Today I read Getting Things Done by David Allen. Published in 2001, Gettings Things Done (GTD) is a classic among modern business / self-help books. Although I only gave it the speed read I typically give this style of books, I enjoyed GTD and found it worth its widespread acclaim.
GTD is all about organizing your life so that it is less stressful and more productive. GTD details how to organize all your stuff, turning your various inputs (emails, mail, thoughts, conversations) into usable parts that you can organize and structure in order to better attack and carry out your life’s projects. In addition to all the stuff, Allen addresses how to organize one’s projects so that your actions best help you carry out the big-picture goals of the project.
As with most books of this style the first third is good content, the second third helps detail that content, and the final third reinforces the importance of using that content. However basic Allen’s advice may be, it is useful for all persons to revisit. When I had less responsibilities in my prior role with my current employer, I think I was able to get by with bad habits and those bad habits have been reinforced. I’m struggling to succeed by using those bad habits with a larger role. Time to put these new tips into practice!