyone can master.

This book is the culmination of more than twenty years of research into individual productivity. This is a guide to maximizing results and minimizing costs in a world where work is becoming more complex and challenging every day. I've spent many hours training people on the front lines - in the workplace - helping them process and organize their day-to-day tasks. The methods I have discovered have proven effective in a wide variety of organizations, in all areas of activity, in different cultural environments, even at school and at home. After twenty years of training and teaching the most experienced and productive workers, I realized that the world needed my methods.

Organizational leaders strive to instill “ultimate productivity” in themselves and their subordinates as a basic standard. They, like me, know that at the end of the working day, behind closed doors there are phone calls that they did not have enough time to answer, tasks that need to be transferred to someone, questions that were not addressed during meetings and discussions, unfulfilled responsibilities and dozens of unread emails. Many business people succeed because the problems they solve and the opportunities they realize are ultimately more important than the flaws in their portfolios and offices. But at the current pace of life and business development, this balance is becoming very precarious.

On the one hand, we need proven tools that will help people focus their strategic and tactical efforts and prevent them from losing sight of anything important. On the other hand, it is necessary to create a work environment and methods that will not allow capable employees to “burn out” at work under pressure. We need consistent work style standards that keep our best and brightest employees free from stress.

This applies not only to organizations, schools also need this, where children are still not explained how to analyze the information received, how to focus on the result and what steps to take to achieve it. Each of us needs this knowledge: after all, it will allow us to use all the opportunities that open up to us in order to improve ourselves and constantly improve the world around us.

The power, simplicity, and effectiveness of the principles I share in Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity can best be experienced firsthand: in real time, in a real environment, in real world. Naturally, the purpose of the book is to outline the essence of the great art of workflow management and achieving high productivity. I have tried to present the material in such a way as to give you the big picture and at the same time give you a taste of the immediate results as you read the book.

The book is divided into three parts. The first part reveals the overall picture, contains short review system, explains its uniqueness and relevance, and then directly introduces the main methods in a concise and accessible form. The second part explains how to apply the principles of the system in practice. Here you can practice and step by step learn how to apply the described models in Everyday life. The third part describes the even greater and more effective results that can be achieved if you make methodology and models an integral part of your work and personal life.

Join us! I want you to not only believe, but also be convinced that these methods can and should be used by you personally. I want you to understand that what I promise is not only possible, but also within the reach of each of you. And I want you to know that everything I suggest is very easy to implement. This does not require any special skills. You already know how to pay attention, write down important information, make decisions about desired outcomes and future actions, weigh alternatives, and make choices. You will find that many of the things you have always done instinctively and intuitively are indeed correct. I'll show you how to take these core skills to the next level of effectiveness. I will help you translate all these skills into a new behavior that will become a beacon for you.

Throughout the pages of the book, I constantly refer to training programs and seminars on the topic of productivity. I have worked as a management consultant for the past twenty years, both solo and in small teams. My work consisted mainly of individual training increasing productivity and conducting seminars on the methods outlined in the book. My colleagues and I have trained more than a thousand people, conducted training for hundreds of thousands of specialists and organized hundreds of group seminars. From this experience I drew impressions and examples for this book.

The essence of this book was perfectly captured by my client who wrote: “When I first started using the principles of this program, they saved my life... When I made them a habit, they changed my life. This is a vaccine against the daily life-or-death struggle, when “the project should have been completed yesterday,” and an antidote to the disharmony that many people themselves bring into their lives.”

Have you been thinking about reading a book about productivity and proper planning of your time?The book that will be discussed today will enrich you not only with new information, but also give you a real impetus to action. Author David Allen. Stress-free productivity is possible with the GTD SYSTEM, says the author. THE BOOK WILL BE USEFUL TO EVERYONE who is long overdue to put their affairs in order, both at work and in their personal lives.

David Allen, in his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, offers a unique system for organizing things.

This is not classic time management, but a system for bringing all things to completion - Getting Things Done (GTD).

• What to do if you don’t have time to do anything, your nerves are on edge, you grab onto one thing or another, but always miss something important?
• How to be more effective in business, but still be able to relax?
• How to “curb” your routine?
• How to learn to separate unimportant matters from important ones and set goals correctly and distribute priorities?
• How to work with incoming information and tasks?

David Allen's book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity will help you find answers to all these questions and many more.

A new version of the book (2015), revised to take into account today's realities of the world of information technology.

The simple tools outlined in the book not only allow you to achieve efficiency, but also teach you how not to overload your brain with various distractions and thoughts.

A lot has been said here about habits, too, because in order to implement the GTD system in practice you need

David Allen. Stress-free productivity is accessible to everyone

The main idea of ​​the book:

Unload your brain. Clarity of consciousness and orderly thoughts are important for full concentration and productivity.

Stop layering thoughts on top of each other, chewing on them, constantly returning to them and ultimately not making any decisions.

What to do?

To do this, you need to “transfer” the lists from your head to external media. When the brain stops holding onto this data, it will stop worrying and can concentrate on the actual task at hand.

Thoughts will constantly swarm in your head like restless bees until they find their hive. When your head is filled with different thoughts, what kind of productivity can we talk about?

The main rule from David Allen is that any thought must be written down and placed on the inbox shelf.

“Inbox” is all incoming ideas, receipts, reminders, meeting notes, etc.

The book describes a clear algorithm for working with this information.

Following.

This is a model of the natural planning method.

When making a decision,

What to do?

1. Think over a solution following the diagram:

• why do I need this?
• what result do I need (what should happen);
• imagine your success.

2. Next brainstorming, generation of ideas focused on the desired result. Ideas need to be written down, not immediately assessed for suitability, but rather written down everything that comes to mind. Quantity is important here, not quality.

3. Then we select the best ideas, We group them and organize them into one scheme. It can be handwritten simply on paper or in a service like Xmind.

4. Determine the next specific action for each idea.

5. Let's do it.

Your mind goes through five steps to complete almost any task: defining a goal and ways to achieve it, visualizing the result, brainstorming, organizing the solutions obtained, and determining subsequent actions. - David Allen

GTD methodology and David Allen - productivity and meaningfulness in everything!

GTD methodology - this instruction for those, This is not just organizing and planning things, increasing productivity and productivity, but also fundamental solution how to complete all tasks meaningfully, while maintaining (and this is important!) psychological well-being. Moreover, this applies not only to work, but also to personal life.

Absolutely anyone can apply this technique.

The book itself consists of three parts.

First part is a brief overview of the system, as well as an explanation of its uniqueness and relevance.

In the second part- principles of the system, as well as step-by-step application of them in everyday life.

The third part- these are the results that can be achieved if you implement this system into your personal life and work.

GTD system is closely related to. And, as scientists have already proven, they can be trained and improved.

One of the available ways to TRAIN THE BRAIN, maintain its normal functioning and development is brain simulators. You can study for FREE >>>Vikium service free simulators

Cognitive (cognitive) functions include: memory, thinking, attention, perception, intelligence, speech.

All of the above abilities are associated with brain activity. Therefore, with insufficient development of the brain, with malfunctions in its work quality of cognitive functions decreases. A noticeable decrease in quality is called cognitive impairment (impairment).

Cognitive impairment negatively affects a person's achievements in the most different areas his life: everyday, everyday, educational, professional, social.

This is why it is important to train your brain, at any age.

David Allen - productivity through personal insights

The book is also remarkable in the fact that there are not just dry conclusions and formulations presented by the author, but also a lot of “living” examples.

What is meant?

The whole essence of your GTD methodologyDavid Allen reveals and demonstrates and examples of situations, meetings and consultations with my clients.

Shows the problems of people and companies, exposes their mistakes and radically changes the situation in better side, showing how time management techniques actually work Getting Things Done (GTD) helps and learn to live stress-free.

David Allen's GTD system is familiar to many fans of methods for increasing personal productivity. I myself have begun to implement it into my life and am already getting positive results, so I will focus on this topic today. The article will talk about the main points of GTD, the use of which in practice can certainly increase personal effectiveness in any matter, both at home and in the field of professional activity.

GTD system: bringing things to completion

David Allen's book Getting Things Done, or GTD for short, is translated into Russian as “Bringing things to completion.” This is precisely the essence of this method of increasing efficiency: its use allows you to effectively organize work processes for viewing all tasks as a whole and establishes control over them.

• For what? Freeing the resources of consciousness from remembering general goals, tasks and deadlines allows you to fully concentrate on the current task and perform it as efficiently as possible;
• How? Simply using the basic principles in practice, which I will reveal below, and entrusting reminders of current goals and tasks to various external media (diaries, organizers, applications on mobile gadgets, etc.).

How GTD works

The GTD system is based on three logical structures:

1. Six-Level Job Review Model;
2. Information process management model;
3. Natural planning method.

Six-Level GTD Job Review Model, which represents a logical chain from setting a global goal to daily activities, and gives a clear picture of where we are in relation to this main goal. It is recommended to analyze such a hierarchy pyramid on a weekly basis, which allows you to set priorities, effectively use available information, identify relevant tasks and carry them out independently or by delegating them to others. This process is aided by creating appropriate to-do lists.

1. Main (large-scale, life) goal;
2. Perspective for several years ahead (most often from 3 to 5 years);
3. Plans for the coming years;
4. Range of duties;
5. Projects (planned and currently being implemented);
6. Specific, daily tasks.

GTD information process management model, i.e. all actions to record and manage operational information.

1. Recording, collecting incoming information;
2. Processing the information received in the context of its importance, relevance and applicability;
3. Organization of work processes on projects and tasks;
4. Fixation and control of what was planned;
5. Specific actions.

Natural GTD method planning, allowing you to implement plans efficiently and quickly using a system of external reminders. This model allows you to throw unnecessary information out of your head and focus on the necessary actions, and the role of the organizer is delegated to electronic calendars, traditional diaries and daily to-do lists. I can say from the perspective of my experience that all that remains is to carry out what is planned, which is facilitated by a real look at your daily productivity and refusal to plan too much. large quantity affairs, as well as allocating planned time for unforeseen circumstances! A few minutes in the morning and evening will help you organize a truly productive life.

1. Definition and ;
2. Determination of achieved and planned results;
3. Brainstorm;
4. Organization of planned actions;
5. Determining next steps and actions in the context of existing goals and plans.

David Allen's GTD System: Key Principles

1. 1. Collection of information in our time of technology and gadgets, it is most often produced on electronic media (electronic mailboxes, mobile gadgets, laptops, computers), although some use ordinary paper diaries and organizers;
   2. Data processing in David Allen's system it follows a certain pattern. The question is asked: what can be done about this? If the answer is “nothing,” then the information is deleted or archived until better times. You can put them on a “to do someday” list or similar. If the answer to a question can be represented as “ this can/should be done", then another question is asked: with how long will it take? If it’s a few minutes, we do it right away; if it’s more, then we plan it, prioritizing it by importance and urgency. If this global theme, then we relate it to the definition of multi-level tasks on a specific topic;
   3. Organization of affairs in the gtd system it is carried out through lists. Firstly, this to-do lists with setting priorities and deadlines for their implementation. Secondly, this project lists broken down into specific steps that are possible after a simple question: what should I do for this? Example: I have a task to write a historical book based on the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The question is asked what need to do to write it? Possible answers: collecting historical materials on this topic, creating a plot, creating a plan for chapters, writing a draft, correcting the text, checking spelling and punctuation, preparing illustrations. Then, for the first point, we put a similar answer: what I should do to collect material on the topic? Possible answer: find information in the library, on Internet sites, in magazine articles on a historical topic. We also answer this question on all other points. By planning steps in this way, even with multi-level planning, it is difficult to miss something, which means the task becomes solvable. Thirdly, this is with list of postponed tasks. They must be constantly analyzed for relevance and importance. Deferred tasks can be moved to current to-do lists or deleted if they are no longer relevant. Lists of ideas and possible things to do in the section I’ll do it someday, I also need to look at it periodically. In this case, the question helps: Do I really need this? Various gliders are very helpful for organizing such work with information. Some people use paper diaries, others use electronic organizers, and great importance has proper organization of project documentation using folders. Again, some prefer paper folders (plastic), and some use electronic folders on electronic media, sorting them alphabetically or by date. The author of the GTD system, David Allen, teaches how to organize documentation according to the principle of 43 folders, I renamed them “ 43 sheets": 12 sheets are used for long-term planning for each month, and 31 sheets are used for daily planning.Once the day has passed, all cases are analyzed. Unfulfilled ones are carried over to the following days, and the planning sheet for this past day is deleted. A blank sheet of paper is placed at the end. That is, for each day we have 31 sheets;
   4. Recording all information. David Allen recommends reviewing your completed tasks daily to adjust your plans. Without this point, compiling lists and further planning actions is ineffective, since unforeseen circumstances or banal postponement for later can significantly distort or completely break the planning system, and therefore be postponed;
   5. Actions to complete assigned tasks. When everything is taken into account and prepared, all that remains is to act. You need to choose a specific task and look at possible things to do to complete it, and then just act!

One of my friends uses this system in his life and he likes the results. Is it true. He himself admits that sometimes the desire to set many tasks per day gets in the way. Such maximalism leads to the fact that nothing is done at all if the first planned actions for some reason do not work out. Advice: when planning, know when to stop! Then everything will work out, and those around you will be surprised by your increased personal effectiveness.

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