Getting Things Done – finally

This is more than a bit ironic, and just a tad embarassing. But it’s a good story, so I’ll share it. Last year, I posted about the ABCs of personal knowledge management, in which I linked to thought?horizon’s review of David Allen’s Getting Things Done. But here’s the thing: I completely forgot about this post.

Apparently my post made an impact on Ernie, who not only bought a copy of Getting Things Done, but also implemented the system to great success. And he’s repeatedly thanked me for tipping him off to the GTD system. Except that I had no idea what he was talking about.

So back in March, I sheepishly admitted (finally!) to Ernie that while I was thrilled he thought I’d helped him revolutionize the way he manages his day, I really couldn’t take any credit for it. (If a tree falls in the forest, can you accept credit if you don’t remember cutting it down?)

But at his urging, I bought myself a copy of Getting Things Done, and am nearly done reading it and am just about ready to dive in. (My Brother P-Touch labeler is on order, by the way.)

So thanks to Ernie for wholeheartedly recommending Getting Things Done, and to Buzz, Ed, and others who have also strongly endorsed the rocess. I can already sense a change in the way I look at my inbox (both digital and analog) and am eager to start changing the way I manage my day. I can’t speak for results yet — I’ll post updates occasionally as I have anything to report — but the book itself makes a lot of sense. Well worth the $11 it’ll set you back at Amazon.com.