Getting Things Done

The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

By: David Allen, James Fallows - introduction

Narrated by: David Allen

The book Lifehack calls "The Bible of business and personal productivity."

"A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'"—Fast Company

Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots.

Allen has rewritten the book from start to finish, tweaking his classic text with important perspectives on the new workplace, and adding material that will make the book fresh and relevant for years to come. This new edition of Getting Things Done will be welcomed not only by its hundreds of thousands of existing fans but also by a whole new generation eager to adopt its proven principles.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of charts and resources from the book.

Critic reviews

“I am a devout, card-carrying GTD true believer. . . . The entire approach has boosted not only my productivity but also my wider well-being. But what amazes me just as much is how deeply GTD has taken hold around the world. . . . This is a genuine movement.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive

“Getting Things Done offers help building the new mental skills needed in an age of multitasking and overload.”
—Sue Shellenbarger, The Wall Street Journal

“I recently attended David’s seminar on getting organized, and after seeing him in action I have hope. . . . David Allen’s seminar was an eye-opener.”
—Stewart Alsop, Fortune

“Allen drops down from high-level philosophizing to the fine details of time management. Take a minute to check this one out.”
—Mark Henricks, Entrepreneur

“David Allen’s productivity principles are rooted in big ideas . . . but they’re also eminently practical.”
—Keith H. Hammonds, Fast Company

“David Allen brings new clarity to the power of purpose, the essential nature of relaxation, and deceptively simple guidelines for getting things done. He employs extensive experience, personal stories, and his own recipe for simplicity, speed, and fun.”
—Frances Hesselbein, chairman, board of governors, Leader to Leader Institute

“Anyone who reads this book can apply this knowledge and these skills in their lives for immediate results.”
—Stephen P. Magee, chaired professor of business and economics, University of Texas at Austin

“A true skeptic of most management fixes, I have to say David’s program is a winner!”
—Joline Godfrey, CEO, Independent Means, Inc., and author of Our Wildest Dreams

“Getting Things Done describes an incredibly practical process that can help busy people regain control of their lives. It can help you be more successful. Even more important, it can help you have a happier life!”
—Marshall Goldsmith, coeditor, The Leader of the Future and Coaching for Leadership

“WARNING: Reading Getting Things Done can be hazardous to your old habits of procrastination. David Allen’s approach is refreshingly simple and intuitive. He provides the systems, tools, and tips to achieve profound results.”
—Carola Endicott, director, Quality Resources, New England Medical Center

Will relisten!

Love the fact that it's the author himself reading his book. Totally enjoyed and will relisten!

Lifesaver

Essential listening for everyone who wants to control his/her life instead of being controlled by his/her life

Liberating

More than what I’d hoped I would have to do but less than what I feared. It is doable. And it’s liberating.

Best Personal Productivity System

I’ve been reading GTD every year in January using a physical copy I own as a system refresher before I plan the year and this year I fell into the trap of being too busy (!) with a flurry of annual reviews and seemingly endless business travel. As David infers that is one of the ways GTDers fall off the wagon as well as the inverse, the one time when real proponents utilize the system to really thrive.

I finally made time for it via Audible in April and loved David Allen’s narration.

This is a great book for folks that are busy and want to take a deep dive into all the details or simple pick up a couple tips and tricks. At barely over 300pp or about 8 hours listen at 1.5x, it’s an easy and quick read. As David indicates the best is to read chapters 1-5, pause and do an inventory of tasks/actions and projects, then read chapters 6&7 and follow that with most of the remaining steps of setting up your system.

Upon first read I implemented the two minute rule and the context specific lists, later I adapted the whole system to great effect.

Solid and life transforming Information

There is a lot here! All of it is equally life changing. I will definitely need to listen to this multiple times, but it is definitely worth every minute you put into learning these methods. This is solid information that will help you get organized and change your lifestyle to never be unorganized or overwhelmed again. I definitely recommend this book.