One simple question took a 9-year-old boy from wanting to be President of the United States to a completely different path of enlightening millions. Thankfully, David Allen took that question to heart and the Getting Things Done (GTD) method was allowed to be born.

After years of field research on productivity, David scored a position with his own productivity mentor, Dean, by handing over a referral to his newfound teacher. Partnering up to experience Dean’s “personal information management” system first hand gave David all the inspiration he needed to create GTD.

In this episode, special guest host Marx Acosta Rubio joins in to uncover David’s five-step GTD method, advice on discovering your true life’s purpose, definition of productivity, and beliefs about the link between productivity and spiritual discovery. If a productive and focused mind is what you crave, be sure to check out this podcast with Marx Acosta Rubio and this episode with Brad Spencer.

“I haven’t had anybody give me any reason that halfway in between works.”- David Allen

Some Topics We Discussed Include:

• Is the secret to success best discovered by taking a nap?
• These are the types of people most attracted to the GTD method
• David’s definition of productivity is simple-achieving the desired result
• Once you can get  to the “why” of the goals you believe you want to achieve, surprising shifts to your goals themselves can happen
• Does productivity actually lead to spiritual enlightenment?
• Once you accept you are a creator, you can get on with the process of intuitive prioritizing
• Of the five steps in the GTD method, this is the one new adopters tend to struggle with more often
• If you’re struggling with adopting GTD, the answer is usually in your list (or lack thereof)
• David’s suggestion on the best tool to create your GTD lists
• The question that shifted David’s trajectory from the presidency
• What exactly is a scuzz factor?
• Why pigeonholes are meant for birds and not your context lists
• When your creative process slows, it’s an indication it’s time for more of this
• The shift from stress minded into options minded
• Can productivity smell like a leather wallet?

Contact David Allen:

• Reach David and his team on his website
• Follow along with the GTD method on Facebook
• Get inspired by GTD on Instagram

References and Links Mentioned:

• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Getting Things Done For Teens by David Allen
• The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
• The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg
• Breaking Rank by Steven Coutinho
• The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge
• 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Making It All Work by David Allen
• BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits
• Marx Acosta Rubio - How To Achieve Massive Success In Whatever You Do
• Brad Spencer - How To Find And Focus Solely On The Things That Suit You Best
• If your own GTD  “weekly review” has you feeling stagnant, maybe it’s time to partner up inside  the Advisory to get you into action.