Ask The Readers: Is GTD Expensive?

February 18, 2009 Ask The Readers

I recently read Making It All Work, the followup to Getting Things Done. I’ll be writing up my thoughts about in next week but in the meantime I want to take a look at an aspect of GTD that I don’t think has really been discussed before. As I was working my way through MIAW, Allen discussed the process of filing and organizing projects and how you shouldn’t be afraid to use plenty of folders, letter trays and other stationary to get sorted… but how much does that cost? Consider the video of him showing us around his office for some idea of what I mean.

Now, admittedly a few dozen folders and other stationary items isn’t going to really hurt the bank balance, but with the economy the way it is right now it does raise an interesting question. Is GTD (and getting organized in general) expensive? Consider the cost of any productivity software, the cost of books and CD’s and all the workshops/seminars you might want to attend, and the expense can build up. If you are a big GTD follower do you indulge in the full product range David Allen has to offer? I look forward to reading your thoughts on this. If you’ve ever tried other approaches like 7 Habits or T4HWW, how do they compare price wise?

Related reading

There are currently 10 responses to this post

Mark says:
February 18, 2009 at 05:07PM

Is GTD Expensive? Doesn’t have to be. A fully functional GTD system can get set up easily for $20. However, the GTD after-market is pricey. Check out David Allen’s store. To cite only one example, $126 for an Italian designed inbox (the only inbox on the site). Allen recommends two or three for maximum efficiency. Yeah, right.

A fifteen minute session with a David Allen Company coach is $300. One day in office coaching is $3000 plus expenses, with the promise only to assess (not to fix) your GTD system. The GTD Summit is $1900 plus travel and lodging. DAC is definitely geared to the high end corporate budget. His books – I own and love them all – are simply Allen’s business cards.

This not to mention Moleskines, Fischer Space Pen’s and a cornucopia of 3rd party GTD gear. All of it nice, none of it necessary.

James says:
February 18, 2009 at 05:23PM

Good points Mark. I wonder, do any of these sorts of companies sell products aimed at a lower end budget? I imagine a business trying to implement a GTD methodology or a CEO type figure would probably benefit from all sessions and coaching but for everybody else it’s pretty cheap.

Shawn Levasseur says:
February 18, 2009 at 07:28PM

The whole idea about one folder per hanging folder is not really part of the GTD system, but merely a preference of David’s. The real point is that any filing system has to have ease of access in order to be useful (no over-stuffing of drawers, easy to read tabs, etc.)

Myself, I prefer to avoid handing file folders whenever possible, as i find them redundant and a waste of space. I prefer using either a sliding backstop, if available in a drawer, or keep file folders upright using cheap metal bookends.

Mark says:
February 18, 2009 at 07:39PM

At-A-Glance has some of the more reasonably priced GTD-specific gear.

I’ve been with GTD for two years. I use Bonsai by Natara Software on a Palm TX, which syncs with my desktop, and carry a plain vanilla composition book with a ballpoint pen for ubiquitous capture. Pretty cheap, since I’ve had some kind of a Palm device for ten years, and Bonsai for seven.

Patrick Kelso says:
February 18, 2009 at 08:49PM

I certainly haven’t spent a lot on GTD. I use a completely electronic system and the only expenses were one-off items. A quality scanner that can handle duplex and a PDA with a large screen. All paper documents are scanned and shredded, all to-do lists are on RTM, my calendar is on Google and it all syncs to my PDA and computers. Total ongoing cost after the initial capitol outlay is a few bucks for a broadband connection that I would have anyway.

Ed Crotty says:
February 18, 2009 at 09:26PM

Being unorganized is what’s expensive – missing deadlines or having tasks take longer than they should. For me, the hipster PDA is one binder clip, a bunch of index cards (I like the lined portrait ones that come on a pad) and I cut a file folder to make a cover. Less than a candy bar, yet priceless.

Margaret says:
February 18, 2009 at 09:43PM

I agree with Ed about how being unorganized is expensive. If you are making six figures and could lose it all or a huge client over your lack of organization then $126 doesn’t seem that expensive. I probably use a blend of GTD and Julie Morgenstern, who at least in her first book was all about getting the cheap stuff from Walmart and Office Depot. Maybe now that she’s hit the big time, she’s got branded stuff too like David Allen. I haven’t followed her lately. Her demo is different too, probably more for soccer moms than execs.

David Allen is pretty frank about the psychology of getting nice stuff. If you have a capture tool that is beautiful, that is esthetically pleasing and makes you want to use it then it may well be worth the added cost.

Courtney says:
February 18, 2009 at 09:53PM

I don’t think I’ve spent much on GTD. I think it is one of the most budget friendly systems out there.

I get file folders and binders from work when they go to throw them away. It’s convenient to work in an office, but I promise if you call around you’ll find plenty of offices that have just finished up a project and are throwing away slightly shabby but still serviceable binders and file folders.

Other than that, go to the dollar store. Get masking tape (for covering any writing on folders), a pen, and a stack of notebook paper. Maybe grab a plastic basket for your inbox if you don’t have something like that at home. That is all you need. GTD for less than $5. Now if you avoid a late payment on one bill by being organized, this more than pays for itself… and most people already have these materials anyway!

Now that being said, I think it is sometimes good to get yourself fun toys to stay organized. For some people, this means an $120 letter tray. For me, it meant a green snakeskine organizer I got at the dollar store for $6. It may mean fun pens, paper, folders, or software. I eventually did get a label maker for my birthday and it is my favorite toy. I think you’re more likely to use organizational tools if they are fun. But I don’t fool myself into thinking that I need these things to stay organized.

Anoop says:
February 19, 2009 at 09:58AM

GTD is cheap. You can get rolling with a notepad for collection and a big envelope or a marked area on your desk as an inbox. The rest of the process can be taken care of on a loose leaf planner.

Something to think about though/ You don’t follow GTD so you end up spending hours searching for stuff and getting wound up about all the work in your life. Then you end up at a doctor’s office for stress related disorder. How much time and money did you spend? How much of your life and health did stress eat away? Compare this to the investment you made in your GTD system. Put in that perspective, even the best and the fanciest GTD equipment is cheap, in my opinion.

James says:
February 20, 2009 at 07:43PM

So the general consensus is that GTD is cheap, though it’s interesting to read how David Allen encourages the use of aesthetically pleasing tools to encourage yourself to use them. That makes a lot of sense. I really like his new GTD Coordinator!

Mark says:
February 18, 2009 at 05:07PM
Is GTD Expensive? Doesn’t have to be. A fully functional GTD system can get set up easily for $20. However, the GTD after-market is pricey. Check out David Allen’s store. To cite only one example, $126 for an Italian designed inbox (the only inbox on the site). Allen recommends two or three for maximum efficiency. Yeah, right.

A fifteen minute session with a David Allen Company coach is $300. One day in office coaching is $3000 plus expenses, with the promise only to assess (not to fix) your GTD system. The GTD Summit is $1900 plus travel and lodging. DAC is definitely geared to the high end corporate budget. His books – I own and love them all – are simply Allen’s business cards.

This not to mention Moleskines, Fischer Space Pen’s and a cornucopia of 3rd party GTD gear. All of it nice, none of it necessary.
James says:
February 18, 2009 at 05:23PM
Good points Mark. I wonder, do any of these sorts of companies sell products aimed at a lower end budget? I imagine a business trying to implement a GTD methodology or a CEO type figure would probably benefit from all sessions and coaching but for everybody else it’s pretty cheap.
Shawn Levasseur says:
February 18, 2009 at 07:28PM
The whole idea about one folder per hanging folder is not really part of the GTD system, but merely a preference of David’s. The real point is that any filing system has to have ease of access in order to be useful (no over-stuffing of drawers, easy to read tabs, etc.)

Myself, I prefer to avoid handing file folders whenever possible, as i find them redundant and a waste of space. I prefer using either a sliding backstop, if available in a drawer, or keep file folders upright using cheap metal bookends.
Mark says:
February 18, 2009 at 07:39PM
At-A-Glance has some of the more reasonably priced GTD-specific gear.

I’ve been with GTD for two years. I use Bonsai by Natara Software on a Palm TX, which syncs with my desktop, and carry a plain vanilla composition book with a ballpoint pen for ubiquitous capture. Pretty cheap, since I’ve had some kind of a Palm device for ten years, and Bonsai for seven.
Patrick Kelso says:
February 18, 2009 at 08:49PM
I certainly haven’t spent a lot on GTD. I use a completely electronic system and the only expenses were one-off items. A quality scanner that can handle duplex and a PDA with a large screen. All paper documents are scanned and shredded, all to-do lists are on RTM, my calendar is on Google and it all syncs to my PDA and computers. Total ongoing cost after the initial capitol outlay is a few bucks for a broadband connection that I would have anyway.
Ed Crotty says:
February 18, 2009 at 09:26PM
Being unorganized is what’s expensive – missing deadlines or having tasks take longer than they should. For me, the hipster PDA is one binder clip, a bunch of index cards (I like the lined portrait ones that come on a pad) and I cut a file folder to make a cover. Less than a candy bar, yet priceless.
Margaret says:
February 18, 2009 at 09:43PM
I agree with Ed about how being unorganized is expensive. If you are making six figures and could lose it all or a huge client over your lack of organization then $126 doesn’t seem that expensive. I probably use a blend of GTD and Julie Morgenstern, who at least in her first book was all about getting the cheap stuff from Walmart and Office Depot. Maybe now that she’s hit the big time, she’s got branded stuff too like David Allen. I haven’t followed her lately. Her demo is different too, probably more for soccer moms than execs.

David Allen is pretty frank about the psychology of getting nice stuff. If you have a capture tool that is beautiful, that is esthetically pleasing and makes you want to use it then it may well be worth the added cost.
Courtney says:
February 18, 2009 at 09:53PM
I don’t think I’ve spent much on GTD. I think it is one of the most budget friendly systems out there.

I get file folders and binders from work when they go to throw them away. It’s convenient to work in an office, but I promise if you call around you’ll find plenty of offices that have just finished up a project and are throwing away slightly shabby but still serviceable binders and file folders.

Other than that, go to the dollar store. Get masking tape (for covering any writing on folders), a pen, and a stack of notebook paper. Maybe grab a plastic basket for your inbox if you don’t have something like that at home. That is all you need. GTD for less than $5. Now if you avoid a late payment on one bill by being organized, this more than pays for itself… and most people already have these materials anyway!

Now that being said, I think it is sometimes good to get yourself fun toys to stay organized. For some people, this means an $120 letter tray. For me, it meant a green snakeskine organizer I got at the dollar store for $6. It may mean fun pens, paper, folders, or software. I eventually did get a label maker for my birthday and it is my favorite toy. I think you’re more likely to use organizational tools if they are fun. But I don’t fool myself into thinking that I need these things to stay organized.
Anoop says:
February 19, 2009 at 09:58AM
GTD is cheap. You can get rolling with a notepad for collection and a big envelope or a marked area on your desk as an inbox. The rest of the process can be taken care of on a loose leaf planner.

Something to think about though/ You don’t follow GTD so you end up spending hours searching for stuff and getting wound up about all the work in your life. Then you end up at a doctor’s office for stress related disorder. How much time and money did you spend? How much of your life and health did stress eat away? Compare this to the investment you made in your GTD system. Put in that perspective, even the best and the fanciest GTD equipment is cheap, in my opinion.
James says:
February 20, 2009 at 07:43PM
So the general consensus is that GTD is cheap, though it’s interesting to read how David Allen encourages the use of aesthetically pleasing tools to encourage yourself to use them. That makes a lot of sense. I really like his new GTD Coordinator!

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