Getting Things Done

One of my greatest finds for last year was David Allen's "Getting Things Done." This book provides simple guidelines to help you keep track of everything that you are doing, make good decisions about what you need to be doing now, and avoid procrastination.

Like many other time management books, he has you make lists. But what you do with those lists is a little different. For example, you don't make "to do" lists for that day (that get thrown out the window as you put out fires) and you certainly don't waste time transferring your "to do" items to tomorrow's list. His system gives you the freedom to do things that aren't "A" priorities without dropping the ball on the things that are. And you are better able to remember to do the five things that you need to do on the internet when you are at the computer. Best of all, he helps clear out all the mental clutter of the other stuff you need to do, so that you can focus on the task at hand.