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#873: David Allen — The Art of Getting Things Done (GTD) (Repost)

The Tim Ferriss Show | Jul 02 2026 | 01:31:49

For more than 40 years, David Allen has worked with individuals and organizations around the world to help them stay clear, focused, and productive—without burning out. He is the author of the mega-bestseller Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Subscribe to David's Substack at davidallen.substack.com.

This episode was originally published in September 2019. Show notes: https://tim.blog/2019/09/03/david-allen-getting-things-done/

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Timestamps:

  • [00:00:00] Start.
  • [00:03:12] As David once told Chase Jarvis: "Your mind is made for having ideas, not for holding ideas." What did he mean by this?
  • [00:06:06] What are the first questions and exercises David presents when he begins coaching high-functioning but overwhelmed people?
  • [00:08:28] What are the consequences of breaking an agreement with yourself, why are you most likely to break such an agreement, and what are your options for recovering from a broken agreement?
  • [00:11:35] David's best tips for renegotiating an agreement when the need arises.
  • [00:17:01] Where does David keep his backlog?
  • [00:18:25] What are the pros and cons of keeping track of information in digital versus analog format?
  • [00:20:00] As a teenager, what did David want to be when he grew up?
  • [00:24:08] What did David's college and career path look like, and how did it steer him toward understanding models for navigating life's complexities?
  • [00:25:48] What David can piece together from Berkeley, 1968 and the long list of careers that followed — leading to the formation of the principles detailed in GTD.
  • [00:30:32] What mentors does David credit as being instrumental in his creation of GTD?
  • [00:33:09] What are next action decisions, and how do they differ from what people generally put on their to-do lists?
  • [00:36:24] The capture list, the two-minute rule, and emptying the in-basket.
  • [00:37:22] Top-down versus bottom-up systems and understanding the hierarchy of priorities.
  • [00:43:02] What led to the Allens' relocation to Amsterdam, and what quality of life improvements have he and his wife noticed since moving there?
  • [00:48:29] How long did it take for the Allens to go from thinking about the possibility of moving from Ojai to Amsterdam to actually going through with it?
  • [00:50:50] What does David consider his most fruitful — though seemingly counterintuitive — life decision?
  • [00:55:34] One of David's mentors in Berkeley claimed to have extra-sensory abilities. Did David ever experience evidence of this in person?
  • [00:56:58] David shares a particularly difficult period of time in his life, what led to it, and what happened in its aftermath.
  • [01:01:21] What does the word "spiritual" mean to David?
  • [01:02:14] What does David's meditation practice look like these days — and what does he recommend for someone who wants to start meditating?
  • [01:02:58] What was David's biggest takeaway from the time he spent in a mental institution?
  • [01:04:05] Does David ever feel overwhelmed or unfo…