Getting Things Done

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Getting Things Done ( GTD ) is a self-management method by David Allen that is intended to enable its users to work efficiently and stress-free . It strives to cover the entire everyday life of a person u. a. to capture with contextual task lists. In this way, both perspective on the various topics and control over the work should be achieved. The main principle of the method is that the user can do all of his upcoming activities in one Management system and thus has your head free for more important things, namely completing the currently correct task without having to worry about forgetting other tasks or losing track of things.

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, David Allen's exclusive partner for training and coaching is Next Action Partners, based in Berlin.

overview

GTD overview. In the German edition, other terms are sometimes used: collecting (here capturing), processing (here working through), doing (here performing)

The steps of the GTD workflow are:

  1. Collect : Collect everything that flows into you in as few places as possible
  2. Process :
    • Decide regularly in a disciplined manner for everything you have collected, whether you have to or want to do something with it or not
    • Record the activities that should be done as soon as possible so that you just don't have to think again about what it is about (desired result) or how you are going to start doing it (next action).
  3. Organize : Keep everything in the right place on a trusted system outside of your head
  4. Review : Make sure your system is up-to-date and well-maintained through regular reviews so that you can rely on it.
  5. Done : Decide what to do next based on your environment (context), the time available, your energy, and ultimately priority.

The 4 lists

As a result, the GTD system is based on four lists that can be kept both on paper and with software:

  1. Action lists: Here the "next actions" are formulated in such a way that the associated task can be started without having to think twice (e.g. "gathering up receipts in the office" instead of the non-GTD task "making tax returns"). Depending on the number of tasks, it makes sense to organize the next actions separately according to context. Each person defines the names of the individual context lists individually. David Allen recommends naming them according to the resources necessary to carry out the activities : Suitable names for the context lists are, for example, “Telephone”, “Internet” or “Car”. During a weekly review, all lists are checked and brought up to date.
  2. Project list : All projects are recorded here. Projects are tasks that cannot be completed with a single next action. If possible, projects should be worded attractively.
  3. Calendar : Appointments are recorded in a calendar . Only time-specific tasks (appointments, e.g. meetings), day-specific tasks (tasks that have to be completed on this exact day) or time-specific information (e.g. birthday reminder or hotel information for business trips) should be recorded in the calendar.
  4. Waiting-for-list : an essential element of GTD, especially valuable for managers, is that it is checked very early in the workflow whether the task can be delegated. If so, the delegated task is recorded on this list for follow-up. Ideally, the time of handover is also recorded here.

The introduction of GTD begins with writing down all open construction sites, which (literally translated from English) are referred to as "loose ends". According to David Allen, this includes all activities, goals, projects and obligations that are unfinished. All "loose ends" are recorded and integrated into the system.

GTD - five phases of project planning

All the elements that have been collected and that consist of more than one action are referred to as projects . Two examples for a project in the sense of GTD would be on the one hand "Appointment with Frank in the bar XYZ" or on the other hand "Diploma thesis submitted" . The not so comprehensive project “Appointment made with Frank in Bar XYZ” consists of at least two activities, namely “Calling Frank” and “Reserving a table for two people in Bar XYZ” . For each project, the next possible physical step must always be defined and formulated and, if necessary, appear on the action lists under a specific context. This is called the next action . This is to guarantee that a project will not come to an unnoticed standstill . The activity "Call Frank" is the "next action" of the project "Appointment with Frank in the bar XYZ" and would be assigned to the context list "Telephone" in the above example . All projects are recorded on the above project list.

The 2 minute rule

The “2-minute rule” should be taken into account when dealing with the activities: “ If an activity takes less than 2 minutes, it should be done immediately ”. Projects for which an activity is only possible in the future are recorded in a follow-up system, e.g. B. a resubmission folder, anchored ( tickler file ). Projects or activities that are deliberately not pursued at the moment, but which could be interesting projects in the future, are categorized as “Maybe / Sometime” and saved as ideas.

The system is maintained on a regular basis; a regular, detailed weekly review ensures the overview of the tasks and the completeness of the system. Here the dates of the calendar are checked, reminders are written in the calendar, the progress of the projects is assessed and new necessary activities are fed into the system.

The basic operational GTD system can be supplemented by further lists (not to be confused with the "context lists" explained above ). For example, a list of long-term goals can be created here, these are the so-called higher focus levels. If this list is used, the weekly review can be used to check whether all added projects are in line with one's own long-term goals. A list of routine activities would also be conceivable, such as “bringing office mail to the basket” or “writing an entry in the logbook” ; checklists are also recommended additions.

Principles

GTD workflow

Collect

Everything is collected and placed in the "Inbox" (similar to an inbox, usually in the form of a basket). Filling the entrance takes some time the first time, depending on the level of organization. Later the basket will be continuously filled and emptied daily. There can be several inboxes (e.g. electronic ones such as e-mail inboxes, mailboxes). The number of in-baskets should be kept as low as possible, or just as high as necessary.

To process

Here the elements of the entrance are channeled through the system. When processing , you have to ask yourself the following questions, which lead to the correct classification of the elements in the system:

  • What is it about?
  • Do I have to / want to do something about the thing?
  • Is there more than one action?
    If so: A project is recorded.
  • What's the next action?
  • Can the task be done in under 2 minutes?
    If so: the task will be completed immediately.
  • Can someone else do the job?
    If so: the task is delegated and is recorded on the wait-for-list.
  • Where should the task be recorded?
    There are two options here: the action list or context lists or the calendar

When working through the following guidelines :

  • Start at the top of the inbox
  • Only process one element at a time
  • Never put an item back in the in-basket
  • if an action is required, write it down as the "next action" on one of the context lists, and if several actions are required to achieve the overall goal (it is then a project), create a corresponding project entry in the project list

if no action is required ,

  • archive it as reference material,
  • throw it in the trash or
  • mark it as "maybe / sometime"

To organize

David Allen gives different categories for the temporary storage of the elements of the entrance after working through:

Next actions
These actions are listed on the action list, which can be divided into context lists.
Projects
An element of the entrance that requires more than one action to complete. For each project always formulate a “next action”, a “reminder” in the calendar, or a “wait for” so that a project cannot exist in the system unnoticed. Projects are recorded on the project list.
Waiting for
Activities that have been delegated to someone.
Maybe sometime
Ideas that maybe (i.e. not yet decided) or at some point (i.e. without a specific point in time) can become actions or projects. In the weekly review, this list is checked regularly and every current idea is transferred to the active lists either as an individual action or as a whole project and every idea that has become uninteresting is completely removed from the list.
calendar
The appointment calendar forms the tough time frame. Only dates and activities are listed here that are only possible or to be carried out at a specific point in time / time window (e.g. meetings that have already been agreed with other people, booked travel dates). Everything that should be done "as soon as possible" is on the context lists and not in the appointment calendar. References to items to be resubmitted from the “Maybe / Sometime” or “Waiting for” lists may also be noted in the calendar.
Reference material
This category contains the accompanying material for daily work and can be designed individually. The reference material can also serve as an archive or only contain material accompanying current projects. In the physical implementation of this category there are also several ways, such as hanging files , roll cabinets , filing cabinets or resubmission folders. However you realize this category, it has to be fun to put things there or to take them out and it is up to you which option you consider. Filing should, however, be as quick and easy as possible ("60-second rule") so that no pile of things to be filed is formed.

Look through

The context lists and the appointment calendar are checked at least once a day. The weekly review takes place once a week . The dates are checked, the successfully completed activities are removed from the system, at least one next step is determined for each current project, the inbox is entered into the system and new goals and projects are defined and also entered.

Take care of

Do the next steps listed on the appropriate context list after making a preselection based on context, time available, personal energy level. After the preselection, work is carried out on the task that has the higher priority. Another aspect of this step is to become aware that there are three types of work: planned work, unplanned work, and defining work that the GTD process particularly supports. The usefulness of the system can be seen when the majority of the time can be spent on planned work.

Techniques and tools

In principle, no computer is required to use GTD. In English-speaking particularly popular materials for implementing GTD are the notebook, the Hipster PDA and the card box "43folders".

However, the implementation can be facilitated with computer assistance.

On the one hand, implementation with existing software, e.g. B. possible with PIM or the like. On the other hand, there are now some programs tailored to this way of working.

reception

Getting Things Done has been covered in the media several times and is used in time management training courses.

In 2005, Wired magazine described GTD as "a new cult for the information age" in an article about the enthusiasm of IT and knowledge workers. In 2007, Wired published another article on GTD and David Allen, quoting him as saying "an automatic transmission is more complex than a manual transmission ... to simplify a complex event you need a complex system".

In 2005, Ben Hammersley interviewed David Allen for the Guardian's article, "Meet the Man Who Can Bring Order To Your Universe," in which he described his experience as follows: "To me, David Allen's ideas are nothing short of life-changing - like the hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide who hand the book to their friends with a twinkle in their eyes ".

In 2007 Time Magazine named Getting Things Done the self-help book of its time.

David Allen's ideas were also known in the USA through the Howard Stern Show (called daily there in 2012) and the Internet, in particular through English-language blogs such as 43 Folders and Lifehacker.

criticism

There are no empirical studies that could prove the effectiveness of the method. A 2008 scientific article in the journal Long Range Planning by Francis Heylighen and Clément Vidal of the Free University of Brussels showed that "current knowledge in psychology and the cognitive sciences support and expand the recommendations for GTD".

In his e-book Zen To Done , Leo Babauta criticizes that Getting Things Done is at its core a praiseworthy approach, but that it represents an overflowing, unstructured sequence of habit changes with too little weight on the individual's actions and personality. This creates more stress than it relieves.

After ten years of using the method, author Cory Doctorow concluded that Getting Things Done made it more productive, but at the same time made it difficult to try new things without apparent value.

literature

  • David Allen: How to get things done. Self-management for everyday life. Piper 2007, ISBN 978-3-492-24060-4
  • David Allen: That's how I get everything under control. Self-management in everyday life. Piper 2008, ISBN 978-3-492-25191-4
  • David Allen: I can do it! Self-management for professional and private everyday life. GABAL 2011, ISBN 978-3-869-36178-9

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ GTD in Germany [1] In: gettingthingsdone.com/ Retrieved on February 14, 2018
  2. ↑ Wade Roush: "Getting Things Done": How Technology Can Help You Organize Yourself. Heise Technology Review , April 28, 2006
  3. ↑ Jena McGregor: Getting Serious About Getting Things Done. Can David Allen and his GTD methods help with productivity? BusinessWeek, August 25 & September 1, 2008
  4. ↑ Franziska Grammes: Getting Things Done: Time management according to David Allen In: Mittelstand-die-macher.de/ Retrieved on June 1, 2016
  5. ^ Robert Andrews: A new cult for the info age . In: Wired.com , Condé Nast, July 12, 2005. Retrieved March 5, 2010. 
  6. ^ Gary Wolf: Getting Things Done Guru David Allen and His Cult of Hyperefficiency , Wired.com. September 25, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2010. 
  7. ↑ Ben Hammersley: Meet the man who can bring order to your universe . In: The Guardian , Guardian News and Media Limited, September 28, 2005. Retrieved March 5, 2010. 
  8. ^ The Oracle of Organization . In: Time . March 12, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  9. ↑ Merlin Mann: Getting started with "Getting Things Done" . In: 43 Folders . September 8, 2004. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  10. ↑ Keith Robinson: Best of GTD . In: Lifehacker . March 21, 2006. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  11. ↑ Francis Heylighen and Clément Vidal: Getting Things Done: The Science behind Stress-Free Productivity. ECCO - Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel ; 2008. ( PDF, 390 kB )
  12. ↑ Leo Babauta: Zen to done ; ( [2] )
  13. ^ Cory Doctorow: How to Do Everything (Lifehacking Considered Harmful) . In: Locus Online . ( locusmag.com [accessed September 24, 2018]).