 October 27th 2008
 Getting Things Done
 10 comments
Several months ago I wrote nine reasons why GTD sucks. Yes, nine whole reasons! However, as I stated at the time, it wasn’t representative of my true feelings, it was more an opportunity to provide an alternative perspective to counter the GTD cultism. I’m no hater (I’m no fanboy either for that matter) so today I want to go full circle and look at why GTD is so popular to provide a nice, balanced perspective. Last time I got some excellent comments and I got some great discussion out of it. Hopefully with this GTD lovefest of a post it will provoke a similar reaction. Do you agree/disagree with my points?
- It’s well supported
Whether it be David Allen’s seminars, the numerous audio sets, the official GTD forums or even the hundreds of blogs that have sprung up (including an official one), it’s hard not to find support and advice for whatever productivity ailment you are suffering from.
- The weekly review
The weekly review is really just taking the time to stop and think… such a simple concept yet one that is rarely followed. When applied to GTD it becomes a key component, encouraging you to really evaluate your progress and analyze what you’re doing.
- It provides a solid foundation for productivity
Maybe it’s because GTD is so simple or perhaps it’s just packaged up in such an effective way, but even a basic setup will provide a solid foundation for learning the habits of productivity. Many people (myself included) have now taken that foundation and evolved their own ideas and implementations. The pupils are becoming the new masters!
- It makes you more organized
Is organization a byproduct of productivity or the other way around? Ah, who cares. If it wasn’t for GTD and it’s filing systems, reference tools and buckets for capturing incoming stuff I’d probably not be the de-cluttering master I am today (wink, wink).
- Next actions
From the dawn of time breaking your work down has been the single productivity tip everyone could pick up, but thanks to GTD, this idea has been taken to the next level of usability. Next actions are deceptively simple, yet one of the best concepts I have ever picked up from the book. If I’m not moving forward with a project, it’s almost always because I haven’t defined next actions properly.
- It’s commonsense
The depth and size of the book might make GTD seem more complicated than it actually is but, as David Allen admits himself, it’s really just all commonsense. Whether it’s writing stuff down instead of storing it in your head or using a calendar as it’s meant to be used (the hard landscape), it makes me think why I never thought of these concepts before.
- It makes you more productive
Well, obviously!
- It encourages you to get stuff out your head
There are numerous benefits to this. It gives you more focus, stops you getting so stressed and makes you more relaxed. Your brain isn’t good at remembering stuff yet why do you always rely on it? With commitments in a trusted system there is no chance of you forgetting any dates or meetings again. With projects on a relevant list there is no opportunity for you to miss out any key details.
- The two minute rule
Another simple concept with massive benefits. Think about how many tasks you can get off your radar by applying it. Got a quick email to type or phonecall to make? Do it now! Most people aren’t so direct with these sorts of tasks but they are the ones that usually end up overwhelming you and bogging down your to-do list. Thankfully, with GTD there is an effective way of dealing with them.
Reader discussion
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My #1 (sort of your #8) is it gives me peace of mind.
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Nice list. I think that GTD can make things very complicated, you really need to keep it simple and stick to the key concepts such as the two minute rule and weekly review like you mention.
It becomes overbearing when you tweak your system too much, but this is more about the user of GTD than GTD itself. Stick to the key principles (as with many things in life) and you will get the most out of it.
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I believe GTD is a good framework to follow, however I also believe its not for everyone. Look at the number of to-do lists and GTD applications out there. If GTD or self-management was so simple and straightforward, there would be only a few apps out there. Everyone is different and you need to either commit to a framework you believe fits like GTD or roll your own.
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Great comments. GTD gets a lot of slack for being overly complicated. However you can’t blame all the productivity p0rn on the workflow. It’s about the end user wanting to do all that.
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Don’t forget about the Someday Maybe files. That’s one of my favorite concepts. GTD is too “all or nothing” for most of my clients.
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I’ve never read the book, but I have read a lot on time management, and the best book for it by far is the four hour work week by Tim Ferris. If you haven’t read it, read it. Even though I don’t agree with every point in the book, as far as time management goes you can’t beat it.
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Glad to see you can see both sides of this. Personally, I use GTD. My favorite parts are the fact that I get everything out of my head, I know everything (hopefully) in my life, and I really follow through on everything I promise to myself and others. One can make GTD as simple or complex as one wants. It really helps to start off simple and then customize it to your life over time.
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Thanks for the comments as ever. I must admit, alongside GTD, T4HWW has probably been the most influential. Maybe I should do a similar likes/dislikes for that!
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Agreed, the four hour work week is a fantastic read. It may not be 100% it’s definatley worth the time.
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Several months ago I wrote 
