You start the day early, sitting at your desk reviewing the days events on your calendar. You get a telephone call from a user with an issue regarding a release implemented a few days ago before you head into a morning meeting. At the meeting, you jot down tasks you need to look into by the end of the week. Your boss has pushed up your requirements deadline. Getting back to your desk, you notice an email from a colleague asking for some assistance reviewing requirements for his project. You set out to reply, but remember you need to do some final preparation for a requirements workshop in the afternoon. Your mind wonders to the persistent plumbing issue at your house, you need to make time to call the plumber today as well.
Key Learnings
- Creating a collection system for tasks that come to you and things that come to mind (even those random thoughts you’re not sure what to do with)
- Creating a simple filing system (really, it’s easy and anyone can do it).
- Understanding how to prioritize what comes to you with simple questions. A flow chart is included. It’s so useful, I hung a copy in my cubicle.
- How to take all those scraps of notes, random pieces of paper and other stuff and create one functional inbox.
- The “two minute rule”. If you have to do it and it will take 2 minutes or less…just do it and do it now.
- How to keep your inbox at zero. I implemented this one quite quickly.
- Taking the stuff that’s in your head and putting it into a system you can trust leaves your mind to undergo higher level and creative thinking. And we could all use more time for that.
- Your psyche is not a system.
- Take the time to determine what is your next action.
- How to distinguish tasks from reference material.
- Review your system regularly.
- Understand your desired outcome before you define your next action.
Sticky Factor
- Relevant and practical information, clearly presented.
- Ideas anyone can implement quickly.
Rating
(Usefulness – 1 thru 5)
- TheBACoach team rates this book at a 5 (Highly Recommended)
Download The Audio Book for FREE
As a listener of TheBACoach podcast you can download one FREE audiobook from Audible. Click on the image below to sign-up for a FREE 14 days trial membership and download “Getting Things Done” in the audio format, read by David himself.
Have you read or listened to Getting Things Done? What parts of this book did you like the most? Please use the comments section below to give your feedback.
Yamo is a passionate and practicing business analyst, author, and blogger from Toronto, Canada. He hosts this blog, and podcast to help business analysts throughout the world, do analysis better, by providing educational, relevant, and inspiring content.
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Thanks for another great book review, Katie. In my view the collection piece of GTD is the most crucial part. There are a lot of Apps that people could use to create a collection system. One of my favorite apps is “Wunderlist” acts as a project-list and a collection system as well.
I loved the audiobook version of this book, and loved the way David presented information. His advice to the listeners is to implement the system, and re-read the book again to see if they can refine it.
With Audible giving away one FREE audiobook, this would be a great book to download.
Thanks Yamo! I will have to take a look at “Wunderlist”. You’ve got me curious
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Great review Katie.
Great app Yamo.
Thanks again!
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