Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Allen refers to the extensive research attesting to the transformative power of outcome focusing. He suggests that his project planning technique is unusual, as it combines practical efficiency tools with outcome focusing. The combination of the two can increase productivity exponentially. When we can envision how a complete project will look and feel, it motivates us to make it happen.

The author goes on to discuss how his techniques can equally apply to organizations and individuals. He suggests that businesses need to move away from responding to crises and toward front-end thinking. These behaviors should be modeled from the top.

This chapter discusses how recent innovations in social and cognitive psychology support the effectiveness of GTD methods. Allen claims that several areas of cognitive psychology research are attuned to his own theories and techniques.

Positive Psychology is an increasingly popular field that shares the author’s emphasis on “psychological well-being” (276). Meanwhile, cognitive science research supports Allen’s belief that the human brain is primarily designed to focus on current tasks rather than remembering things. Allen draws parallels between his capturing system and Daniel Letvin’s theory that humans need an “external brain” to avoid overload and improve their focus.