Saturday, September 17, 2005

Getting Things Done by David Allen




I first read a couple of articles about David Allen in Fast Company. At first, I thought it was another personal organization guru. The more I learned, the more inadequate that description became. It is more about how to manage workflow, how best to plan, how best to collect and process information you need, how best to manage projects, how best to decide what to do next.

It is a mix of core principles and tricks. I tried some of the tricks first and they worked. That was about 5 years ago. I bought the book after taking it out of the library and reading it first. That was a couple of years ago. Since then I have tried to integrate the core principles but have only been 50% successful. I was someone whose desk was on the disorganized end of the normal spectrum. I became someone whose desk was considered organized. My files are more organized. My Lotus Notes is more organized. I usually can find anything I need to quickly.

I am working to implement the rest of the GTD principles in my work and personal life. Yes, my personal life too. My wife will appreciate this. She was very surprised at my neat and organized work area when she visited my office and would to see me do the same thing at home.

Anyway, the book and the website are links on the sidebar of Customer Service Guy. I strongly recommend them.

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