GTD! Q&A With "Getting Things Done" Author David Allen
Join Fast Company as we chat with the popular productivity expert.

David Allen is the author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.
by Anjali Mullanyon Nov 20, 2012 at 8:31 AM
At Fast Company, we're G.T.D.--Getting Things Done--by hosting a live Q&A with personal productivity guru and popular author David Allen on Tuesday, November 20th at 3pm E.T.
Learn about Allen's new Getting Things Done app here.
Get a head start on your New Year's resolution and send in your questions by using the comment box below, or by emailing your question to fastcompany@scribblelive.com.
Get a head start on your New Year's resolution and send in your questions by using the comment box below, or by emailing your question to fastcompany@scribblelive.com.
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Hi everyone! Mr. Allen will be joining us in just a few minutes. I can see some great questions have already come into our queue--use the "Make a comment" box above to submit, or email fastcompany@scribblelive.com!
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Hi everyone. Delighted to be online w/Fast Co. folks. Happy to take a stab at whatever you'd like to ask...David
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Hi there ! I am in my early 40's and have decided to go after my longtime dreams of becoming a lawyer. Also want to be married and have kids (have never been married). I often feel scared or resigned that I'm too late. (I'm not, but don't have time to waste). How can I perform well on the things that I truly care about even under pressure? I have done so many great things but when I love something, I am so afraid to make mistakes. Thanks.
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Mistakes are only silly when they happen a second time. Otherwise, it's just course-correction. Perfectionism will be a great source of procrastination; so the trick is to focus simply on the task at hand, which you can do well. It's negative fantasies about the future that get in your way. The more you build in regular reviews of all your interests and commitments, the more comfortable you'll become staying focused on one at a time.
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I review my action lists when I need to relieve any doubt about what I'm doing, and need to assure myself I'm not missing anything more critical. Sometimes that's at least once a day, but more often it's every few days. Depends on the cycle of how fast things are moving in my world that particular week.
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What is the best way to organize to do list and calendar? One place for both?
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Calendars should only hold time-specific and day-specific commitments and actions. The other "to do" lists need to be accessible for review whenever you have discretionary time. Doesn't matter where you keep either, as long as they are accessible whenever you need them to orient yourself.
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If you have a project that is on its last Next Action, and that NA is that you are waiting for someone to complete the final action, do you keep that on your "Projects List" AND in your "Waiting For" list?
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Yes. Project should stay open, on your list, until it's put to bed; and of course the Waiting For's need to stay there until you have what you need.
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Sounds like the new app with run on desktop and mobile and integrate across the two. Can you elaborate on that?
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We don't really know yet the scope of the app, because we're still in deep research mode. Ultimately it will integrate across all platforms and hardware; but that's a big job. It will come in stages.
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Hi there ! I'm great in getting things done when there is a deadline and am working with other people. Do you have advice on how to bring that productivity to my own life?
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On your project list, for each project, do you list all actions needed or just the 1 next action?
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Any plans on releasing more in depth Audio CDs, like the Project Management/GTD live ?
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As a Lotus Notes user, I use eProductivity by Eric Mack. How will the new app play against and/or work with eProductivity?
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Hi. For the webcast today, what methods or help do you think a person can do to stop procrastinating, I feel I have loads of great ideas, but just not the focus to act on them. - Daniel(Newcastle, England, UK) .