David Allen

Getting Things Done

1. IDEA 1

   Get everything out of your head

   Allen argues that the mind is good at having ideas but poor at holding reminders. He suggests capturing every task, idea and commitment into a trusted system outside your head, so your mind can relax and focus on the work in front of you.

2. IDEA 2

   Open loops drain your attention

   An open loop is anything you have agreed to do but have not finished or decided about. Allen explains that these unfinished items keep tugging at the mind, causing stress until they are either done, dropped or recorded in a reliable system.

3. IDEA 3

   Clarify the next action

   For each captured item, Allen asks two questions: is it actionable, and if so, what is the very next physical step? Defining the next action, such as phoning someone or drafting an outline, turns vague worries into things you can actually do.

All 8 ideas from Getting Things Done →