Task Management & GTD - Techniques for Stress-Free Work Progress
By writing down all the concerns in your mind and managing them with a trusted system, you can dramatically increase concentration and productivity.
The Essence of Task Management
Modern business professionals are surrounded by massive amounts of tasks and information daily. Emails, meetings, deadlines, sudden requests. Many people have the problem of not being able to focus on the work they should be concentrating on because these things are swirling in their minds.
Task management is not simply creating a to-do list. It's the technique of entrusting all the "concerns" in your mind to an external system so that your brain can be used for its original creative work. By practicing proper task management, not only are work omissions eliminated, but mental space is created, allowing you to produce higher-quality results.
What is GTD
GTD (Getting Things Done) is a task management method proposed by David Allen that is practiced worldwide. Its core lies in five steps: "capture, clarify, organize, reflect, and engage."
By getting all the concerns in your mind out once and clarifying "the specific action to take next" for each, you can maintain a state where what needs to be done is always clear. This method has influenced not only individual productivity improvement but also the design philosophy of many task management apps and tools.
Recommended Books
The books introduced here are excellent works that allow you to systematically learn task management from basics to applications. By reading these, you can gain the knowledge and perspective to build a task management system that suits you.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Revised Edition)
An introductory book by GTD creator David Allen explaining the global standard for task management. By writing down all concerns in your head and managing them in a trusted system, you can use your brain for its original creative work. Read by over 3 million people worldwide, this method, which has influenced the design philosophy of many task management apps, can be learned through specific steps.
- Entrusting all 'concerns' in your head to an external system creates mental space
- Clarifying the 'next specific action to take' is the key to moving tasks forward
- Making weekly reviews a habit maintains system reliability and prevents omissions
- Completing tasks that can be done in under 2 minutes on the spot is a basic principle of efficiency
全面改訂版 はじめてのGTD ストレスフリーの整理術
デビッド・アレン, 田口 元 / 二見書房; 全面改訂版 / 2015-11-26
最強の仕事術=GTDのバイブルが時代に合わせてアップグレード...
Do It Tomorrow: The Manana Principle Complete Edition
A practical book explaining the British task management method 'Do It Tomorrow.' Based on the principle that 'work that arises today is done tomorrow,' you can work methodically without being overwhelmed by urgency. It provides specific methodology for reliably completing work that goes beyond the limitations of traditional prioritization.
- Postponing work that arises today to tomorrow avoids impulsive responses and allows methodical work
- Using closed lists clarifies the day's workload and provides a sense of accomplishment
- Rather than priority, the judgment of 'do or don't' is important; courage to decide what not to do is necessary
- Having buffers allows composed handling of unexpected work
仕事に追われない仕事術マニャーナの法則・完全版
マーク・フォースター, 青木 高夫 / ディスカヴァー・トゥエンティワン / 2024-01-26
「仕事は明日! 」でうまくいく 心の余裕・集中力・達成感がグ...
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
A book explaining thinking methods for practicing 'less but better.' In today's world overwhelmed by too many choices and demands, you can learn how to identify what is truly important and focus your energy there. This bestseller of over 600,000 copies is supported by many people struggling with task selection.
- The attitude of 'trying to do everything' results in making everything half-hearted
- To identify what is essential, you need to intentionally secure time to think
- Saying no is an investment to use your time and effort on truly important things
- Creating systems establishes an environment for effortlessly focusing on essentials
Making It All Work: Advanced GTD Practices
A practical application book for those who have mastered the basics of GTD. It explains how to approach task management from a higher perspective with an eye on your entire life, not just work. By learning thinking methods at six altitude levels from daily task processing to life goal setting, you can use time more strategically.
- Connecting daily task processing with life goals gives work meaning and direction
- Thinking at six altitudes from 'runway' to '50,000 feet' prevents losing sight of the big picture
- The quality of regular reviews determines the effectiveness of the entire system
- Using the natural planning model effectively advances projects
ひとつ上のGTD ストレスフリーの整理術 実践編――仕事というゲームと人生というビジネスに勝利する方法
デビッド・アレン, 田口 元 / 二見書房 / 2010-11-26
世界中のナレッジワーカーから絶大な支持を集める仕事術・ＧＴＤ...
Summary
Task management doesn't end once you build a system. It's something that evolves through regular review and improvement to suit your work style and environment. By learning the basics through the books introduced here and accumulating practice, you will be able to achieve a way of working that produces results without stress.