46 pages • 1 hour read
David AllenGetting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2001A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 3, Chapters 11-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 3: “The Power of the Key Principles”
Part 3, Chapter 11 Summary: “The Power of the Capturing Habit”
In this chapter, the author describes his methodology’s psychological benefits on individuals and organizations. He suggests that personal and professional relationships improve when others know they can trust you to handle your obligations efficiently. Consequently, self-trust also grows. Allen claims that if everyone in a household or company used his reliable capturing technique, everyone would experience more clarity and focus.
Allen argues that his emphasis on tracking even minor uncompleted tasks differs radically from traditional time management methods. He reiterates that uncaptured open loops take up equal space in the mind, whether big or small. The author suggests that these open loops create stress as they represent “broken agreements” with the self to complete certain actions.
This chapter suggests three ways to ensure agreements with the self are not broken—“Don’t make the agreement,” “Complete the agreement,” or “Renegotiate the agreement” (245).
The first option involves making fewer commitments. Referring to his past experience, Allen admits to accepting too many projects to please others. However, once he realized he was creating unnecessary stress in his life, he became more selective. He suggests that taking on too much is a symptom of having no accurate overview of our obligations. Once a person understands the scale of their work, it is easier to resist taking on responsibilities they do not want or need.
Option two, completing an agreement, provides the satisfaction of striking off an item from the commitment list. However, if this is unfeasible, it is wise to renegotiate. Assessing an inventory of commitments makes it easier to identify those that need renegotiation. Allen uses the project of cleaning out the basement as an example. Moving this item from the Projects to the Someday/Maybe list will silence the nagging internal voice that reminds you of this commitment every time you pass the basement.
Part 3, Chapter 12 Summary: “The Power of the Next-Action Decision”
Allen emphasizes the importance of asking the question, “What’s the next action?” (253). He reveals that he first learned this technique from his friend and mentor, Dean Acheson, and has developed it into a productivity method. The author claims he has identified much greater clarity of thought in organizations adopting this method. He points out that too many meetings end without clarity over next actions and who should take them.
Allen suggests that sensitive, intelligent people are the most likely to procrastinate. This is because their brains often cannot differentiate between thoughts and facts. To illustrate this point, the author describes how visualizing biting into a lemon causes the production of more saliva. He suggests creative people experience a similarly visceral reaction when thinking about tasks like filling in tax forms. They are likely to envision elaborate unpleasant scenarios which lead them to avoid completing the task. The author argues that the way to prevent a creative brain from catastrophizing is by deciding on the next action. The process creates a sense of empowerment and eliminates unnecessary stress.
Part 3, Chapters 11-12 Analysis
In Part 3, the tone of Getting Things Done shifts to a psychological focus. Allen explains why aspects of his system are so effective and presents the long-term benefits those who adhere to it can expect.
Chapter 11 digs deeper into the effects of open loops on the psyche. Elaborating on his earlier discussion of the subject, Allen introduces the concept of open loops as “broken agreements” with the self. The author points out that unactioned items, either in our heads or piled in our in-trays, are “[a]greements you’ve made or at least implicitly accepted with yourself—things you somehow have told yourself you should deal with in some way” (245). If these items remain unactioned, not only is stress triggered but also a sense of “disintegrated self-trust” (245). Self-esteem is damaged, as we perceive ourselves as unreliable.
Conversely, Allen claims that dealing effectively with agreements on a consistent basis (those you make with yourself and with others) boosts self-esteem and improves relationships, causing people “to trust you in a unique way” (243).
Returning to his themes of maintaining boundaries and front-end thinking, the author suggests that these are powerful tools when making agreements with the self or other people. Allen asserts that it is better to say no to a commitment than make one that is difficult to fulfill. Assessing agreements more thoroughly from the front-end better equips one to say no to unwanted obligations.
Chapter 12 discusses the psychological impact of failing to adopt front-end thinking and next actions. Quoting survey results conducted by a global client, Allen identifies “last-minute crisis work” as one of the key causes of workplace stress (261). The author also highlights the frustration caused by meetings that end without identifying next actions, further developing the theme of Open Loops, Stress, and Well-Being.
Drawing on his experience as a coach and consultant, the author claims that the lives of even his most “sophisticated” corporate clients have been transformed by adopting his simple next-action method. He promises the reader that committing to a front-end, next-action philosophy will lead to “a real increase in positive energy, direction, and motivation” (259).
In these chapters, Allen’s wider vision emerges. He asks readers to imagine the effects if entire households and companies used his capturing system. He also outlines his “personal mission to make “What’s the next action?” part of our global thought process” (253). The author encourages readers to begin this movement with a call to action. He appeals to them to ask for a decision on next actions at the next meeting they attend.
Significantly, Allen uses some of his most persuasive rhetoric in the chapters describing the power of his system. He reinforces his message’s credibility by reminding readers of his consultancy experience with high-profile clients. He also appeals to readers’ emotions, as he depicts a future where they are more dynamic, and their relationships with others improve. In promoting front-end thinking, Allen is careful not to alienate his readers by making them feel guilty about procrastination. In fact, he flatters his target audience by suggesting that procrastination is a characteristic of the “smart, sensitive and creative” (258). By humorously replicating the anxious thoughts of a person avoiding doing their taxes, the author shows that he understands the impulse behind it. In doing so, he presents himself as the ideal person to help readers change.
