Getting Things Done: The New Way of Being More Productive

We all know the feeling of having enormous to do lists, exploding email boxes, and losing your focus and priorities in the chaos of running business. Daily troubles that block your creative wellbeing and give you headaches.

TEXT TJARRIE WIJGA

But there’s a solution, called Getting Things Done, (GTD). GTD is the proven path for getting in control of your world, and maintaining perspective in your life. Much more than a set of tips for time management and organization, GTD is a total work-life management system that transforms ‘overwhelm’ into an integrated system of stress-free productivity. David Allen, inventor of the GTD methodology, is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity.

Mind Like Water
Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done ®.

After decades of field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote his international bestseller “Getting Things Done”. Now already published in more than 28 languages, TIME magazine called it “the defining self-help business book of its time.” In 2015 he released an updated version including new insights and its many professional and personal applications. The David Allen Company is a thriving global training and consulting company, active in more than 60 countries worldwide, specialized in the fields of organizational and personal productivity.

About the methodology
The heartbeat of GTD is five simple steps that apply order to chaos and provide you space and structure to be more creative, strategic and focused.

Step 1: CAPTURE
Collect what has your attention. Use tools to help you capture everything that has your attention by using an in-tray, notepad, digital list or voice recorder. Little, big, personal, and professional – all your to-do’s, projects, things to handle or finish.

Step 2: CLARIFY
Process what it means. Take everything that you capture and ask: Is it actionable? If no, then trash it, incubate it or file it as a reference. If yes, decide the very next action required. If it will take less than two minutes, do it now. If not, delegate it if you can, or put it on a list to do when you can.

Step 3: ORGANIZE
Put it where it belongs. Put action reminders on the right lists. For example create lists for the appropriate categories – calls to make, errands to run, emails to send, etc.

Step 4: REFLECT
Review frequently. Look over your lists as often as necessary to trust your choices about what to do next. Do a weekly review to get clear, get current and get creative.

Step 5: ENGAGE
Simply do. Use your system to take appropriate actions with confidence.

Only 5 steps to GTD. Easy! You can buy the book and teach this method yourself, but for a professional and structured set-up it’s way better to contact an official Getting Things Done Partner.

5 golden rules to prevent you from becoming “overwhelmed”:
• Do not be tempted to do the work of others: There is no greater trap than your loyalty. Nothing is easier than to take responsibility for a task that actually is for someone else. Remember that the problems of others are not necessarily your problems, even if they are your immediate colleagues.

• Write a plan: Bring organization to what to do. Create a mind map or make a “crisis list” to inventory your tasks. Make a daily schedule and scratch off your to-do list as much as possible. By writing, you clear your head and create peace of mind.

• Focus on the job: Think about what you’re doing instead of what you still need to do. The factors “time” and “worry” do not work well together. The more you have of one, the less you have of the other.

• Take baby steps: In addition to an excess of jobs you can get the feeling of being overwhelmed when you can’t see how to get through the work. Unpack a job that you need to do and describe in small steps how to achieve the desired result. You will see that the job is much less complicated than it seemed at first glance.

• Reward yourself: A huge list of tasks and chores to finish is not easy, and staying motivated is difficult. Get used to celebrating the small victories. Treat yourself to a glass of wine or a special tea variety and enjoy the evening.

For more information about Getting Things Done, (GTD), contact Emeli Colen at BLACK Curaçao, Tel: +(599) 9 844 0060. Send an email to info blackcuracao.com or visit www.blackcuracao.com.

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