«GTD works even in space." Layfhakera interview with his father Productivity by David Allen

Thirty-four years ago, David Allen realized that you can give advice to people and earning some money - he opened his own consulting company and has developed a system Getting Things DoneWhich allows you to maneuver between chores and free up time that you really fun. Since then, among his clients were and astronauts to the ISS, and rock musicians, and CEO of the largest companies and Forbes included it in the top 5 best business coaches USA.

GTD - is a fairly simple method of increasing self-efficacy, requiring initially very serious discipline. In accordance with the GTD, in order to successfully do one thing, you need to release the head of all the other problems and focus it on him. That is, instead of taking the mind remembering all future cases, problems are fixed in accordance with the particular system.

- David, tell us about your audience. Who should follow your advice and live by the GTD system?

- the GTD are equally relevant to all, but those who do it really applies, united not by social, age or geographical basis - these are people with a certain mindset. Everyone who is interested in the GTD, 18 months notice how their lives

It is changing for the better. In fact the system can work equally well for both the teenager and the CEO for a large company, or it can be equally useless to them.

- You apply all that recommend?

- Yes, otherwise I just can not do it - I have everything gets out of control. It comes to my mind the image of surfer on the board on a large wave. You probably pay attention to the fact that they are attached to the board by special strap. What for? To be able to quickly get back on board after a fall. The doctrines of GTD, - is to be on the wave, to be creative and productive. But even the most effective people can afford to go out of control. If you occasionally do not fall off the board, so you choose too simple waves. GTD allows you to realize that you fell out of a productive state, and quickly return to it.

When you take over some new business, signing up for an unusual task - you can easily rinse off the board. There is nothing wrong with that, but thanks to a structured approach, you know what you take and how to get away with it.

- What are the problems most often come to complain about that?

- In general, people turn due to stress, the general state of anxiety because of the congestion of the brain. Too little time and too much to do. But in fact the problem is not in time, and that people want more mental space, want to be more creative and do what pleases them.

- The most unusual cases?

- We did coaching for astronauts when they were on the space station. Among them was Catherine Coleman (Catherine Coleman), one of the first female astronaut. It was an interesting session as we had to be interrupted when she found herself on the other side of the planet, and then return to the conversation, when she again came out on bond.

- What are you most proud of?

- Creation of my first book, "How to put things in order: the art of stress-free productivity" has demanded from me incredible effort and took a huge amount of time. I almost became an alcoholic, while writing a book about how to live without stress. But then I was working full-time and a separate time to prepare the book could not afford. The main thing I have been able, I was not sure whether to transfer accumulated over 25 years of knowledge in such a way that they really helped people. We regularly still get letters of grateful readers, but there is one problem: some people are after reading information overload, because I included in the book of everything that could be required in the case of humanity, if it knocked me bus.

- What is the difference between standard and GTD list of daily chores? Almost every one of us writes these lists every day, and it happens that the compilation of the list takes more time than with cancellation.

- People often fix only the most important things, and the hundreds of cases that are not so important, do not take into account. People believe that if the case is not important, it can not write, but it is such a small task, scroll to the head, using a significant portion of the brain resources.

In order to be free and to be able to focus on the most important issues you need to get rid of anything that is not so important.

- Yes, but things are so minor that they burn longer than done.

- But if you do not make them right, they will bother you, and you will repeatedly return to them. How many times do you want to remind yourself about what you need to buy food for the cat? Or you have to call my sister? Every time your mind comes some even the smallest task, it is necessary to get a notebook and write it, unless you do not plan to carry out this task right now.

- How many of your lists of categories?

- To be honest, I do not remember - let's see. Only about 20, but the immediate reminders to action about eight.

I have a category of "projects", "Talk" - here are stored tasks for which the next step would be to discuss some topics with someone else.

Then there are the "calls" for them - "The things that I need to do on the computer", and note those that do not require internet. I have a lot of flights, and not on all planes have Wi-Fi, and accordingly, it is the only list, with whom I can work.

The next category - "Working on a computer connection." Well here everything is clear. Still I have a list of 'Writing text', it is also working on a computer, but it requires a completely different state, in a certain mood and context.

"Turnover" - questions that can be solved on the go. "House" - actions that I need to do from home.

I also have a list, I called it "Surfing". It's all sorts of funny or informative videos such as seals, which play on the piano, in general, a video that sent me or that I have seen. I hardly ever go there do not look, but, in principle, when I have a connection, the time and inclination, I can get back to them.

And here is a list of "Questions for which I am waiting for the information or action of others." And of course, the calendar - a basic skeleton or the landscape of my life. Imagine, you write all these things in one list - will be a real mess. So I created a more complex structure, to simplify it. If I have today is only a few minutes to spare, I think I'll forget about the creative texts that I have to write. If I'm not home, I see no point in the list of "House." I sorted everything so that nothing is forgotten and do not waste your mental space on memorization, while having the ability to quickly turn to the tasks for which I have the time.

- Do you prefer paper or electronic application? What can you advise?

- In order to have something to remember, I always carry a small notebook where everything and fix. After that, I'm doing all the tasks in the computer. In general, any task manager will do. People try to use your head as an office, and all of life hacking, in fact, this version of the outside of the brain. How do I make suitable reminders to see what I need to do at a time when I need to do this.

You can decide whether appropriate to have such a way of life, and GTD - it's actually not a system of techniques, namely lifestyle, in which, on the one hand, all clearly regulated, and on the other, it is possible to leave with his head in what is really like, and do not hold your head that can store paper.

Read more about GTD can be read in the latest edition of "How to get my affairs in order: the art of stress-free productivity", which will be released in Russia in September 2015.

The editors thank the company "active world"For the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers.