Getting Things Done by David Allen: Practical or Padded?
A Practical Review of Getting Things Done: What Sticks, What Slows You Down
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Who Should Read It?
If you often feel mentally cluttered, overwhelmed by everything that’s on your plate, or if you’ve never consciously built a personal productivity system — Getting Things Done is a foundational read. It introduces a complete methodology designed to bring order to chaos, structure to randomness, and calm to the constant mental chatter we all experience.
But if you're already familiar with GTD or have an informal system that works, you may find the book redundant — or worse, more complex than necessary.
Summary: The GTD Framework in a Nutshell
David Allen’s method is built on one central belief: your brain is for ideas, not for storage.
The GTD system teaches you how to:
Capture everything that has your attention — tasks, thoughts, ideas, worries.
Clarify what each item means and whether it requires action.
Organize tasks and projects by category and context.
Reflect regularly, especially through a weekly review.
Engage by choosing what to do next based on context, energy, and priority.
On the surface, it sounds straightforward. But the real GTD experience lies in the intricate system of folders, lists, calendars, and trusted tools it asks you to create — and maintain.
That’s where it can start to feel like too much.
Deep Dive: Where GTD Works (and Where It Overwhelms)
The Clarity Principle
Allen’s insistence on “clearing the mind” is timeless. Capturing every open loop in one place truly does reduce anxiety. For me, the moment I read his emphasis on this, I realized how often I unconsciously kept mental tabs open — small things like “buy a new pen,” “call mom,” “pick up dry cleaning.” None urgent, but mentally exhausting when left undefined.
Now, I’m more intentional about offloading those thoughts. Whether it’s in Apple Notes, on paper, or even spoken into a voice memo, the relief of “okay, it’s somewhere I trust” is very real.
The 2-Minute Rule
This was the most actionable takeaway. If a task takes under two minutes, do it immediately. Simple, yet so powerful — and now that I’m consciously applying it, it’s shocking how much clutter disappears before it piles up.
Too Systemized for Real Life
Where GTD loses me is in its over-engineering. The number of lists, folders, reviews, reference materials, “Someday/Maybe” bins… it becomes a task just to manage your tasks.
If you thrive on detailed systems and love process for its own sake, this might be heaven. But for many of us, especially those balancing digital and analog tools (hello, Leuchtturm journal lovers), it can feel like you’re trying to tame chaos with even more complexity.
Personally, I’ve adapted GTD’s core concepts, but I don’t follow it to the letter. My version is softer — Apple Calendar for date-based structure, Apple Notes for fluid idea capture, and journaling to reconnect and slow down. GTD’s bones are there, but the muscle is my own.
Best Takeaways
Action Clarity: Every task should start with a verb. “Blog post” becomes “Draft blog post outline” — a tiny shift that makes a huge difference in momentum.
Contextual Task Lists: Instead of a single monolithic to-do list, GTD recommends breaking down tasks by where/how they can be done: @Home, @Computer, @Errands. While I don’t use these labels strictly, the idea nudged me to be more mindful of when and where I can tackle certain tasks.
Weekly Review: I don’t do it the GTD way, but I’ve built a version into my Sunday evenings: a look at the week ahead, plus time to clear out tasks, reflect on progress, and brain-dump everything that feels heavy.
What Didn’t Work for Me
The writing style was the biggest barrier. It made simple ideas sound complicated. There were moments I had to re-read a paragraph just to realize it was restating what I already knew — but using four times as many words.
The pacing dragged, especially in the middle chapters. The examples often felt dated or overly corporate, which made it harder to connect with the content on a more personal level.
In short: this could’ve been a brilliant 120-page book. At nearly 300 pages, it loses steam.
Final Thoughts & Rating
Getting Things Done is still a must-read for anyone starting their productivity journey. It has clear, practical ideas that can genuinely change how you relate to your tasks and your mind.
But for seasoned readers or those already experimenting with systems, it may feel too rigid or unnecessarily long-winded.