Bookshelf

Priorities are determined from the top down

“Priorities are determined from the top down—i.e., your purpose and values will drive your vision of the purpose being fulfilled, which will create goals and objectives, which will frame areas of focus and responsibility. All of those will generate projects, which will require actions to get them done.”

—David Allen, Making It All Work, Appendix vii, Horizons of Focus

 

 

The hallmark of productivity maturity

Question: Once you’re aware of the possibilities of being “indestructible” by having the intention to do the best thing in a given moment (Chapter 19 of Ready for Anything), how do you manage the newfound fear that, if you’re not intending the best thing in a given moment, you’re missing out on potential gain? Which makes you feel like you “have to” do the best thing all the time?

David Allen’s answer: Why would that question be on your mind? Simple answer: because some part of you thinks or assumes that there are other things you would/could/should be aware of, have done, or be doing, that you’re not. How do you clean that up? Get the complete list of the “other things” and take a look. If you’ve truly captured, clarified, and organized all of that, and stepped back from an appropriate horizon and taken a look, and still feel bad about not knowing what to do, then you’re probably familiar with that kind of feeling, and you’ll tend to slip into that familiar territory, no matter what your situation. Once you can no longer blame some unknown thing—OMG, what am I not doing?—you’ll get the opportunity to address some more subtle stuff, if you care to. Lightening up, with a sense of humor, is the hallmark of productivity maturity!

FAQs about download and international versions of David Allen’s books

We receive many questions about the electronic and international versions of David Allen’s books (Getting Things Done, Ready For Anything, and Making It All Work.)  We’ve compiled some FAQs on the topic that should be be helpful. We will update this post as the information changes and add these to our website FAQs as well.

What formats are available for David Allen’s books, like Getting Things Done?
Formats for David Allen’s books are established entirely by his publisher, Penguin Group, and through the agreements Penguin makes with each foreign publisher.  We are so sorry, but we have no influence over distribution and we are not involved in the process of determining where the books are released.  We do know that availability varies widely by country and distributors. For example, in the U.S., you will find paperback, hardcover, Kindle, ePub and audiobook versions.  This is not the case at all for other countries and download versions in particular are restricted by territory (e.g. someone outside the U.S. cannot download a book from the U.S. Audible.com site.)

Why is the download version more expensive than the paperback version?
We’ve noticed that too!  Unfortunately, pricing for David’s books is out of our control and is entirely set by the publisher, Penguin Group, with the distribution channels where they have released the book. [Read more →]

What have you read? Take a quick poll

We’d love to know how many of you have read Getting Things Done, Ready For Anything or Making It All Work.

(please vote and submit separately for each one)

Looking to join a book club to discuss David Allen’s books?  We have lively discussions about all three of these on GTD Connect, our online learning center.  Read what your fellow GTDers are learning, challenged by, inspired to try and more.  Going on now on the Connect Forums.  Free for all GTD Connect members.  Not a member? Check out the free guest pass.

Kindle users highlight Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done is the 5th most highlighted book by Kindle users.  Read what they are finding interesting.

Creative Professionals Get “Things” Done

Dominique James has written a book review of implementing Getting Things Done with Cultured Code’s “Things” software.  As a creative professional, it’s an interesting view of what he needed in a software program to work for his GTD setup.  Read more

Free Teleclass with David Allen & Les McKeown

Les McKeown, author of Predictable Success, is hosting a free Teleclass and David Allen is  a panelist.  They will discuss the roadmap to increase (and maintain) your sales, streamline your operations and achieve measurable success.  This is not specifically about GTD, but we wanted to pass it along in case it’s of interest to some of you out there in the midst of change and growth.  Here are the details:

Register Now >>>

Book Signing with David Allen in Minneapolis

If you are in the Minneapolis area next Wednesday, David will be doing a book signing that is free and open to the public. Here are the particulars:

When:

Wednesday, April 21st from 11:30am – 1pm CDT.

Where:

Barnes and Noble Downtown
Midwest Plaza, 801 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-371-4443

Making It All Work at the Beach

Hey, not a bad place to read a book!  Thanks to Susan from Rhode Island for sharing this from her recent vacation in the Caribbean.

My dog ate my GTD book

dogbookHello David,

I was in the middle of reading and applying your book when I came home  one day and found it like this.

Yep my dog ate it on a day when he was bored because I was so busy I didn’t get him out for a walk. Did I mention that I was in the middle of applying your recommendations?  Well, I am keeping the book because I can still read most of it and it  is a reminder that I must complete the process I started so I will not lose any more books.

Thanks, Joy

~~

Joy,
dogbook2
If your dog starts getting more bones buried, odors smelled, and books eaten, let me know. (Most people haven’t absorbed as much GTD as he obviously had!)

Thanks for sharing!

David