Getting Things Done - podcast cover

Getting Things Done

Our GTD podcasts are here to support you at every stage of your GTD practice. You will hear interviews with people from all walks of life about their journey with GTD, from beginners to those who have been at it for years. The podcasts include personal and professional stories, as well as practical tips about GTD systems for desktop and mobile, using apps and paper. Start listening now and you'll be well on your way to stress-free productivity.
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Episodes

Ep. 245: GTD with Morten and Lars

Today's episode is with Morten and Lars from Vital Learning . Listen in as they discuss the GTD Summer Camp in Denmark, the new book Getting Things Done with Others, and GTD Connect membership. GTD Connect GTD podcast fra GTDnordic GTD podcast fra GTDnordic on YouTube -- 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...

Feb 07, 202421 min

Ep. 244: Ah, Smell the Roses

David Allen encourages us to enjoy the journey, even when projects take longer than anticipated. -- 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 get distracted and overwhelmed. St...

Jan 31, 20248 min

Ep. 243: Slice of GTD Life with Renese King

We have a new Slice of GTD Life recording with Renese King. She is a longtime GTD practitioner who has tried multiple paper and digital solutions for her GTD system. She describes how she heard about GTD, and her current combination of digital and paper tools. Renese balances a busy life that includes her job at Berklee College of Music , and her other career as a singer, composer, and arranger. For just one of many examples, here she is singing in a Boston Pops Salute to our Heroes . You can li...

Jan 24, 202431 min

Ep. 242: Slice of GTD Life with Richards and Spurgeon

This is a special Slice of GTD Life, because it's with two people instead of one, and because they talk about how their GTD practice is involved with running the company Sauna Space . Brian Richards and Christal Spurgeon discuss the tools they use for GTD, how their employees learn and use GTD, and how GTD fits with the self-managing approach the company runs on. You can listen to the entire conversation from October 2022 at GTD Connect® . -- This audio is one of many available at GTD Connect, a...

Jan 17, 202439 min

Ep. 241: David Allen and Mark Tigchelaar

David Allen talks with psychologist Mark Tigchelaar about how the brain deals with distractions, and how long it takes to recover from distractions. Mark points out that dopamine inflation leads to our seeking out new stimuli. His advice: "Minimize the number of switches that you make during the day, without missing what's important." You can listen to the entire conversation from October 2022 at GTD Connect® ....

Jan 10, 202421 min

Ep. 240: David Allen talks with Justin Hale

David Allen talks with GTD trainer Justin Hale about his journey with GTD. Justin notes that the journey includes cultivating self-awareness about our habits. He emphasizes the importance of deliberate practice to change behaviors. More than a set of hacks, he considers GTD to be a complete system. You can listen to the entire conversation from October 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 pra...

Jan 03, 202433 min

Ep. 239: Slice of GTD Life with Becky DeWaters

Becky DeWaters gives us a detailed look into her OmniFocus system. She also shares what she has learned about the relationships between goals, areas of focus, projects, and next actions. She mentions plenty of illustrative examples, and weaves helpful metaphors into the discussion. You can listen to the entire conversation from August 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 ar...

Dec 27, 202332 min

Ep. 238: GTD and Japanese Master Crafts

Please join David Allen as he talks with Steve Beimel about how GTD artfully ties in with revitalizing traditional Japanese master crafts. You can listen to the entire conversation from July 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 productivity. Sign up for a free guest pass Learn about membership ...

Dec 20, 202337 min

Ep. 237: Slice of GTD Life with Josh Mitchell

Josh Mitchell has a longtime interest in paper planners. In this recording, he shares past and current versions of paper planners, including the type that David Allen used until the mid-1990s. In addition to talking about several planners, Josh shares about pens, mechanical pencils, and highlighters that go with his system. 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 ...

Dec 13, 202338 min

Ep. 236: The Art of Balancing Predefined Work

In another of their occasional chats, David Allen is interviewed by Dave Edwards. They explore the art of balancing predefined work that you may have told yourself is important for today, with work that shows up. They discuss the importance of having protocols and agreements for communication on your team, including expected response times. Then they consider the different types of notes you might take in meetings. That leads to a perennial question: How to get others to do GTD? David's answer i...

Dec 06, 202324 min

Ep. 235: Rules for Your Tools

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 from Octo...

Nov 29, 202327 min

Ep. 234: Setting Priorities

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 get distra...

Nov 21, 20235 min

Ep. 233: The Value of Writing Things Down

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 of ...

Nov 15, 202338 min

Ep. 232: Paper vs. Digital

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 productivit...

Nov 07, 202325 min

Ep. 231: Year End Reviews

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 jokes t...

Nov 02, 202327 min

Ep. 230: David talks with Jerry Michalski

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 t...

Oct 26, 202331 min

Ep. 229: Slice of GTD Life with Marcus Ramtohul

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 listen...

Oct 18, 202332 min

Ep. 228: Software & Productivity Discussion

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 productivity, an...

Oct 11, 202336 min

Ep. 227: Slice of GTD Life - Melissa Garner

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 of m...

Oct 04, 202336 min

Ep. 226: Software Journey

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 tangents i...

Sep 28, 202346 min

Ep. 225: Clarify and Organize

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 learni...

Sep 20, 202321 min

Ep. 224: The Capture Step

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 things GTD...

Sep 12, 202321 min

Ep. 223: Slice of GTD Life with Peter Byrom

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 2019...

Sep 05, 202317 min

Ep. 222: The Mind Sweep

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 many avail...

Aug 30, 202321 min

Ep. 221: Productively Working from Home

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 back...

Aug 22, 202320 min

Ep. 220: Dr. Marshall Goldsmith at the GTD Summit

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 around ...

Aug 15, 202319 min

Ep. 219: David talks with Mirabai

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 GTD. Join...

Aug 08, 202324 min

Ep. 218: David Allen and Oliver Burkeman

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 about me...

Aug 02, 202322 min

Ep. 217: Slice of GTD Life with Alba Leal

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 at GT...

Jul 25, 202321 min

Ep. 216: Optimizing Your System

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 makes a...

Jul 19, 202338 min
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