Having a good set of tools and being clear how you want to use them are keys to an effective GTD practice. Join us for a conversation about the rules for your tools, including: Identifying roadblocks that lead to being repelled by your tools What to consider when choosing the tools for GTD Defining the features and functions that will impact your productivity Creating clear guidelines with your team about which tool for which purpose You can listen to, or watch this entire conversation...

In this brief recording, David Allen discusses how he answers the question he is often asked. "How do I set priorities?" -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from around the world in learning, sharing, and developing the skills for stress-free productivity. Sign up for a free guest pass Learn about membership options Knowing how to get the right things done is a key to success. It’s easy to...

Jukka Backman is a GTD trainer and coach, as well as the managing director for GTD in Finland. In this recording, he shares about the multifaceted value of writing things down. Jukka says, "There is definite power in writing things down. When externalized (from the mind) our perception of the things that took our attention, changes." He talks about the specifics of how to use a worry list, how to start or refine your use of the Mind Sweep, harnessing the power of your self-talk, and his use...

In another installment of their occasional chats, David and Dave talk about travel productivity, and paper versus digital. They also weave in discussion of the psychology and philosophy of GTD. You can listen to the entire conversation from March 2022 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from around the world in learning, sharing, and developing the skills for stress-free...

In another David Allen and Dave Edwards talk, David starts by asking Dave about his time at NPR and the current state of journalism. Then they move into a brief discussion of managing versus leading. Moving on to GTD, Dave asks David whether he does a larger than usual review at the beginning of the year, and David replies about what times of year and events in life prompt what kinds of reviewing. Dave says that moving every two years is a good way to limit how much stuff you keep. David...

David Allen talks with Jerry Michalski, for a look inside Jerry's brain, as documented by his extensive use of TheBrain. Over the years you may have heard David talk about his use of TheBrain. Jerry is one of the earliest adopters, and has tracked an astounding number of ideas and their interconnections. By using TheBrain, Jerry says it shifts him from system 1 thinking (fast) to system 2 thinking (slow). He describes the need for a fundamental shift from thinking of ourselves as consumers to...

Marcus Ramtohul is a musician, actor, model, husband, father, and . . . a GTD trainer! You'll hear him describe his move from a paper-based system to digital, as his life and responsibilities grew more complex in the last ten years. His creativity and humor shine through as he describes encouraging family and colleagues to adopt any of the GTD best practices. He talks about the subtlety of correctly defining next actions, assigning contexts, his customized contexts, and much more. You can...

David Allen, Eric Mack, and John Forrister continue their discussion about their software journey, from early years to their current use of the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. If you haven't heard the first part, you may want to watch or listen to that first, but it's not required. In this recording, they talk about the evolution of eProductivity and how much of its functionality is available in the Microsoft tools. Beyond that, it's a wide-ranging discussion of how to think about...

Melissa Garner has a big job as the Director of IT Governance, Policy & Strategy at the Oregon Department of Education. She also has a busy family life and makes time for her creative pursuits. In this interview, she talks about her longtime enthusiasm for GTD, and how she supports her staff to be their best. One of the highlights is her detailed walk-through of her GTD system in OneNote. You can listen to the entire conversation from November 2021 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one...

David Allen, Eric Mack, and John Forrister discuss their software journey, from early years to their current use of the Microsoft 365 suite of tools. A consistent theme is that it's not about the tool, but about bringing a productive mindset and habits to any tool. They discuss how the tools shape our behavior, and may or may not promote good GTD habits. The story starts in the mid-1990s with Lotus Notes. They talk about why Notes, and also why Microsoft 365 now. There are interesting...

In another chat with David Allen, Dave Edwards asks about the Clarify and Organize steps. But they also veer off the agenda to talk about what goes on the calendar and why, the Someday/Maybe list, and feeling good about what you choose to do in any moment. You can listen to the entire conversation from November 2021 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from around the world in...

In another chat with David Allen, Dave Edwards asks about the Capture step. David explains why he changed the first step in the GTD workflow from collect to capture. They also discuss the change in mental clarity and space that comes from getting everything off your mind, and deciding next actions on each thing. You can listen to the entire conversation from October 2021 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all...

You may already be familiar with Peter Byrom from his insightful participation in the GTD forums. Now you'll have a chance to hear him describe the arc of his GTD journey. He talks in detail about the digital tools he has used, including Things, Todoist, and Outlook. Peter also reflects on his recent experience with the more subtle relationship between next actions and projects, and the Purpose and Principles horizon. At one point he refers to the GTD story that we posted in written form in...

In another chat with David Allen, Dave Edwards asks about the Mind Sweep. How often to do it? What to do with the results? David replies and also explores what happens when a team or a couple does a Mind Sweep. Later they discuss how to clarify and organize what has shown up in the Mind Sweep. Finally, Dave asks David what he's been reading lately, and we get a look at David's bookshelf. You can listen to the entire conversation from June 2021 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of...

David Allen, Ana Maria Gonzalez, and John Forrister talk about various angles on productively working from home. They cover communication with other remote colleagues, time and space boundaries, differences between the home and office environments, and more. In the recording, David mentions Nicolas von Rosty's experience working from home. You can listen here. David also mentioned using email and the in-tray, even with family members who are nearby. He wrote about that in one of his essays...

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith discusses how daily questions and especially active questions can be used to increase individual effectiveness and build employee engagement. Dr. Goldsmith is the world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. You can listen to the entire GTD Summit from February 2020 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from...

Mirabai Weismehl Rosenfeld is the Concertmaster of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. David talks with her about her professional journey, and how she heard about GTD. Mirabai also shares about how GTD supports her creative expression. You will also hear delightful surprises at the beginning and end of the recording. You can listen to the conversation from June 2021 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things...

David Allen has an engaging dialog with Oliver Burkeman, the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking. You can listen to the rest of this conversation from April 2019 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from around the world in learning, sharing, and developing the skills for stress-free productivity. Sign up for a free guest pass Learn...

Alba Leal is a GTD Trainer in training in Mexico City. She has a fascinating background, including journalism, corporate work in Silicon Valley, and a new degree in art therapy. She is currently working on a doctorate in Organizational Psychology. As usual, we talk about how she got into GTD, and what tools she uses. After that she goes into more detail on her journey, and the changes she plans to inspire in organization cultures. You can listen to the entire 2 hour webinar from April 2021...

Please join us for a working session designed to optimize your system so that you can trust your priority decisions on a moment-to-moment basis. This webinar involves the practices for achieving and maintaining a longer-horizon experience of control and focus, of life and work. After completing this session you will be able to better understand the value of evaluating your system and adapting it to optimize its usefulness. Presented by Ana Maria Gonzalez and Robert Peake. And David Allen...

This is a webinar with Suzanne Strisik, Ph.D., a psychologist and longtime GTD enthusiast. We'll be looking at dreaded next actions and how they can trigger the same anxiety as the thought of an encounter with a dangerous animal. If you've been confounded by a project or a task that lingers on one of your lists, then this webinar is for you. Suzanne will guide us in understanding the dread in the task and how it relates to something deeply meaningful to us. From there, we'll make a pathway...

Join Ana Maria Gonzalez and Marian Bateman on this webinar to learn how valuable affirmations are as a tool for higher horizon visualization. They present specific keys for creating positive affirmations. They also discuss how to convert irrational beliefs into useful affirmations. And they show several of David Allen's own affirmations about his GTD practice. You can listen to the entire conversation from January 2019 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect,...

Dave Edwards had another opportunity to ask David Allen about a variety of GTD topics. They begin with the Someday/Maybe list, and how to leverage that to improve your flow of creative ideas. Dave asks about prioritizing. David says it comes down to trusting your choices, and that's only possible when you have an externalized system for tracking your commitments. David also mentions that implementing GTD requires us to train cognitive muscles in ways that we were not taught in school. After...

In November 2020 we posted an interview that Dave Edwards did with David Allen. They had more to talk about, so Dave has done this follow-up interview with David. They talk about changes in the work environment in the last year, as more people are working from home. Their discussion also covers how work contexts may have changed, and ways to be productive outside the traditional boundaries of 9-5 and an office with a commute. Dave writes about productivity, leadership, and management issues...

Our GTD master trainer in Brunei, Rhymin Mohamed, has a fascinating talk with psychologist Paul Englert, who is based in Singapore. They talk about GTD's intersections with career counseling, psychology, and cognitive behavioral therapy. You can listen to the entire conversation from January 2021 at GTD Connect®. -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a learning space and community hub for all things GTD. Join GTD practitioners from around the world in learning, sharing,...