Book 10: Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done:  The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by Allen is a system designed to clear the mind of all the clutter of jostling projects, responsibilities, things to do, etc. and funnel it into a manageable system of actionable items to be completed.  The system has 5 steps:  collecting, processing, organizing, reviewing, and doing. 

1. Collecting involves pulling out all of the things that need to be done or for larger items jotting down what needs to be done and adding that paper to the in pile.  Then starting on blank paper and brainstorming all of the things that need to be done that may not have a physical item associated with them.  
2. Processing involves taking that pile and determining what the next action for each item needs to be.  Items with no action are trashed or filed as either possibilities or reference.  Items that have actions are done if they require less than two minutes, delegated, or deferred either to a specific calendar day or a series of next action lists. 
3. Organizing details how to set up the lists required and file any related material.  The lists are set up based on where the work needs to be done:  call items, office items, house items, etc. 
4. Reviewing involving setting aside a time weekly to go over the current lists and go through the previous steps with any new items that come in. 
5. Doing involves identifying when you have open time and accomplishing the items on the list based on the time available, energy level, etc.

For projects he recommends brainstorming all the outstanding projects and sorting them into a current project list and a someday/maybe list. Simple projects with only a few steps would then only require determining what the next action is and then placing that action on the appropriate calendar space or action list. For larger projects he recommends visualizing what the desired outcome is and then brainstorming what steps are needed to get to that point in a mind mapping type of format. The mind map can then be used to determine what steps can be taken at the current time to move the project forward. Longer term goals can be handled in a similar manner.


This newest version does not have any changes to the core ideas.  The organizing step is more flexible.  Although he still suggests the same categories, he also emphasizes that different groups work for different people and some may require additional subcategories.  He also removed any specific references to technology or software.  The book has also added discussion related to our more digital world and cognitive science research explaining why the system works.  I would recommend Getting Things Done for anyone looking for an intuitive system for staying on top of things either at work or at home.