Book versus seminar?

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I have the opportunity to attend a 2 day GTD seminar with David presenting; as well, I have just bought his book. Money is an issue right now, so I am in conflict about attending the seminar - solely due to the cost. I would love to hear your insights about those of you who have implemented GTD with/without attending a seminar.
thanks!
kirsten
 
It's a great investment if you can swing it

There is nothing that can compare with the seminar experience. It stands out as one of the best things I have ever done for myself. That havng been said, if you can not swing it right away, I strongly recommend you spend the money to acquire the Getting Things Done Fast CD set. It is absolutely the next best thing to attending a seminar. You get a real sense of the energy and insights that the seminar delivers.

I hope you can find a way to get to the seminar. If not right now, then sometime soon.
 
For the same reason $$$$ I have not yet have the oportunity to assist to a seminar, is in my 20k list, but I have not yet be able to made it.

Recently got the GTD Fast! cds, are expensive (100$) but if you ask me they are tottaly worth... I have the books, the audiobooks, but the feeling this creates is different.

If at this moment money is an issue, added to your 20K list or your Someday Maybe LIst (in my case is in my 20k because I know is a goal i will not been able to acomplish in the short run, more likely in a year or two)

Get the GTD fast since is really good.
 
See the master in action

I think you should attend the seminar.

My reasons are
1. You can never get a hang of the methodology only by reading the book once or twice (I have read it at least 4-5 times and still...)
2. When you see the master in action and see the way he does his work, he organizes his stuff, you will get a clear picture of the methodology the fastest way and you will be able to implement it fast and flawlessly (at least as compared to the guys who implement by just reading the book).

The second best thing to do is to buy the FAST CDs. They give you a real feel of the seminar. But then there are lots of times in the audio that you feel that a visual would have been very helpful.

Well, I for one am waiting for the GTD Video to come out...

AA
 
Seminar in East Europe.

The seminar is nearly unreachable for us - East Europeans. One would have to synchronize his business trip to the USA with David's schedule or travel to San Francisco or LA to attend the seminar only. The cost of travel is much higher than the seminar fee.
So maybe David will come to us.
WE INVITE YOU and promise not to require your fingerprints!
TesTeq
 
Re: See the master in action

Ashok Atluri said:
Well, I for one am waiting for the GTD Video to come out...

AA
Click to expand...

I agree - a DVD of David Allen "in concert" is a natural winner. I'd buy it in a second!
 
I've only read the book, so I can't comment on the CDs or seminar.

If money is an issue, I'd recommend FIRST investing in a good filing cabinet and other filing supplies. I didn't really get far with GTD until I got my filing cabinet and organized my reference materials.

Much as I'd love to go to a seminar someday, I'm pretty comfortable getting information from books, and would far rather spend my listening time on the news or a book I haven't read.

A filing cabinet was a far higher return for my $115.
 
student:
We all have different ways of absorbing info & implementing ideas, and it is within that context that I pose this question.

Since you haven't experienced the CD or seminar, upon what basis do you draw the conclusion that the alternative is a better investment since you have no standard of comparison?
 
spectec,

I guess I wasn't clear.

I wasn't at all dissing the seminar or the CDs. In fact, I said that since I'd only read the book, I couldn't comment on the seminar or CDs. I'd LOVE to go to one of DA's seminars, based on Fallow's article, reading the book, and on the rave reviews here.

I'd also like to listen to the CDs, again based on reviews here.

I mentioned that I'm comfortable getting information from books precisely because I know people have different preferences. For something fairly technical like the details of GTD, I need to have the book in my hands and be able to flip around a good deal to reread and find what I need. Others might prefer audio, and most people would probably benefit from both.

As grad student for whom money is also an issue, I was responding mainly to that. I found the book to be adequate, and a filing cabinet to be essential (though I didn't fully appreciate how essential until after I got one.) If, due to money, someone had to choose between the book and the CDs OR the book and a good filing cabinet, I'd recommend the latter. If the poster can manage to afford the seminar, that's terriffic, but he'd better budget for the physical organizational tools as well!

That's just the opinion one impecunious grad student. Fortunately, there are plenty of others to weigh in.
 
oops, forgot to log in. That was me above.

Also, apologies to Kirsten...You'd think as a female I'd be more sensitive to gender pronouns, but I mostly default to "he" without thinking.

Good luck!
 
student

You are absolutely right when you say that the book is the most convenient thing to own for implementing GTD methodology - I would add it is the most important thing to own. I have CDs; but no 'standard' to compare the seminars as I have not attended them; but as reference material it is the book that is hard to beat. The essence of the seminar would also have to be captured in some form - what can be better than the book! So the book is the basic material for GTD methodology. In fact, there are lots of things 'extra' in the books that I didn't hear in the CDs and am sure would be missing in the seminars too. (To be fair there were some ideas in the CDs which are not there in the book).

And your investment in the filing cabinet instead of CDs is also laudable (was it a difficult choice) because most of us are so stuck on the philosophy that we tend to be weak in implementation. Congrats.

AA

'The end of reading is not more books but more life' Holbrook Jackson
 
Ashok Atluri said:
student

You are absolutely right when you say that the book is the most convenient thing to own for implementing GTD methodology - I would add it is the most important thing to own. I have CDs; but no 'standard' to compare the seminars as I have not attended them; but as reference material it is the book that is hard to beat. The essence of the seminar would also have to be captured in some form - what can be better than the book! So the book is the basic material for GTD methodology.

...

And your investment in the filing cabinet instead of CDs is also laudable (was it a difficult choice) because most of us are so stuck on the philosophy that we tend to be weak in implementation. Congrats.
Click to expand...

I want to second this. I started with the book, using the in Germany normally used ring binders. After a short while i was convinced, that GTD is a useful method which justifies further investments. So i bought a filing cabinet and labeling equipment. These measures used in GTD-context delivered a great enhancement in productivity.

Yours
Alexander
 
thank you

I appreciate all of your insights, and I am glad to hear that some have had good success implementing the system with the book alone. I do hope to go to the seminar in the future, but have decided to follow the model above - implement and add better elements as I go along (which would obviously in the future include the seminar!). I wish money weren't an issue here, but it is, for most of us right?

Thanks again,
kirsten
 
Re: thank you

kirsten said:
I appreciate all of your insights, and I am glad to hear that some have had good success implementing the system with the book alone. I do hope to go to the seminar in the future, but have decided to follow the model above - implement and add better elements as I go along (which would obviously in the future include the seminar!).
Click to expand...

To aid our efforts to get "GTD"ed we have established a circle of colleagues in our office. Here we discuss about best practices and hints. This is a good endorsement for our work. I recommend this very much.

kirsten said:
I wish money weren't an issue here, but it is, for most of us right?
Click to expand...

Right! Of Course.
But where and what would we be if we had no wishes anymore?

Yours
Alexander
 
student:
Quite a cogent explanation, and you were right in emphasizing that application is the key. How many of us have ever read or heard great ideas and then failed to take the first application step so they died.

Ashok also brought out a salient point - there is info in the book not on the CD, as well as info on the CD not in the book. As Dave says on the CD, applying GTD is like peeling an onion - every time you get through a layer you find there's more.

Which brings me to a point I made on another topic. This BB is a great implementation tool, because it's helpful to hear how others are doing, gain fresh insignts, and to know that there's a community of like-minded people trying to get better at this.
 
another thought on the GTD "vehicle":

I think it's hard for one person to compare book, CD, seminar, etc., because you're always influenced by what you read/hear first. The first explanation you hear of GTD colors and informs all future exposures.

In my case, I first heard of GTD from Mr. Fallow's article in the Atlantic. After reading it, I went out and bought the book within days--I just had to try it. And because GTD already had some credibility with me just from reading that article, I was more receptive to it than I would have been if I had just picked it up while browsing in a bookstore or library.

I'm sure that when (being optimistic here) I go to a seminar, I will learn new things and be inspired to implement some of them, but it will never be quite the same as my first (imperfect) steps.

I'm sure knowing someone who uses it would also have it's effects, positive and/or negative.
 
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