I recently slid up against the whole Getting Things Done thing. Sites that refer to it often (or are actually all about it) have slowly made their way into my regular visit list for being so damn smart and useful… The idea simply reached critical mass, and I had to check it out.

I didn’t buy the book or anything. Let’s not get crazy. But I did manage to get quite a bit of value just from lurking on the fringes and stealing what worked for me. Many helpful folks have written about the fundamentals of GTD, and there is a flowchart-style diagram from the author that spells out the basic ideas visually. The chart struck me, stuck with me, and inspired me to create my own version (pdf), something tailored to fit my sensibilities. I later discovered that I was not alone; many have done so (indulging that most modernly human of impulses, eating up time by thinking of ways to save time).

Anyway, I like it. It actually helps, and I have actually started getting things done in ways I wasn’t. I encourage others to do the same, examine the original (and perhaps the hybrids), and come up with something that fits you. The basic ideas are solid, and create a structure for throughput. And getting all the detritus out of your head and either done or out is a great stress-buster.