I don’t know that I’ll agree that GTD sucks, but the weekly review is always a challenge for me. It ends up being a bunch of mini reviews here and there.

The title was more a way of attracting attention to be honest

I agree, James. More than anything though, productivity systems are simply too complex to begin with. Die-hard productivians will argue that “complex lives need a complex system”, but the simple fact is that they should be trying to remove that complexity from their lives, not add to it.

Having said that, whilst I’m no longer using GTD, I did learn a lot by studying and applying it; it served as a catalyst to motivate me to organize my life, and I now realize that there is no magic system; it’s simply a case of hard work and finding motivation.

Good point. It’s definitely better to simplify our complex lives. In fact it’s especially important to do it nowadays as things can only get worse and much of that complexity gives us nothing of any value.

I think the flexibility of GTD is a positive feature. I chose to take the parts that worked for me and tweak some other parts as needed (as many others have done). I never expected GTD to be an all-encompassing system; someone with that expectation would be disappointed with almost any system. So I don’t see that as a criticism of GTD.

Also, I disagree that the weekly review is a weakness. To me that review is one of the system’s biggest strengths. Without that it’s just too easy to lapse into old habits. Being too lazy to have to spend any time each week to maintain a system was not one of the reasons I read GTD! If someone is really too lazy for that they should probably just give it up. But I could understand that some people may find it easier to stay with the system and for them a weekly review might be overkill.

I agree that the system isn’t perfect, and I’m trying to adapt my own version to better connect with a high-level focus and to prioritize things in a more useful way.

You may ask me where I’ve been, but I just discovered GTD. I guess I was buried in Franklin, then Covey for the past couple of decades. I too found the system as David Allen describes it to be very 20th century, but then I found an application that I use to keep GTD with me at all times; my desktop at work and home, and even my mobile phone. I just posted some details at my website if you’d like to read about my rather late experiences with GTD.

“It’s not the all-encompassing system we like to think”
Here you’re looking too much at the system and not the principles behind it. For people who are suspicious of the “process”, a better book would be David Allen’s second book “Ready for Anything” which is more about the principles behind GTD, and less about the “GTD System”. At any rate you are making out GTD to be much more of a rigid system than it actually is.

“GTD doesn’t address workers who have unlimited wi-fi availability, online tools and access to social media networks”
And how does that change anything about GTD? It just means that contexts are more fluid and less defined by physical spaces.

“What’s more, there is an increasing focus on creativity and thinking outside the box, as businesses struggle to stand out and innovate”
GTD is about Getting Things Done, not an all encompassing philosophy about life, the universe, and everything. It’s process management. Complaining about how GTD doesn’t address the need to be creative and innovative, is like complaining that you can’t hammer nails with a screwdriver. If GTD has a role in this it’s merely to make it possible to make such creativity possible, by getting the other stuff out of the way.

“You can’t get everything out of your head. The best way to get it off your mind is to complete or resolve it, not just write it down!”
Well, Duh! That’s why when you have something on your mind you can just do it. But if you can’t do it in that moment you have to make the promise to get it done by delegating it, or deferring it in a manner so that you won’t forget. If all you actually do is just write something down on paper and don’t do anything, yeah, it’s useless.

If there’s more to do than can be done or delegated it’s time to figure out what’s important or find a way to get more done, which is beyond the scope of GTD itself, but GTD will help you find that you are genuinely at your limit.

“No old fashioned prioritizing”
Well, here’s where GTD is at its least rigid. The presumption here is that you already know the relative importance of tasks. There’s no need to create a system to analyze that. If something can be put off, and you don’t have time in the present to handle something, that’s the “defer it” part of the system.

“There are so many personal interpretations of GTD. Why? It’s not that it’s particularly flexible.”
Well, if people are adapting and finding there own implementations of GTD, then apparently, it IS flexible. David Allen did not bring GTD down off the mountain on stone tablets.

I notice that the nine criticisms include several that are really nothing more than bad attitudes that some hypothetical person possibly could add to the mix. So I can’t validly regards those as critiques of GTD.

The very exercise of considering a system of this nature and the process of gaging one’s own real stuff with the system’s potential and process is, in itself, worthwhile… or can be. In fact, most ANY context for us to pay keen attention to our lives and what/how we’re doing is valuable.

But, yes, it’s up to us to notice, appreciate and take advantage of this. Ultimately, there is no “system” to blame really, except that superset of “reality” (whatever that is).

Long before I ran across GTD there was what is termed “constructive living” as developed by Dr. David Reynolds. Actually, I’m somewhat surprised to find so little mention of this in the burgeoning GTD circles.

GTD is a very flexible tool for managing your workflow, but I agree that we are getting to the point that designing the next generation of productivity management is essential. I’d like to invite everyone to visit my forums and discuss what the next steps may be.

James, now *that* was a provocative post!

I think that GTD mostly suffers from two things: first, the book has too many pages, which obscures the high-level thinking by giving too many examples for paper-based systems. It wouldn’t be any relief if David extended it now, to account for always-on people too.

Secondly, GTD has become a cult - including all the problems the classical hype cycle brings. We’re in the “trough of disillusionment” right now, I guess. But hey, the “plateau of productivity” is coming next…

So many comments to respond to so I will just put together some random thoughts….

Rolf, you are right about it having too many pages. I considered mentioning that but to be fair a book has to have some meat to it. The hype cycle is interesting, I’d personally say we are more in the slope of enlightenment now.

On the point regarding extending it for the “always on” generation and creative workers, it probably wouldn’t make much difference but it could subtly alter the overall implementation of it. Are we to not look at how GTD can be kept relevant or do we let it get stale, while waiting for the next big system to come along? GTD may be about getting things done but that doesn’t necessarily mean those things should just be sharp edged stuff like answering emails and making phonecalls. I need to brainstorm a new store layout or think up a layout for a new website. There are only so many next actions I can define. The rest of the time I simply have to doodle with a pen (for potentially hours and days) and see what develops.

The higher level is meant to be there to provide focus to the lower level stuff, it’s not there to make GTD an all encompassing system that covers life, the universe and everything. Regardless, it fails on both counts.

BTW, thanks all for the constructive comments! There are some very good points here and it will be interesting to see how the conversation develops. I think it’s good practice to take this objective look at GTD.

Ah, James. You’ve hit the nail of the head my friend. I just LOVE this post in so many ways. I certainly don’t think GTD sucks but it doesn’t suit everyone’s needs or tastes. There are a few golden nuggets that I’ve gathered… other than that, I agree that it shows it’s age and it’s not the end-all-be-all that people make it out to be.

And yes, you’ve now been booted out of the productivity-junkie church for taking David Allen’s name in vain.

Thanks for publishing this. I think it’s a good reminder that people should look at how they can improve even on a good system. I wrote something similar called Don’t Get Things Done. If we work on taking his best tips and applying to our own needs then we’ll succeed.

I found GTD more of a set of principles rather than a system. GTD’s greatest strength is its flexibility; with a bit of work and cultivating the right habits anyone can find a way to make it work for them.

I think the book didn’t make it clear enough that principles are more powerful than systems, you have to put effort into constructing your setup and your needs change over time so your system is going to have to evolve with it

I’m pretty guilty of not adapting my system every time my needs change… hmm isn’t that a project to go on a list?

Take what you want. Leave what you don’t. Why do people have to pick it apart? Use what he does as a base and do whatever works for you. If nothing else, you can eliminate what DOESN’T work for you.

Great post! GTD is a good system for the right person, but that is a very small, select portion of the population. I’ve recommended Allen’s book, but to those whose brains work this way. There are plenty of options and interpretations, and GTD is no more the magic pill for everyone than another other system before or since. Great stuff, keep it coming!

I believe that GTD is a spring board in getting us to think about organizing our lives and not become enslaved to our work or the act of becoming preoccupied with just doing. I did find the following statement interesting: “GTD doesn’t address workers who have unlimited wi-fi availability, online tools and access to social media networks.” I am in the process of finishing Mr. Allen’s book, but I do agree that a more modern GTD or any “make life simple” solution should take into account the “I take my laptop every where” age.

I think the point about “personal interpretation of GTD” is true about all time management systems, the way people work is a direct reflection of their personality. Thus, how time management is implemented will be specific to an individual. I think that explains why GTD has become so popular. Much of the writings on GTD focus on why you need to do certain things as opposed to other systems with their focus on the how.

Right on the mark! For most people, GTD is overkill. It’s the recipe for a frantic life, you feel like you have to be doing stuff all the time. The key to creativity is to keep stuff in your head. It needs to ferment there.

Definitely Matt, that seems to be the way a lot of people feel about GTD… but is that the fault of the system (and perhaps the way David Allen wrote about it) or just our expectations of it?

I don’t think your post is negative, you have points. GTD is overcomplicated. The system itself is tiring before me getting to work. Another defect is the system makes people pay attention to detail or trivia, but not the big dream. It’s not important to achieve many trivial things. It’s important to achieve a few big things in life.

@JH thanks for your comment. A lot of people have commented on how GTD makes people focus on the small details, rather than the bigger picture. It will be interesting to see what David Allen’s next book is like, as it will apparently address this issue.