How 'Getting Things Done' Changed My Life: 5 Lessons I Learned

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It’s 11:20 p.m. on a work night. I’m sitting in an old Peanuts shirt and gray, oversized sweatpants, staring at this blog post. Shameless is playing softly behind me. My boyfriend, Garrett, is barely paying attention, scrolling through muted YouTube clips of Shinsuke Nakamura on his iPad.

11:30: Garrett stands up and wanders absentmindedly from the couch to my workstation, looking up from Smackdown Live. He leans toward me, studying my open notes for the GTD article you ’re reading right now. He directs my cursor up in the upper right corner of the screen to a tab with a red logo.

Click .

Todoist replaces my draft. Garrett smirks at my list business owner database and playfully kisses my cheek. He clicks on my last task of the day: writing my introduction.

"Looks like you're done. Let's go to bed.

Todoist, like every other evening for the last six months, blazes up and tells me to enjoy my night. I feel relaxed, organized, productive, and happy with my day.

Need help organizing your tasks? These Todoist alternatives will help you get on the right track.


It's day 752 - two years and 21 days of using David Allen's famous productivity book, Getting Things Done. I've learned how to manage my time and stress levels, when I work best and when I need a break, and what tasks I can focus on and what tasks require the most effort.

Here, I share the productivity method I've adopted - a customized version of GTD - that has not only become central to my productivity in the workplace, but has become an integral part of my identity. I'll tell you a little about GTD, some of the key lessons I've learned, and show you how you can use my methodology to improve your own productivity.

Why I Had to Do Everything to Save My Career
What is "getting things done" and how does it work?
A brief disclaimer for believers
1. Life and work do not "balance." They "blend."
2. Plan your plans.
3. Productivity and happiness are interconnected.
4. No productivity tool can fix a broken system on its own.
5. People and systems have limits.
More lessons from How to Succeed?