David Allen
David Allen wrote Getting Things Done (GTD), a book on mental freedom and productivity that vastly improved my life and millions of others, including major successful figures. I highly recommend his book’s practices.
I met him ten years ago and he’s mentored me since, especially on writing my book.
In David’s words:
I’m often identified by my description of a relaxed balance of perspective and control, known as “mind like water.” This is not an empty mind (it’s impossible to have nothing on your mind, if you’re conscious); it’s a mind that is operating at a more productive and creative level. GTD helps you achieve and maintain that optimal condition, by using your mental energies to think about things rather than think of them.
From The GTD About page:
Mind Like Water
Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. That’s why David Allen created Getting Things Done®. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. GTD enables greater performance, capacity, and innovation. It alleviates the feeling of overwhelm—instilling focus, clarity, and confidence.
After decades of in-the-field research and practice of his productivity methods, David wrote the international best-seller Getting Things Done. Published in over 28 languages, TIME magazine heralded it as “the defining self-help business book of its time.” In 2015, he released a new edition of the book, with new insights, updates, and discoveries about the world of Getting Things Done and its many personal and professional applications.
Today, David Allen is considered the leading authority in the fields of organizational and personal productivity. The David Allen Company oversees the certification academy and quality standards for Global Partners offering Getting Things Done courses and coaching around the world.
058: David Allen, part 2: Sailing, fishing, conserving, and the snap of halyards
David and I talked about the ocean, water, and sailing in this conversation for a couple reasons.
For one thing, we find open water beautiful.
For another, he helped spark my interest in learning to sail as a way to cross oceans without burning fossil fuels on the scale that flying does. Last time we spoke he mentioned an event in Europe next summer that gave me a deadline to take sailing lessons, which I did. He grew up sailing, which led us to talk about it.
For another, his challenge was to eat less fish and to take more care about where the fish came from.
Most guests find their challenges easier than they expected, leading them to wish they’d done it earlier, or, if challenging, a rewarding challenge that enriched their lives.
David was no exception. Hear how he improved his life and lowered his environmental impact at once. Also hear him talking about halyards and other sailing talk.
049: David Allen, conversation 1: Creating work of enduring value
In our first conversation, David and I talk mostly about creating a work of enduring value. As David says, the way to keep you book so high up on Amazon is by writing a great book.
If you want your work to endure and for people to follow, creating quality work is how to do it.
David shares about his years of developing, rewriting, and creation, as opposed to get-rich-quick marketing so prevalent today. Without pretense or affectation, we bring in historical masters like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Mozart.
Want to be a great leader? You can learn from present-day and historical masters.
On the environment, he shares a common issue—that when you’ve already changed a lot to live by your values, it can feel harder to find new things.
Many Americans compare themselves to other Americans, see themselves polluting relatively less, and let go of their values. Since Americans pollute more than nearly any of the billions who have lived since the dawn of humanity, that’s about the lowest bar you could use for your integrity.
So if you feel like you have everything covered, listen to David, his challenge, and how he grew from it in conversation 2 to come.