Getting Things Done (2001) | Book Summary

A stress-free life needs to focus on what we want to do and the best use of our time to get things done. However, many are yet to find a way to achieve it. If you are still looking for a practical approach, we recommend trying the Getting Things Done (GTD) method described in the Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity by David Allen (2001). It is one of the most well-received productivity syste

The GTD method defines a five-step personal knowledge management process that includes collecting, clarifying, organizing, reflecting, and executing. In short, people call it the CCORE principle. 

• ​Collect is about capturing things that need to get done and storing them into a task management system. David Allen believes our brain should focus on analysis and thinking instead of remembering what to do. The task system can free our minds and record the tasks in a trusted system.
• Clarify sorts the list and determine what is needed to get things done. The step secures items with an acceptable reason, a clear goal, and an understandable outcome. You will do the task that can finish within 2 minutes right away. Others are recorded for future planning. 
• Organize estimates efforts, prioritizes the choices, and organizes the tasks in batches. 
• Reflect is a regular review going back to the list to update, empty, and adjust. ​
• Execute is about trusting the system, focusing on things, and emptying the list constantly. 

The workflow is described as follows:

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You can use the GTD method to handle a request or anything you'd like to do. It's a proven method for productivity.

Anxiety is caused by a lack of control, organization, preparation, and action. —David Kekich

Editor's Notes: You may refer to our shared Notion task template, which applies the GTD method to task management. ​Add comment to this blog if you are interested in downloading a copy and watching a demo video.