Getting Things Done® (GTD®) is a highly effective approach to productivity that was developed by David Allen.
It emphasizes the importance of developing a trusted system so that the mind can be freed to have ideas, rather than hold them.
“It’s possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control.”
Whether you’re learning GTD for the first time or are a seasoned practitioner, here are some resources to support you in developing a solid grounding in the basic principles and for putting the best practices that David Allen recommends into action. At a minimum, take 2 minutes and 22 seconds out of your day to watch the following video by Epipheo.
Books
David Allen has written several books that centre around the Getting Things Done methodology. Most are readily available in print, e-book, and audiobook format.
Getting Things Done – First published in 2001, “Getting Things Done” is essentially the manual for the GTD and includes detailed overviews, examples and coaching advise to support you as you develop your GTD system. In March 2015 a brand new edition to the book was published.
Making it All Work – David Allen’s second book take GTD concepts to a whole new level and delves more deeply into the models for control and perspective.
Ready for Anything – A collection of 52 essays written by David Allen over the past decade. Major themes include: Clearing your head, focusing your attention, creating structures that succeed and taking effective action.
The Getting Things Done Workbook – A supplement to the Getting Things Done book that provides practical guidance to support you in implementing GTD in your daily life and work.
Videos & Online Courses
You’ll find plenty of talks and interviews with David Allen on the David Allen Company website and YouTube. Here’s a sampling to get you started.
David Allen Company Video Gallery – The David Allen Company website contains a collection of videos, including David Allen’s 22 minute TEDx talk, which is well worth watching.
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“The mind is for having ideas not holding them” – A talk by David Allen at the DO Lectures in Wales in 2011. It includes a personal account of why he was motivated to create this methodology and provides a good overview of the principles. (32:00)
[ watch video ]
David Allen at Google – GTD has always been very popular in the tech community. David Allen was invited to Google in 2008 to provide an overview of GTD to Google’s employees. (45:52)
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Lynda.com: Getting Things Done with David Allen – If you’re a Lynda.com subscriber, you have access to a course with David Allen himself. During the course he’ll walk you through the five-step GTD process and will share advise for keeping on top of your work, rather than being buried by it.
[ watch video ]
Community, Blog & Podcast
GTD® Connect – GTD® Connect consists of a community of people using the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach in their day-to-day lives. Through the service, members can connect with other “GTDers” and access a wide variety of resources and media, including an interview with Learn OmniFocus founder, Tim Stringer. There’s a monthly fee for using the service, but you can put it through its paces for two weeks free of charge.
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GTD® Times – The official blog of the David Allen Company. It contains a wealth of information on many aspects of GTD and includes stories from people who are applying GTD in their lives. Among these stories is an article by Learn OmniFocus founder, Tim Stringer entitled A Healing Journey, in which he talks about his 2008 journey through cancer and the role that GTD played in his recovery.
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GTD® Podcast – The official podcast of the David Allen Company is a great source of information about GTD. It features a wide variety of GTD-centric topics and excerpts from talks given by David Allen. It's will give you a good taste of what's available to GTD Connect members.
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How Technically Simple Can Help
We're big fans of GTD and help people and organizations all over the world put these principles into practice using apps like Asana, Evernote, OmniFocus, and Trello.
The Life-Changing Potential of Getting Things Done® (GTD®)
Technically Simple founder, Tim Stringer wrote an article GTD Times in 2009, sharing the profound impact that GTD has had on his life. Later that year he was interviewed by David Allen on In Conversation, a series available to GTD Connect members.