Simplify Productivity: David Allen Says Your Brain Is Not A Hard Drive

This week, Caitlin Schiller travels to Amsterdam to talk productivity with the bestselling author of Getting Things Done, Ready for Anything, and Making It All Work, David Allen. Since the first publication of Getting Things Done in 2001, the GTD method has become a global phenomenon. And there’s a simple reason for that — it works!

“And if you’re sparring in the martial arts, what you don’t want to do is stop moving. Because it actually takes you more energy to start moving in any direction from a standstill, than it does to change directions.”

— David Allen

So, if you ever get the feeling that there simply aren’t enough hours in a day for all you want to get done, or that you’re prioritising the wrong things, Allen’s method is an essential tool for achieving the goals that are most important to you. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand exactly what next actions you should take to work more effectively.

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Who’s David Allen?

Productivity expert David Allen is the author of what TIME magazine called “the defining self-help business book of its time” Getting Things Done, as well as other international bestsellers Ready for Anything, and Making It All Work. His work has been translated into 28 languages, and global partners now offer GTD courses around the world. Allen is considered the leading authority on personal and professional productivity. His secret? “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

What’s Simplify?

Simplify is a podcast for anybody who’s taken a close look at their habits, their happiness, their relationships, or their health and thought “There’s got to be a better way to do this.” We talk to bestselling writers, productivity wizards, sex geniuses, and happiness experts to find it for you. Life is complicated, but living it better doesn’t have to be. Simplify.

Simplify is made with love by Blinkist. Click here to try Blinkist free for 14 days with the voucher code: clearspace

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Who made this?

Your hosts are Caitlin Schiller and Ben Schuman-Stoler.

Stellar research and production assistance by the outstanding Nika Mavrody.

Thanks to Nico Guiang for our awesome intro and outro music. Listen more on Soundcloud or check him out on Facebook.

Sound and editing by Ody Constantinou who wrestles bears for fun—but no longer for profit.

Got links?

Getting Things Done website

Blinkist Podcast 2016 interview with David Allen

Ken RobinsonTED Talk on creativity

Extra credit reading: