Bert Plat Coaching and Training

What is GTD? (A non-technical explanation)

bplat — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:07:11 +0000

Getting Things Done is a productivity methodology developed by David Allen of the David Allen company, and explained in a book from 2002 with the same title. Since that year, the GTD method has enjoyed an explosive growth. There are now thousands of weblogs dedicated to GTD, hundreds of books and articles and several spin-offs.

Multitasking is a Hoax

bplat — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:42:48 +0000

“Attention multitaskers: your brain may be in trouble.” So begins a Standford U. study on multitasking. Anyone attempting to multitask — type an e-mail and talk to a collegue, say — will soon have to fight their fingers typing along with the conversation, or your mouth uttering bits out of your e-mail.

As Simple as Possible: The Two-Folder Mailbox

bplat — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:31:29 +0000

Many people try to surf the wave of emails flooding their mailbox by defining a folder for each and every project they take on. That sounds very organized, but actually shifts the problem: filing mail properly becomes a project of itself. Simpler is possible.

How do I get GTD to stick?

bplat — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:49:00 +0000

The basics of GTD can be learned inside of two hours. Getting the methodology to stick, however, can be a bit more difficult. It's partly a matter of discipline, but there are a number of things you can do to help.

Me? Stressed out?! Heck, no!!

bplat — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:55:19 +0000

A couple of years ago I started peddling the GTD methodology as a way to reduce stress. With the fervour of the newly converted I'd pounce on any collegue who would listen (and a fair number of those who wouldn't) and try to convince them that this stress problem they had could be solved by jumping onto the GTD bandwagon.

Work: Don't Take It With You

bplat — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:09:09 +0000

The summer holidays are upon us. For most employees that's a busy time as they prepare for their absence: either for those staying behind, or for their replacements, or maybe even for themselves. What is funny is that during this busy time you tend to unwittingly apply parts of the GTD methodology.

Who's afraid of the Introverts?

bplat — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:43:09 +0000

Introverts are badly misunderstood. They're difficult to relate to, hard to talk to, and they cast a shadow over every party. In short, they're something wrong with them.

GTD: Analog Or Digital?

bplat — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:21:04 +0000

One question that divides the GTD community is: should I use pen and paper, or should I use a PDA or something? To which the answer is: Yes.

How Can a Good System Reduce Stress?

bplat — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:50:56 +0000

Even if you have lots of work, if you have a good system you can be very productive and still not be stressed out.

Spend Less Time Working

bplat — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:12:40 +0000

Are you always working overtime to get all the things done you can’t possible get done? Or are you getting stressed out because you’re always interrupted? Here’s how to work smarter, not harder.