David Allen
David Allen
Notable for his self-help books Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2001) and Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life (2008), Allen formulated a method of time management called "Getting Things Done" and founded both Actioneer, Inc. and the David Allen Company.
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth28 December 1945
giving pay attention
If you don't pay attention to the things that have your attention, you'll give them more attention than they deserve.
safari ruins
Mosquitos ruin the safari.
can-do
You can do anything, not everything
levels guts happenings
Without a gut-level sense that you are ultimately in control of what's happening to you, you won't even consider the option that you could manage it better.
communication problem shows
Virtually every problem that would show up in your business can be traced back to communications; somebody didn't talk to somebody about something.
creativity two-sides coins
Creativity and freedom are two sides of the same coin. I like the best of both worlds.
writing simple psychics
'I need milk' and 'I need to decide whether to buy this company' both tie up space in psychic RAM. The solution is simple. Write it down. Look at it. Do it or say to yourself 'not now'.
easier ifs
It's easier to change directions if you are in motion.
may simplify values
Focusing on your values may provide you with meaning, but it won't simplify things.
mind lists needs
Review your list as often as you need to get them off your mind.
blow decision feelings
Decision-making when things show up instead of when they blow up is actually a habit that can be developed and enhanced. The trick is to get used the clean feeling of having decided, instead of sitting on a fence.
thinking people way
People allow themselves to get distracted; I think ultimately, probably the biggest thing that gets in the way of people doing what they ought to be doing at any point in time is distraction.
time stars stress
We suffer the stress of infinite opportunity: There are so many things that we could do, and all we see are people who seem to be performing at star quality. It's very hard not to try to be like them. The problem is, if you get wrapped up in that game, you'll get eaten alive. You can do anything-but not everything. The universe is full of creative projects that are waiting to be done. So, if you really care about quality of life, if you want to relax, then ... control your aspirations. That will simplify things. Learning to set boundaries is incredibly difficult for most people.
simplicity complexity optimal
The right amount of complexity is what creates the optimal simplicity