How To Get Things Done!

Turn overwhelming projects into manageable actions.

Projects like, “get popular,” or “stop sucking at life,” are too vague and daunting. Even more specific stuff like, “book a vacation,” doesn’t have a clear enough first step. So break down each project into micro-steps, (i.e.: call your ex-roommate to see if you left your inflatable Shamu pool floater at her house to prepare for vacation), so that progress will actually be made. This might seem like a no brainer, but even in the last week, as I’ve employed this tactic in the massive project of recording an album, I’ve actually made some viable progress. I guess human beings enjoy some symbol of progress, and these “actionable” and “finishable” steps play into that satisfaction.

Baby steps are key.

Consider time and energy-level when taking on an action.

This is a pretty helpful way to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed, or start something that isn’t possible to finish. This whole book is based upon the principle of making progress with minimal stress, which I think is a pretty cool paradigm. If you’re tired or rushed, it’s better to do something easy or quick, instead of causing more stress by failing to complete a more difficult task.

Tackle big projects when energized.

If it takes less than two minutes, just do it.

Gross, the trash reeks of banana peels and baked beans again, and you have to book your shuttle to the airport, and ohmygod, is that dog pee on your feather blanket? Even though these little nuisances can seem like a huge waste of time, they could easily be eliminated with a couple minutes of quick-fix action. Sometimes, the tiny stuff builds and becomes surprisingly present and stressful in our mental peripherals, so it’s a good idea to be in the habit of just instinctively getting the quick chores out of the way, without spending too much time deliberating. I wasn’t sure if I felt proud or gullible when I actually found myself unloading the dishwasher simply because of reading this book. But before I could decide, the dishes were all put away!

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You are gonna look sooo good holding this book.

Get serious about your inbox.

David Allen sure loves his inbox. He uses it as a repository for any and everything that needs action. Kind of like an anachronistic Blackberry. Need milk? write it down and throw it in your box. Need to call your friend to apologize for doing that freestyle rap at her wedding reception? Toss a note in the box! My favorite part of the box? You just have to do it in whichever order presents itself. No putting off the dreaded phone call to tell your landlord that you spilled a gallon of teal paint on the new carpet. Just get it done, or at least delegate or calendar the next step.

Checklists are baby stuff.

God, this baby is never going to succeed.

Buy 3 file cabinets, 17 file folders, and kiss your label maker every night

This is where the GTD master, David Allen loses me. About ¾ in, Allen begins stressing the need for some ultra-specific office set-up, which includes a certain type of file folder, a label maker, and lots of paper. Paper? Seriously? Do people still use that stuff? While he doesn’t seem to be a luddite by any means, Allen’s approach isn’t exactly on the cutting edge of technology either.

I’m also the type of person who likes to understand things conceptually, then figure out my own way of executing these ideas in my personal microcosmic landscape. I understand why the author might have been compelled to share his suggestions, but that was the part I had to skim to avoid getting hives. And maybe that’s why I’m such a rich and successful household name.

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I prefer to organize, Lisa Frank style.

Don’t forget your breakfast meeting at the Chamber Of Commerce.

Or Billy’s t-ball game, or Helen’s pearl necklace resizing, or any of the other example tasks that David Allen likes to flash around in his book. I have to say that these examples were actually more hilarious than they were a turn-off.