Why do you do GTD?

K

kelstarrising

Kelly | GTD expert
We just posted a new article from Coach Danny Bader that I thought you may want to discuss. It's about "Why do you do GTD?"

https://secure.davidco.com/connect/coachs_connection.php

Questions to consider:

- What’s your purpose for doing GTD?
- You don’t want all of that "stuff" on your desk? Yes, but why?
- You want to be able to find things when you need them? Yes, but why?
- You know you are in the prime years of your earning potential and you don’t want to miss them? Yes, but why?
- You want to be able to leave work at work? You want to be able to “turn it off”? Yes, but why?
 
There must be an easier way ...

I had this question swimming around the back of my brain during college and early in my professional career.

I happened to attend an in-house seminar with David and when he presented the outcome and next action thinking my immediate reaction was, "That's it!".

I had my answer.

- Mark
 
Sometimes I tend to be too relaxed...

Danny wrote:
GTD allows me to be more relaxed and focused with regards to life, and to get more done in with less effort.
Click to expand...

In my case it is somehow opposite: Sometimes I tend to be too relaxed (you know - if it's windy I'm windsurfing, if it's not windy I'm running) but GTD let me ask the following question:

Is it OK to relax now or should I do something more important. After answering this question I can windsurf or run without any stress or... do something more important.
 
Right on TesTeq--I'm at the beach in NJ for the weekend--took a little run along the bay this morning about 6:30 am, and praying for a little East Coast surf. Trust me, there are many times I "walk away from GTD" to do something that was nowhere near my lists/calendar...that's the beauty.

Love the Churchill quote we use in our work:

"For the first twenty-five years of my life,
I wanted freedom.

For the next twenty-five years,
I wanted order.

For the next twenty-five years,
I realized that order is freedom."

- Winston Churchill

Be well and have a great weekend.
 
I'm sure I could generate a list of concrete reasons, but at the end of the day the real answer is that I do GTD for the same reasons I run -- I feel better, I'm happier, and I'm more productive when I do GTD than I am when I don't.

--Marc
 
I ran across GTD when David Allen taught our in house implementation of Time Design. I use GTD because it has some amazingly simple yet powerful tools:

--Writing down all to dos
--Approach to processing e.g. is it actionable?
-Waiting for list
--Agendas.

and can easily be customized to fit your needs.
 
Great question

I "do GTD" so I can actually HAVE a life--a full life--and not just be a victim of whatever the world throws at me.

I once ended a weekly review by asking the question, "what system would I use if I weren't using GTD?" I honestly couldn't think of my life without it.
 
Great point. I sometimes think back to what I did to manage workflow in my previous role with a large credit card bank--not such good thoughts. People ask me if I ever leave the David Allen company, will I still do GTD. Absolutely.
 
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