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Stuff for Getting Things Done

GTD (or Getting Things Done) is, simply said, a time management system. In 2002, David Allen published a book called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. This book started it all. David's book is a must read for anyone interested in practicing GTD.

For me, GTD has been a god-send. Over time, I have used a Day-Runner, a Day-Timer, a plain-old notebook, then I followed Covey ( of course, with my Covey notebook), and eventually developed my own "system" for organizing myself. Nothing ever worked very well. I was always searching for the "silver bullet" organizational system. For me, GTD has been that "silver bullet".

I cannot say enough good things about GTD. Getting Things Done (GTD) has allowed me to:

- Provide a balance with my work and life activities.
- Be better prepared for meetings, discussions, trips to the grocery store, hardware store, video store, etc.
- Get out of my e-mail inbox! At certain intervals throughout the day, my e-mail inbox has ZERO e-mails.
- GTD has taught me to be know exactly what the "next action" is going to be before I move something from my e-mail inbox.
- Free my mind... I don't "wake up at 3AM worrying about things". I have a moleskine notebook that gets an entry for anything that pops into my head that I need to follow-up on. If it's in my moleskine notebook, I don't have to worry about it. I know the thought or idea is in a safe place.
- Know what to do at the right time. Sometimes my mind is only ready for certain things. GTD allows me to pick and choose what I am doing. For example, at the end of a long week, the most I feel up for is "sorting paperclips". If that's the case, I know it is time to leave work and go home.
- Plan my time accordingly. Be it work or non-work activities, the Getting Things Done methodology (GTD) had allowed me to coordinate and prioritize all aspects of my life.

I could go on and on... I'm pretty passionate because I have seen the results first hand. GTD is not about a software tool or using a PDA; don't be fooled by anything you read about tools. GTD is not about palm pilot's or Blackberry's. GTD is about "freeing your mind" so that you can focus on the task at hand.

I'd recommend reading David's book and giving GTD a try!

About the Author

Check out www.mygtdstuff.com for more about Getting Things Done!

Author Profile: TimK10

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