Getting Things Done
The Art of StressFree Productivity
by David Allen
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More Recommenders
“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
Source →Recommended by 11 notable people, including Derek Sivers and Ev Williams
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
A dense but actionable manual for capturing, clarifying, and organizing commitments. It promises a trusted external system to reduce mental clutter, though setting it up can feel like a part-time job. Useful when drowning in scattered tasks and needing a full reset; less so for quick hacks. Some advice feels dated as apps absorbed parts of the method, but the core idea of externalizing memory still resonates. Clear, pragmatic writing walks through each step, but the detail can become repetitive. You’ll likely skim once you grasp the flow.
Read this if...
- •A project manager three weeks from a product launch who realizes action items from daily stand-ups are getting lost in Slack threads and sticky notes, and needs a reliable capture system before the chaos causes a missed deliverable.
- •A freelance graphic designer who just missed a second client deadline because a last-minute request slipped through a mental crack, and is desperate to stop the bleeding before reviews and reputation tank.
- •A newly promoted engineering lead whose team's combined project board is a spaghetti of unrelated tasks, and the upcoming quarterly planning cycle means they need a unified system now to avoid double bookings and blown milestones.
Skip this if...
- •You’ll likely put it down during the initial collection phase when you realize how much upfront effort it requires to gather and process every open loop in your life.
- •Not for you if you prefer spontaneous, unstructured working styles and bristle at the idea of a rigid weekly review.
- •Skip if you’re looking for a quick list of productivity tips rather than an end-to-end system you need to adopt in full.
Since it was first published in David Allen's Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business titles of its era, and the book on personal organisation. 'GTD' has become shorthand for an entire way of approaching the professional and personal tasks everyone faces in life, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organisatio...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- A project manager three weeks from a product launch who realizes action items from daily stand-ups are getting lost in Slack threads and sticky notes, and needs a reliable capture system before the chaos causes a missed deliverable.
- A freelance graphic designer who just missed a second client deadline because a last-minute request slipped through a mental crack, and is desperate to stop the bleeding before reviews and reputation tank.
- A newly promoted engineering lead whose team's combined project board is a spaghetti of unrelated tasks, and the upcoming quarterly planning cycle means they need a unified system now to avoid double bookings and blown milestones.
- You’ll likely put it down during the initial collection phase when you realize how much upfront effort it requires to gather and process every open loop in your life.
- Not for you if you prefer spontaneous, unstructured working styles and bristle at the idea of a rigid weekly review.
- Skip if you’re looking for a quick list of productivity tips rather than an end-to-end system you need to adopt in full.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 16 sources and appears in Focus, Procrastination, and Best Productivity Books.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Ali Abdaal
“3: Put First Things First Getting Things Done by David Allen (before reading the book, I thought it would be 100% about productivity methodologies like this) | Classic book with nearcult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty. | Helps you actually to action. | If you?re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I?m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | If you’re like me and have trouble sleeping because your mind keeps telling you all the stuff you need to do, this book is great: I’m amazed at how much less busy my brain feels, especially at night. | Still the best advice on getting your life in order and freeing up your brain to be creative. I need frequent reminders on the approach laid out in this book, as I fall off the GTD wagon often. But every time I get back on I instantly feel happier and more in control. (If you’re familiar with GTD but need a reminder, check out Allen’s newer Making it All Work.) | This book had a bigger effect on my daytoday practices and productivity than any book I've ever read. (It's also why I, like every GTD aficionado, treasure my labelmaking machine.) #DanielPink #DavidAllen #GettingThingsDone”
View sources (6) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. Recommended by 100 sources.
“Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl recounts his survival in Nazi death camps, weaving together brutal details and insights about finding meaning in suffering. The first half is a gripping, horrifying memoir; the second half shifts to a philosophical framework he calls logotherapy. The book’s core appeal is its raw demonstration that even in hell, a sense of purpose can keep you alive. Some readers find the shift jarring and the later sections abstract. The ideas resonate best if you accept the spiritual overtones and personal anecdotes over a more analytical approach.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.