Parker Quality Consultants

GTD is shorthand for Getting Things Done, a systematic approach to achieving higher productivity and reducing the stress in you life.

The approach was first explained in David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” and there’s no better first step than getting his book and then working systematically through it.

However, here’s a simple guide to his five step process:

1. COLLECT everything that has your attention
2. PROCESS what has your attention to define what each means to you, what outcome you want to achieve and the next physical action you need to take to move it forward.
3. ORGANISE reminders in an appropriate way so that you’re reminded what needs to get done, when and where you need to be reminded.
4. REVIEW your whole system on a regular basis (at least weekly) to keep it current.
5. DO the next physical actions you’ve processed and organised, according to the context, time and energy available, and priority.

To get started you’ll need to:

• Set aside the time (particularly for the initial COLLECT phase) – a couple of hours should get you well on your way.
• Set up the space – a nice clear area, desk, kitchen table, the bench at the bottom of the garden or even a corner down your local coffee shop!
• Get the tools you need – you don’t need any sophisticated software or other expensive tools – just pen and paper.
• Get everything else out of the way – make sure you’ve got no interruptions!

Intrigued? Then stay tuned for next episode of how to get your life back!