Getting Things Done - Streamlined

From the latest issue of the wonderful Wired magazine, a profile on Getting Things Done author David Allen. It covers not only his "colorful" background but includes a bare bones version of the complex organizing system, very helpful for those who are too bogged down in "stuff" to get through the book right now.

Getting Things Done: Yes, You Can!

How many times have you heard people say "I can't get anything done!" or "There just aren't enough hours in the day"? Productivity expert David Allen has plenty of ideas on how to wade through the stacks of paper and other seemingly endless time-wasters we all face, and his best-selling book, Getting Things Done (Penguin Putnam, 2001) lays them all out, clearly and succinctly.

His website (linked above) is another good place to start, especially since the book can be a bit daunting on first read. But Allen's method can be distilled into a fairly simple notion: get tasks off your mind by putting them on paper (or on a computer or whatever works for you). Not on dozens of Post-Its, napkins and whatever's handy to write on, but in one place so they cannot "get lost." Once all the ideas swarming in your head are recorded in a safe place, stress levels drop, increasing memory and creativity, and accomplishing goals becomes easier. And if you read yesterday's post, you know that working toward a purpose, having and achieving goals and "getting things done" appears to minimize the risk of developing Alzheimer's, a very worthwhile goal in and of itself.

Organized, Accomplished People Have Lower Risk of Alzheimer's

Having trouble getting things done? Feeling frustrated by that long to-do list? Can't even find the long to-do list? If these situations sound familiar, take heed -- MSNBC/Newsweek reports that researchers at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center have found that people who are task-driven, goal-oriented and conscientiously follow through on their plans have a significantly lower risk of being affected by Alzheimer's disease. So although autopsies showed that many of the study participants had changes in the brain identified as Alzheimer's, they were less likely to show symptoms of the disease.

If photograph above could have been shot in your own house, don't despair! There are loads of great organizing tools available, including software, books and even twelve-step organizations, like Clutters Anonymous.

If you decide to pursue a more organized life, tune in tomorrow, when we look at the work of David Allen, one of the leading gurus in the field, and author of the mega-best-seller, Getting Things Done (Penguin Putnam, 2001).