#873: David Allen — The Art of Getting Things Done (GTD) (Repost)

For more than 40 years, David Allen (davidallen.substack.com/about) has worked with individuals and organizations around the world to help them stay clear, focused, and productive—without burning out. He is the author of the mega-bestseller Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (amazon.com/dp/0143126563?tag=offsitoftimfe-20). Subscribe to David's Substack at davidallen.substack.com.
This episode was originally published in September 2019. Show notes: tim.blog/2019/09/03/david-allen-getting-things…
This episode is brought to you by:
• Shopify (shopify.com/tim) global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/tim (shopify.com/tim)
• Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 (eightsleep.com/tim) sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim (eightsleep.com/tim)
• AG1 (drinkag1.com/tim) all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim (drinkag1.com/tim)
• 5-Bullet Friday (go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/?utm_source=timb…), my very own free email newsletter: tim.blog/friday
Timestamps:
• [00:00:00] Start.
• [00:03:12] As David once told Chase Jarvis: "Your mind is made for having ideas, not for holding ideas." What did he mean by this?
• [00:06:06] What are the first questions and exercises David presents when he begins coaching high-functioning but overwhelmed people?
• [00:08:28] What are the consequences of breaking an agreement with yourself, why are you most likely to break such an agreement, and what are your options for recovering from a broken agreement?
• [00:11:35] David's best tips for renegotiating an agreement when the need arises.
• [00:17:01] Where does David keep his backlog?
• [00:18:25] What are the pros and cons of keeping track of information in digital versus analog format?
• [00:20:00] As a teenager, what did David want to be when he grew up?
• [00:24:08] What did David's college and career path look like, and how did it steer him toward understanding models for navigating life's complexities?
• [00:25:48] What David can piece together from Berkeley, 1968 and the long list of careers that followed — leading to the formation of the principles detailed in GTD.
• [00:30:32] What mentors does David credit as being instrumental in his creation of GTD?
• [00:33:09] What are next action decisions, and how do they differ from what people generally put on their to-do lists?
• [00:36:24] The capture list, the two-minute rule, and emptying the in-basket.
• [00:37:22] Top-down versus bottom-up systems and understanding the hierarchy of priorities.
• [00:43:02] What led to the Allens' relocation to Amsterdam, and what quality of life improvements have he and his wife noticed since moving there?
• [00:48:29] How long did it take for the Allens to go from thinking about the possibility of moving from Ojai to Amsterdam to actually going through with it?
• [00:50:50] What does David consider his most fruitful — though seemingly counterintuitive — life decision?
• [00:55:34] One of David's mentors in Berkeley claimed to have extra-sensory abilities. Did David ever experience evidence of this in person?
• [00:56:58] David shares a particularly difficult period of time in his life, what led to it, and what happened in its aftermath.
• [01:01:21] What does the word "spiritual" mean to David?
• [01:02:14] What does David's meditation practice look like these days — and what does he recommend for someone who wants to start meditating?
• [01:02:58] What was David's biggest takeaway from the time he spent in a mental institution?
• [01:04:05] Does David ever feel overwhelmed or unfocused? If so, how does he deal with it?
• [01:05:02] Are there any new beliefs, behaviors, or habits that have materially improved David's life in the last handful of years?
• [01:06:19] Books (aside from his own) that David has gifted or recommended most to others.
• [01:07:13] What are David's bedtime and morning routines, and how much sleep does he get every night?
• [01:08:48] Is there anything about GTD David wishes more adherents would heed? Does anything important get commonly missed?
• [01:10:25] What are the steps of the GTD weekly review? Does David recommend doing it at any particular day or time?
• [01:12:40] Are there certain categories of things to which David simply says "No" as a default?
• [01:14:00] How does David filter unpleasant people out of his life?
• [01:14:52] Why GTD is intended as a force for freedom and creativity, not a yawnworthy paean to rigid structure — as Brad Keywell, Howard Stern, Will Smith, and Robert Downey, Jr. can testify.
• [01:18:58] Is the GTD weekly review inherently a solo process, or can it involve someone's group, staff, or family?
• [01:19:38] What does David use to organize his email?
• [01:20:58] Does David use any particular app or program for pulling material like articles or references from the Web?
• [01:22:13] Are there any quotes by which David tries to live his life?
• [01:22:48] What would David's billboard say?
• [01:23:16] Does David still have hope that people will do something with the space created by GTD to answer life's bigger questions?
• [01:25:35] Parting thoughts.

*
For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show (tim.blog/podcast), please visit tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_m….
For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show (tim.blog/podcast), please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors
Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday (go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1).
For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.
Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.
Follow Tim:
Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss
Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss
YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss
Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss (facebook.com/TimFerriss)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss
See Privacy Policy at art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.