5 Amazing Mac Apps for Getting Things Done (Plus a Custom-Rigged Setup)

The ideal for anyone interested in Getting Things Done (more on GTD, and more)– or just being productive and organized, for that matter — is to be able to quickly add things to your to-do lists without interrupting your work; to be able to see what you need to do right now, without worrying about everything else; to be able to organize stuff without too much work.

And of course, GTD fans like tools that are just cool. Read more »

GTD for Bloggers; Mistakes Freelancers Make; and Losing 50 Pounds a Year

I thought I’d share some of my articles that have been published on other blogs, in case you’re interested:

• Web Worker Daily: GTD for Bloggers - The Art of Stress-free Blogging
• Dumb Little Man: Easy (and Sexy) Ways to Lose 50 Pounds a Year
• FreelanceSwitch: The 10 Biggest Mistakes Freelancers Make, and How to Avoid Them
• FreelanceSwitch: 10 Easy Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Day
• Web Worker Daily: Get to the Bottom of Your To-do List by Making It Tiny Read more »

  GTD for Bloggers; Mistakes Freelancers Make; and Losing 50 Pounds a Year

  I thought I’d share some of my articles that have been published on other blogs, in case you’re interested:

  • Web Worker Daily: GTD for Bloggers - The Art of Stress-free Blogging
  • Dumb Little Man: Easy (and Sexy) Ways to Lose 50 Pounds a Year
  • FreelanceSwitch: The 10 Biggest Mistakes Freelancers Make, and How to Avoid Them
  • FreelanceSwitch: 10 Easy Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Day
  • Web Worker Daily: Get to the Bottom of Your To-do List by Making It Tiny

  • Posted on 29 August 2007 in GTD, Links  |  
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Simplifying David Allen’s Complicated GTD Setup

Every Monday is Productivity & Organization Day at Zen Habits.

Take a look at the setup on the right. It was published in a recent CNNMoney article on David Allen and GTD, and it outlines The David’s GTD setup.

It’s way too complicated.

That’s just my opinion, of course, but the master of GTD is a living example of how GTD is a great system that has great concepts, but can get way too tool-heavy and complicated when implemented.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

There’s no reason GTD has to be so complicated. I’ve written about this topic before, of course, but I thought I’d use the graphic here as an illustration of complications, and how it can be simplified.

Let’s do a David Allen vs. Leo Babauta comparison:

David’s Tools

• A five-tray desktop inbox
• A laptop with USB hub for iPod, camera, cell phone, labeler, digital recorder, external hard drive
• Palm Treo organizer and cell phone
• Lotus Notes software for all GTD stuff and email; Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Two-drawer file cabinet
• Briefcase
• 5 plastic travel file folders
• Desktop organizer

Read more »

Optimize Your Productivity with Daily, Weekly Routines

Every Monday is Productivity & Organization Day at Zen Habits. Recently I posted my new twist on the excellent GTD system, Zen To Done (ZTD): The Ultimate Simple Productivity System. This is the ninth in a series of posts exploring each of the 10 Habits.

One major thing missing from GTD is structure — I think David Allen did this on purpose, to achieve more of a “mind like water” state where you are Ready for Anything. You are fluid in your movements, and respond to anything that comes your way.

But while this is a good thing for people like The David, it can be a bit too chaotic for others.

Hence Zen To Done’s Habit 9: Create weekly and daily routines. This habit creates the structure missing from GTD, giving your day and your week a more ordered and calm feeling. Read more »

The Getting Things Done (GTD) FAQ

Every Monday is Productivity & Organization Day at Zen Habits.

I get a lot of email about Getting Things Done (GTD), mostly from people just starting out who have various questions about implementation, starting out, or sticking to the system. I thought I’d start a FAQ to help those with similar questions.

Now, let me first say that this is not a complete FAQ, but I’ve taken some of the most common questions. I’d like you guys to help out by submitting other questions that I can add to the list when I update it.

Let me also say that I am not the absolute authority on GTD — I am but one blogger, one practitioner, and I am just sharing what I’ve learned from experience and reading other sites. But I hope it’s of some use! Read more »