Learn how to stay organised and get things done – from David Allen

Posted on: January 22, 2023

Post Category: Book Notes

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David Allen’s ‘Getting Things Done’ is a book that has helped people become more organised, supporting the work of many authors who write about focus and productivity.

The book has helped me manage my life and think more creatively, without too much stress.

Here are 5 key takeaways from the book that will help you become organised and achieve your goals:

1. Your mind is for having thoughts, not remembering them.

Any piece of work you have in mind, that requires completion or clarification, will create pressure and impede your ability to think clearly and creatively. This also applies to tasks you “should” or “could” do.

To think more clearly, externalise those thoughts. Use an external system to keep track of and manage all of your commitments, projects and tasks. This will free up cognitive load for deeper focus and creative thinking.

Keeping track of things puts a burden on our mental processes. Having a system that does the remembering and tracking for us helps us achieve a calm ‘mind like water’ state.

2. Master your workflow using five steps: capture, clarify, organise, reflect, engage

An effective organisational system is one that captures most of the important things that we have to do.

The five steps of mastering workflow are to:

• Capture everything on your mind that is pulling your attention, including tasks, decisions you need to make, and things you “should” or “could” do. You can do this using physical or digital notes.
• Clarify the items. Items can fall into two categories: actionable (meaning that there are actions you need to take to resolve them) and non-actionable.
  • If it is actionable, ask yourself: What are the next steps I need to take to arrive at the outcome I want? And for each of these next-steps, ask yourself: Should I do it now, delegate it (i.e., have someone else do it) or defer it (i.e., do it at some set time in the future)?
  • If it is non-actionable, ask yourself: Can I put it in the trash or do I need to save it somewhere so I can refer to it later?
• Organise the items into a logical system of notes, lists and folders that can be referred to easily e.g., a next actions list, a calendar, project notes, reference folders, etc.
• Reflect at least once a week, by repeating the Capture and Clarify steps and updating your system of notes/lists/folders.
• Engage with your system and employ it at a deeper level. Identify your purpose and principles, vision, goals, areas of focus and accountabilities, and use those to capture projects and next-actions you could pursue.

3. For complex tasks, plan them using project and subproject notes.

An effective organisational system is one that helps us clearly identify the next steps of what we have to do.

Complex tasks (or “projects”) are tasks that require multiple action steps to reach the desired outcome. Some projects can be so complex that there are smaller “subprojects” involved.

When tackling a complex task, use project notes to identify the action steps that need to be taken to arrive at the desired outcome. Use subproject notes for smaller, more manageable projects that form part of a large project.

Supporting material, including links, ideas and files, needed for projects and subprojects should be made easily accessible.

4. Keep an inventory of creative project ideas and imaginings, using a Someday/Maybe list.

An effective organisational system is also one that allows you come back to ideas at a later stage, after they pop up in your head.

For projects you can not currently commit to, and creative ideas you hope to explore at a later stage, use a Someday/Maybe list that you can reference when you have spare time.

Items that could pop up in this list may include: gift ideas, weekend trip ideas, creative expressions to explore, organisations to join, and things to see and do.

5. Start with a deep audit and organise your workflow in a way that feels natural to you.

When employing the system for the first time, start with a deep audit:

• Capture. Set up a block of time and space where you can start mastering your workflow. Scan your surrounding physical and digital environment, including drawers, shelves and desktop files, and capture anything that does not permanently belong where it is. This will give you a stack of incomplete tasks or items.
• Clarify by identifying the next steps for each item.
• Organise the items and next-steps into your system. Your system could involve physical filing (i.e. writing on paper), digital filing or a mix of both. Here are some groupings you could employ in your system to segment your tasks and next-steps: a projects list, project support material, calendar actions/information, a Next Actions list, a Waiting For list, reference material, and a Someday/Maybe reference list.
• Reflect after a week of using the system, by reviewing and updating your system – calendars, lists, folders, etc.
• Engage by aligning the system with your vision, goals and focus areas. For example, you may employ the system for both the personal and professional aspects of your life.

The ultimate goal is to have an organisational system that is functional, fast and fun – easy to update and easy to add new folders/notes to – so use a system that feels the most natural to you.

And these were the 5 key takeaways!

For more key takeaways and other posts about personal/professional development, see more of my posts at jason-khu.com,  follow me on LinkedIn, or see the rest of my ‘Uni for students’ guide here.