[kenada]

> It's about being able to take complete stock of your life on a regular basis.

Yes! This so much! I spend time in r/gtd, and I see that kind of misunderstanding (“productivity pr0n”) not infrequently. People want a system they can use to tell them what to do, and that’s not what GTD is about. I usually reply with something along what you said, paraphrasing David Allen: GTD is not about getting things done; it’s about being engaged appropriately in your life.

My first implementations were clumsy because I wanted to get fancy with my system with sequential projects and deeply nested tasks (in OmniFocus), but I eventually evolved to realize that the book really was right. I use a fairly minimal system that hews closely to what the book says. The most liberating thing was understanding that I _shouldn’t_ necessarily plan all my future actions out. I can document things I know I need in my support material, but those aren’t next actions, and GTD is about capturing and clarifying next actions.

Another comment here mentions that the book sometimes isn’t easy reading. I can definitely agree with that. There are places where it gets into the details before it properly introduces a concept and why it’s useful. Contexts are widely misunderstood because of this. The book leads with what they are (tools, people, places, etc), and people conclude that since we’re connected almost all the time, we don’t have contexts. The reality is contexts are just filters, and they’re useful because they help you manage having lots of next actions.

[shadowfox]

> GTD is not about getting things done; it’s about being engaged appropriately in your life

It seems awkward to have to explain that "Getting things done" is not about getting things done :P

[kenada]

Well, it is, but it’s not in the productivity pr0n sense. It’s not about compiling lists of tasks and planning everything out, so you can churn through them like a machine. The point isn’t to maximize how many things you do. The hyperbole gives me an opportunity to address that misconception.

When I first met my wife, she commented on how I would capture everything. To her, it seemed like I had to plan everything out, so how could I be spontaneous? It’s actually the opposite. By knowing my landscape, I knew what I had to hand off at work while I was away visiting her, and what I could let wait until I got back.

I barely engaged with my system while I was visiting her, but that’s okay. It was still there keeping all my responsibilities safe while I was away, so I could focus on my time with her instead.

And to be fair, sometimes people want a method that tells them what to do or how to make decisions. GTD isn’t that method, but it can help you manage your next actions once you figure what they are.

[cseleborg]

I heard David Allen on a podcast muse about this and whether he had chosen the right title for his book. I think in his mind, the really important thing is the "stress-free" in the byline.