David Allen of Getting Things Done on Productivity, Spiritual Exploration, & What it all Means
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Greetings, SuperFriends!
Today, I’m joined by one of the top names in the world of productivity and time management. As we’ve talked about in a lot of episodes before, a lot of the secret science behind truly becoming superhuman lies in organizing your time, prioritizing, and getting things done.
That’s why I’m so excited about today’s guest – because he literally wrote the New York Times bestselling book on Getting Things Done. If you’ve ever heard the term “GTD” or does even some cursory research into the world of productivity, you know all about him and his method – which has really taken the world by storm since it was first published in 2001.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the “GTD” system, and begin to understand how you can learn to use it in your own life. But we talk about so much more… including psychedelic drugs, mindfulness, meaning and purpose, accomplishment, and so much more!
As always, please share your thoughts with me on Twitter @gosuperhuman, and if you haven’t already, please remember to leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.
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In this episode, we discuss:
- David Allen's backstory, and how he became one of the most prominent productivity thought leaders
- What it was like to be at UC Berkeley in the 1960's, during the beginnings of psychedelic exploration?
- What is David Allen's advise for anyone considering experimenting with drugs?
- What is the role of meditation in spiritual awareness (and productivity)?
- Some incredible insights about clear-headedness, and the power of perspective
- What are the two major frameworks that David Allen identified in developing his system?
- What are the 5 steps that make up the “Getting Things Done” or “GTD” framework?
- How long does it take to implement “GTD” in your own life?
- What tools does David Allen recommend for implementing Getting Things Done?
- What are the first steps towards implementing GTD in your own life?
- How has cognitive science validated the GTD system and it's benefits?
- Can you use memory palaces and other mnemonic techniques alongside GTD?
- How does David use his own, modified mnemonic techniques to “capture” ideas?
- Why is “doing nothing” so important as an indicator of success and efficacy?
- Who is David Allen most proud to have using Getting Things Done?
- A special homework assignment from David Allen – which you can complete today
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- David's book, Getting Things Done (Revised Edition)
- The Power of Full Engagement by James Loehr and Tony Schwartz
- David's third book, Making it all Work
- David's Website, GettingThingsDone.com
- Find David on Twitter (@GTDGuy)
4 Comments
Thanks, I learned a lot of interesting things in past episodes.
loved th heart and the depth of the conversation. The way that Dr. Metivier shared from his enormous experience and insights was just amazing. Thank you Jonathan for doing this podcast!! 🙂
Great interview with Dr. Greg Wells! He mentioned a doctor from Colorado around the 42:30 point of the podcast, discussing turmeric and black pepper. I couldn’t make out the doctor’s name. Can you provide me with his full name and maybe his website or contact info. Interested in his products.
Thanks,
Rob
I am new here, and learning really fast.
Thank you.