Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity pdfdrive com

I HOPE THIS
book has been useful—that you have started to reap the rewards
of getting more done with less effort and stress. And I 
really
hope you have
tasted the freedom of a “mind like water” and the release of your creative
energies that can come with the application of these techniques. Those who
begin to implement these methods always discover there’s more here than meets
the eye, and you may have begun to experience your own version of that.
I’ll bet 
Getting Things Done
has validated much of what you already know
and have been doing to some degree all along. Perhaps, though, it will make it
much easier for you to apply that common sense more systematically in a world
that seems to increasingly confound us with its intensity and complexity.
My intent is not to add more to the plethora of modern theories and models
about how to be successful. I have tried, on the contrary, to define the core
methods that don’t change with the times, and which, when applied, always
work. Like gravity, when you understand the principle, you can operate a lot
more effectively, no matter what you’re doing. Perhaps this is the Leading Edge
of Back to Basics!
Getting Things Done
is a road map to achieve the positive, relaxed focus that
characterizes your most productive state. I invite you to use it, like a road map,
as a reference tool to get back there whenever you need to.
To consistently stay on course, you’ll have to do some things that may not be
habits yet: keep everything out of your head; decide actions and outcomes when
things first emerge on your radar, instead of later; and regularly review and
update the complete inventory of open loops of your life and work. I hope by
now you at least have established a reference point for the value these behaviors
create. Don’t be surprised, though, if it takes a little while to make them
automatic. Be patient, and enjoy the process.
Here are some final tips for moving forward:
• Get your personal physical organization hardware set up. Get your
workstation organized. Get in-baskets. Create a personal filing system—
for work and home. Get a good list-management organizer that you are
inspired to play with. I also suggest that you give yourself permission to
make any changes that you have been contemplating for enhancing your

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work environments. Hang pictures, buy pens, toss stuff, rearrange your
work space. Support your fresh start.
• Set aside some time when you can tackle one whole area of your office,
and then each part of your house. Gather everything into your system,
and work through the 
Getting Things Done
process.
• Share anything of value you’ve gleaned from this with someone else. (It’s
the fastest way to learn.) • Review 
Getting Things Done
again in three to
six months. You’ll notice things you might have missed the first time
through, and I guarantee it will seem like a whole new book.
• Stay in touch with people who are broadcasting and reflecting these
behaviors and standards. (We’re available. Visit 
http://www.davidco.com
anytime for tons of free support material, conversations about these best
practices, current information about supportive products and services,
and access to our global network of people sharing the best practices in
productivity. For anything, contact us at The David Allen Company at
[e-mail] or 805-646-8432.)
Have a great rest of your life!

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Index

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accountability
Acheson, Dean
action reminders
on calendars
dispersal of
most common categories of
organizing as-soon-as-possible actions by context
original items as
actions
current
four-criteria model for choosing