Initial Thoughts on Making It All Work

Brent

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Bought a copy of Making It All Work at my local Border's yesterday; they had 4 copies.

I'm about halfway through. If you've seen interviews with David Allen, you've seen him chat about how the various elements of GTD work together. This book is like having him sit down with you and chat like that for about 4 hours about every aspect of GTD.

In one sense, there's nothing new here about the "system" of GTD. No new workflow steps or a 60,000-foot level, though he does rename "Review" to the deeper term "Reflect." However, he dives into much greater detail than in other books about everything; why we need to capture separately from processing, the importance of the Weekly Review, etc.

There are several deeper revelations, such as the idea that being organized means everything in its most effective place for you. This means that someone with a heavyweight, hard-to-update-and-access system is just as disorganized as someone with paperwork scattered all over the house.

Many of the questions we receive on this forum are from folks who read Getting Things Done and appreciate it, but don't understand why it works, and what each element does for them. That confusion creates internal resistance to using the system. Making It All Work will answer many of those questions.

A sample:

Usually things remain disorganized when people don't confront their meaning. To actually decide what you're going to do with or about something demands that you deal with how you relate to its content, your agreement about it, and how it fits into the rest of your world.
 

GTDWorks

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I picked up my copy yesterday and will read it on New Year's Day.

I'm in about 25 pages and am finding it insightful, very "Davidque" in it's style, and a meaningful deeper dig into GTD from the guy who has seen and heard it all but still finds GTD refreshing and essential to his own pursuit of "mind like water". I'm getting a lot out of the emphasis on control and perspective and the value of each in "doing" GTD well.

I skipped ahead early this morning and saw some great stuff on the Horizons of Focus!!
 

mbolick

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Very Disappointed no simultaneous Audio release

I am disappointed that DA didn't release an audio version at the same time as the written version. Some of us have very long commutes and this would have been a nice feature.

<
michael
 

mcogilvie

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mbolick;63033 said:
I am disappointed that DA didn't release an audio version at the same time as the written version.

I hope everyone realizes that the publisher controls the roll-out of a new book and associated audio.
 

jhitchin

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I saw the book in my local Boders on the 23rd, oddly enough. I didn't buy it until the 30th when it came available for my eReader as I tend to do most of my reading on my eReader now.

I'm reading it in pieces, so I have no first impressions yet.

Jeff
 
I’m very disappointed. I couldn’t finish reading.

I don’t know if it’s me or the book, but as I’m reading I keep on thinking, “I know, I know…” and waiting for some new aha moment. But it never came.

Maybe I could listen to it on audio book, but reading, I just can’t. My eyes just keep on skimming through stuff I know I’ve heard plenty of times before.

Maybe a good review from any of the folks here could inspire me to finish the book.
 

Brent

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I've finished the book. The last 1/3 concerns the Horizons of Focus, describing their purpose and inter-relationships in much more detail.

This was very useful. I haven't implemented the Horizons of Focus consistently, and this explained their importance and how they impact the lower levels of the system.

The book is also a good challenge to make sure your system is complete. Implementing parts of GTD will help anyone, but ensuring that you're capturing and addressing your long-term vision and goals, and that they're consistent with your principles, as well as dealing with everyday stuff, unlocks exponentially larger amounts of potential.

corallingyourstuff: Why do you think this book is supposed to give you new "Aha" moments? If you're not getting any, that's fantastic! It means you know GTD incredibly well.
 

jesig

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Thanks for the thoughtful review, Brent. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy this weekend to gear up for the spring semester.
 

dschaffner

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Brent;63062 said:
This was very useful. I haven't implemented the Horizons of Focus consistently, and this explained their importance and how they impact the lower levels of the system.

Brett,

Thanks for your mini-review. My copy arrived yesterday, and it's ready and queued up on my nightstand :)

It jumped the queue on all the other holiday book presents. I can't wait!

- Don
 
Brent;63062 said:
corallingyourstuff: Why do you think this book is supposed to give you new "Aha" moments? If you're not getting any, that's fantastic! It means you know GTD incredibly well.

I'm not sure, maybe because it's a new book so I thought it'll have something new?

Lol I wouldn't say that. Listened to GTD Fast hundreds of times maybe, but far from knowing GTD incredibly well.

Thanks for your review. I'll read the book again.
 

jerendeb

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It's all tied together now

I've always appreciated Covey's 7 Habits. I've always tried to implement GTD. When I 'fell of the wagon' I wondered about 7 Habits. But then GTD had me so down there in the details; it just didn't make sense because of my own inconsistencies and conflicts.

Well this morning the mystery was revealed in Making It All Work. I believe David effectively described how Next Actions are aligned with Purpose, Mission, Values & Principles. What struck me is that I'll rarely procrastinate or falter too long if I keep my focus on all my horizons and because of the way I think it's very right brained too me and I am now capable of gaining insight into my behaviors and how they are dictated by moods - when I am out of line with my values/principles/mission written and revealed or not, they are core and it's my 'duty' to see what I am all about. Even if some of my behaviors aren't the greatest in regard to manipulation and deviation, if I examine my motives from the horizon of principles and values I will certainly find reasons for my decisions. Having done so, I can now reason with my reason and find alternatives that are more straightforward. The risk is living with what I see about myself and accepting it first and moving on toward higher more sophiticated insight filled means of accomplishing what I am trying to achieve.

It's like my ultimate purpose will be my epitaph. Now when I recall reading the 7 habits for the first time on October of 1990, I can see the value of imagining my funeral and as Covey or somebody said, 'no one on their deathbed wished they spent more time at the office!'

Oh & I'm not finished yet either.
 

Brent

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jerendeb;74621 said:
I can see the value of imagining my funeral and as Covey or somebody said, 'no one on their deathbed wished they spent more time at the office!'

Just to throw a monkey wrench in the works, some do. :) The creator of Japanese manga and anime, Osamu Tezuka, was an amazingly prolific creator; he produced hundreds of thousands of pages of manga and many hours of animation. It's said that his last words were, "Please, just let me get back to my work!"

Then again, he was pursuing his passion, so work was how he found meaning.

May it be so for us all.
 

jerendeb

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Excellant retort...(above)

"he was pursuing his passion, so work was how he found meaning."

...for me in this stage of my life, my passion is in finding my passion, however I'm sure it'll find me first or else.

Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.
-Stephen King.
 

matsuru

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wow!

Wow~! looking back at this thread reminds me that it has been a year since MIAW! how time flies.:D
 
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