How to Get Organized, aka The Cult of David Allen

I am an organization junkie. That’s not to say that I’m perfectly organized – that’s impossible, but I do love the chase. Sometimes I wonder if I subconsciously let the junk drawer get out of control just so I can have the satisfaction of organizing it. Sick, I know.

All this to say, Getting Things Done, by David Allen is the best thing I’ve ever read on the subject. A hundred fifty plus pages may not sound like a riveting read to you, but I tore through it. This guy’s system works. The book is very conversational and he just keeps beating you over the head with his tenets of organization. And it works.

David Allen’s ideas have spread like a virus – a happy little organization germ. His method, known as GTD is as useful for your home and personal life as it is at work. In fact, the key difference for me between Allen’s systems and others’ is the lack of compartmentalization. He encourages you to manage your entire life at once, not putting the personal and professional into separate boxes.

I highly recommend the book, but if you can’t imagine reading a whole tome on the subject, take the system in piecemeal at the following articles and blogs:

David Allen and Co.
43Folders
LifeHacker