In this 30-minute podcast, David and his team talk about the critical “thinking” stage of GTD. They share practical tips, personal examples and suggestions for the processing stage of mastering your workflow. Listen now.
If you missed the previous episode in our GTD best practices series on Collect, you can catch it here.
One of the tools David Allen uses on his PC is ActiveWords, a tool often described as “solving a problem you didn’t know you had.” It essentially streamlines the navigation and common tasks we do all day long; send emails, go to web sites, create new tasks, insert text, open files and more. Recently, David recorded a podcast with Buzz Bruggeman, the developer of ActiveWords, to explore this tool in more detail for our GTD Toolbox series.
For those of you on Mac, you have a similar function through QuickSilver. If you want to reach Buzz about ActiveWords or any of the other products he mentions, you can reach him at buzz@activewords.com.
What does David Allen think of the “cocktail party” that is Twitter? In this short and sweet 5 minute podcast, David talks about his approach to Twitter and the world of social media. LISTEN NOW
“People ask me, is it [Twitter] a waste of time? Is going to a cocktail party a waste of time? Well, people go to cocktail parties, so if you feel guilty for going, you shouldn’t go to begin with. If you are going, why are you going?” – David Allen
We received a tremendous response to the podcast from David Allen & his tech team on finding the “Perfect GTD List Manager.” Some of you were delighted that we continue to hold true to GTD being an approach that is “tool-agnostic,” applicable to nearly any tool you choose. On the other hand, some of you were pretty vocal that you were upset that we still didn’t tell you which tool to use. Fair enough! We know there is a balance to give you between theory and application, and some of you would like some more direction on this. So David and his team sat down for further conversation on The Perfect GTD List Manager. This time, David actually does reveal “the secret” and it may not be what you think…
In our new series called GTD Toolbox Tours, we’ll be highlighting and reviewing different tools, products, software and gear that can support your GTD implementation. We’ll cover list managers, labelers, pens, file folders and everything else that makes your GTD system hum like a Ferrari. This week we’re starting with a podcast with Eric Mack, the designer of a software tool called eProductivity for IBM Lotus Notes.
In our recent podcast on The Perfect GTD List Manager, we shared that one of the most common questions we get is, “Which tool should I use for my GTD lists?” Specifically, you want to know which tools David Allen uses! While the GTD approach is tool-agnostic, we have our personal favorites, as we know many of you do as well. eProductivity for IBM Lotus Notes is one of those, and is the tool David (and most of the staff at DavidCo) use to help manage our workflow. Even if you are not a Lotus Notes user, we think you’ll find value in hearing from Eric about what he learned would make the ultimate tool for David Allen to use.
In this podcast, Eric Mack (@EricMack) shares with Coach Kelly Forrister (@GTDCoachKelly) on some of the design philosophy and underlying features and principles that make eProductivity a tool David recommends. (Note: There’s a free trial and on the podcast Eric also offers a $100 off to the first 50 people that contact him by June 15.) Some of the features discussed on the podcast will make more sense if you check out some screenshots. LISTEN NOW
One of the most common questions we get is, “Which tool should I use for my GTD lists?” With the GTD approach, the tools you choose to manage your workflow are up to you. Some tools are certainly more conducive to GTD than others, but among the ones that will work well, it will come down to functionality and personal preference. That can make the choice for some people exciting…or daunting. In this podcast, David Allen and his technology team talk about the phenomenon of list managers, what qualities to look for, what has a zero learning curve, the keys to really making it work and more. There should be something here for everyone, no matter what your job, style, platform or inner geek. LISTEN NOW
“There’s a strange paradox. You want it simple and it won’t be cool enough for you. And if you want it really cool, you’re gonna have to have discipline and sophistication of really understanding GTD to make it work and gain the power out of it.” – David Allen
08/17/2010 – We now have a GTD & BlackBerry Setup Guide. Visit the David Allen Company store to get your copy. It’s loaded with tips, tricks and expert coaching advice of applying GTD to your BlackBerry.
Wayne Pepper, one of the senior staff at David Allen Company, uses a BlackBerry device in his implementation of GTD. We thought you might like to hear some of his tips & tricks about using it effectively with his GTD system, including avoiding having it become a constant source of latest & loudest!
Listen to Wayne’s 15 minute podcast.
Have you ever been stumped by the difference between a Project and an Area of Focus?
In this great 5 minute podcast, David Allen Company senior coach Meg Edwards talks about the GTD best practices for creating a Projects list. She gives tips on:
In the podcast, she references her own Areas of Focus, which she captured in a mindmap:
Add yourself to the David Allen Company podcast feed.
In case this is useful for others out there, wondering where to start with GTD, here is a letter we received from a new GTD’er in Australia today.
Sean writes, “I have just been recommended to use Omni [Focus] project management software to assist me in managing my ever complex working and private life. I have looked at the software and I have found that they follow your principles. My question is How do I start? Do I buy the book, or buy the software or begin on some your other programs. Please advise me.”
This is probably one of the most common questions we get at the David Allen Company. A good way to think of GTD is that it is a systematic approach, not a system. If you understand the approach first, then applying that to the system tools (like OmniFocus, the Outlook Add-in by Netcentrics, or any of the nearly 150+ GTD-centric software programs out there), will make more a whole lot more sense.
Here are 10 ways to learn the GTD approach:
1. Read or listen to the Getting Things Done book. It is THE ultimate manual for GTD. Part One gives a great overview. Part Two walks you through coaching yourself through the process.
2. Go through the Getting Started Series on GTD Connect. If you’re not a member, try the free 2-week trial. You can access everything as a trial-member except download content. There is also a great video in the Connect GTD Cafe called, “I read the book, now what?”
3. Go to a public GTD seminar.
4. Get coached in person or by phone.
5. Find a friend or coworker who already does GTD and have them show you their setup and how they work it.
6. Read the What is GTD? overview from David Allen.
7. Listen to David do a full two-day GTD seminar on CD.
8. Grab this free article to learn the 5 phases of Mastering Workflow. Then apply that consistently to one area of your workflow, such as your email inbox. When that’s mastered, move on to the next area.
9. Read the DavidCo staff blogs on getting started, like this series from Kelly.
10. Listen to some of the free podcasts with the DavidCo coaches on the GTD best practices.
Obviously, these approaches range widely in time commitment, content and budget, but hopefully there’s something in there to kick start things for you!
We are thrilled to have Meg Edwards, one of the masters of GTD at the David Allen Company, providing her perspective, humor and wisdom on the world of GTD. She will be doing a new series for GTD Times called “GTD Secrets: True Confessions of a GTD Coach”. With over a decade of working with people, helping them to implement and master GTD, many of you have likely experienced Meg through her telecoaching and individual coaching work. She also adds great content to our Coaches’ Connection feature on GTD Connect.
As a working mom, Meg is a wonderful example of getting things done–when it often feels like you have more to do than you can do–with grace, humor and balance.
Meg recorded a new podcast on “What is GTD?” How would you respond if an old friend you met on the street asked you about GTD? Listen as Meg shares what GTD means to her as she practices it in her work and personal life.
