By Dee Jones
Getting Things Done.
If you’ve spent any time looking into productivity, you’ve probably heard of this classic time management book by David Allen.
You’ve probably also seen that opinions about the book span the spectrum. Some people think it’s the best time management system ever conceived by anyone ever. Others believe it’s all hype, and the GTD system is too complicated for the average person to use effectively.
Maybe you’ve thought about checking Getting Things Done (or GTD) out for yourself, but haven’t quite decided to take the plunge. On the one hand, it just might be a great time management book that could totally change your life and supercharge your productivity. But what if the naysayers are right? What if you buy the book, spend hours reading it, then trying to implement the system, and find that it just doesn’t work for you? What if this system that supposed to make you super productive ends up wasting your time?
How can you know?
One way is by reading one of the many, many blog posts, summaries and reviews that have been written about the book. And if you want to read something that will give you a complete, in-depth look at exactly what GTD is all about, you need to check out the GTD series on the Simple Dollar website.
This fourteen part series (yes, fourteen parts) written by Trent Hamm examines every nook and cranny of the GTD system in fourteen meaty and comprehensive blog posts.
Believe me, by the time you finish the series, you’ll have a much better idea about whether or not Getting Things Done will work for you.
I actually suggest you start with Review: Getting Things Done, which will give you a nice overview of both GTD and the blog series.
Once you’ve read the review, and decided you’re still interested in GTD, move on to part one of the series, Getting Things Done: A New Practice for a New Reality.
If you want links to all of the posts in the series, you’ll find them in part fourteen, Getting Things Done: Five Key Things.
Have you tried GTD? If so, how did it work for you?
