Let's understand the GTD methodology: what it is and how it works. What is GTD and how does it work Getting things done David Allen

If you are a project manager and are “drowning” in the flow of tasks, try organizing your work using the Getting Things Done system.

GTD: what is it?

GTD (Getting Things Done) is a methodology for organizing and controlling tasks. It was created by David Allen, a business coach and management consultant. It is needed not only to plan, but also to complete the planned tasks.

GTD is often referred to as time management: if used correctly, the system helps you get more done and fight multitasking.

GTD principles, without which nothing works

Keep nothing in mind

The main principle on which the entire methodology is built. Everything needs to be recorded. Even small tasks and things that seem unimportant.

Simpler is better

You need to record and organize information in a way that is convenient for you. If you love notepads, then doing business in applications and task managers will not make your life easier, but rather the opposite.

Thinking about a solution

It often happens that things stand still because we perceive them as just another problem, rather than looking for a solution.

One task at a time

According to the GTD system, multitasking is an obstacle. You only need to think about the task you are performing now. That is, don’t think about the conference report while you’re checking the layout.

Make a list of actions

Tasks jotted down in a task manager or calendar will not solve all problems. You need to perceive each of them as a list of specific actions, then it will be easier to work with them.

How the GTD methodology works

There are many methods describing how to apply GTD. But first, just remember four sequential steps.

Collect all information on tasks

Choose a place where you will store all incoming information. In order not to violate the GTD principle of convenience, it should be one thing: either an application or a notepad. This way you can check or change something at any time, and you won’t have to remember where you saved or wrote it down.

Process all information

If you simply throw all your tasks together, you will quickly get confused and miss something important. You need a system by which you will divide tasks.

To do this, they use a decision tree or, as Allen calls it, a workflow diagram.

Ask yourself these questions to help you divide up your tasks correctly.

  1. What is this task?
  2. What should be the result?
  3. Are any actions needed?
  4. If yes, what is the next action?
  5. How long will it take?

Organize the result

Answering questions helps distribute tasks into the correct blocks. If it takes no more than two minutes, for example, you just need to respond to an email, do it right away.

When a task requires more time to complete, it is better to break it down into a long-term project with several stages. If this is not possible, you are left with two options.

Postpone

If no one can handle a task better than you, but it requires a lot of time, you can postpone its completion. Write such tasks in Calendar or to the block Next steps.

IN Calendar Enter only tasks that are tied to specific dates or times. That is, it is important to complete them exactly on the given day.

IN Waiting list there will be tasks that you expect from one of your subordinates.

To the block Next steps- all the things for which there is no time now, but you definitely need to return to them as soon as time appears. To avoid forgetting about such tasks, create a list of reminders.

What to do with tasks that do not require any action:

  • remove from the list;
  • if you want to return to them later, save them in the reminders section;
  • if this is important information that needs to be saved, go to the reference section.

Select an action for each task and complete it

Determine what you will do with each incoming task. It's important not to start prioritizing until you know exactly what to do.

The purpose of the basic GTD method is to manage commitments and activities. That is, identify all the tasks that need to be completed, have a plan and be ready to make decisions to change it. Such a system helps you always know what each next step will be.

Which services are suitable for working with GTD?

Smthngs is a GTD manager for the browser. Can be used online and offline as an application.

Online service. You can manage tasks and monitor progress. There is a free and paid extended version.

Getting Things Done is a time management technique founded by David Allen and described in his book of the same name.

The main idea of ​​the method is that a person needs to unload his head from unnecessary routine information by transferring it to an external medium, be it trays of papers, a diary book, or.

David offers some algorithm that can be used to efficiently process large amounts of information and organize your time.

According to the GTD method, it is better to work with incoming information in several stages:

2. Processing.

3. Organization.

5. Actions.

Let's look at these stages in more detail.

Collection

The main idea is that any task, idea, information, etc. received by you. must be recorded on some medium: on paper, in mail, in a laptop or pocket computer. Perhaps you will use different tools to record different incoming information. This is not the point. The main ideas are as follows:

You won't forget anything

You will unload your head from a large amount of routine information.

Information recorded on paper can be collected in trays, files, or emails sent to specific folders, and so on, depending on the collection tools.

For this scheme to work, incoming information trays must be processed at some period, for example, once a week. By processing the trays, you actually empty them.

For example, you can record all tasks, ideas, notes in the “Tasks” section of the online organizer with one click.

Organization

Processing of the collected information (basket, tray, Inbox container) proceeds strictly according to the following algorithm:

Take the next top element of the “Inbox” basket.

If an element requires action and it takes a little time (up to 5 minutes), then we perform it immediately.

If a task requires a lot of time, then we delegate it to someone or postpone it.

If an item in the “Inbox” basket does not require action, then we discard this item, place it in the “Someday Maybe” tray (list), or leave this item somewhere in the archive as reference information.

To organize work on those tasks that require further action, David Allen suggests breaking such tasks into several lists:

Next steps

You should have a list of further specific actions that need to be taken. Only in this case will you be able to work as efficiently as possible, “grinding” a large number of cases.

In the TimeMaster online organizer, a similar list is represented by a todo sheet

Projects

Tasks that require more than one action to achieve their goals are essentially projects. For example, to prepare for a presentation you need to call the organizers, pay the bill for the premises, etc. For each project, further action must be determined.

With the TimeMaster online organizer, you can break tasks into subtasks in seconds.

Deferred

If a task has been delegated or can be completed a little later for some reason, then such tasks should be placed on a separate list.

The TimeMaster online organizer has contacts through which you can maintain task lists.

Someday maybe

There are tasks that are not relevant at the moment; it is unclear whether they will be relevant in the future, but there is a possibility. Such tasks are placed in a separate list.

In the TimeMaster online organizer, you can organize such lists in seconds using contexts.

David Allen recommends abandoning the classic rigid planning of the day, when the whole day is scheduled minute by minute. Such planning is rarely applicable in practice, since you can be distracted at any time, and plans can change.

David believes that tasks are divided into hard and soft.

Flexible tasks go in a simple list. These are tasks that can be completed at any point in time, so they can be completed in order. Most tasks for the average person fall into this category.

Tough tasks– these are tasks that are tied to a specific time. For example, a meeting, a conference, a scheduled call, a task is about to expire.

It makes sense to keep only tough tasks on your calendar. At the start of the day, you review your calendar list and task list. It is most convenient when the task list and calendar are located on the same page. It's easier to plan this way. If there are no hard tasks planned at the beginning of the day, then you can perform flexible tasks in order: depending on the availability of time, energy and resources, you complete tasks from highest to lowest priority. As soon as the time has come for a tough task, you take a break, complete the tough task, and then return to completing the tasks on the list. This is the most flexible, simple and convenient way to plan when working with a large number business

David also mentions top-down planning in his book. He uses the analogy of reviewing goals, projects and tasks “from above”:

1. current affairs;

2. current projects;

3. terms of reference;

4. coming years (1-2 years);

5. five-year perspective (3-5 years);

However, as David himself admits, in his book the main emphasis is on describing methods for processing current affairs and projects, and strategic planning should be given separate books. By the way, the methods of strategic planning were described by Steve Covey, an equally famous world expert in the field of time management. This is discussed in the article on strategic planning.

You can read more about the GTD technique in the book of the same name, Getting Things Done by David Allen, or learn how to apply this and other techniques in practice using an online organizer and other tools in our video course.

Don't lose it. Subscribe and receive a link to the article in your email.

The preface to the Russian edition of David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” begins like this: “For anyone to modern man There is a catastrophic lack of time, and everyone complains about their own disorganization - sometimes you forget about an important meeting, sometimes you’re late, sometimes you don’t make a phone call on time. Because of this, relationships with colleagues and friends deteriorate, work plans collapse, and well-being worsens. The more organized a person is, the easier it is for him to manage work, household chores and life in general, the better his relationships with others.”

Such situations are familiar to many. And the book’s author’s promise to help people become more organized largely explains its success. This is evidenced not only by over 600 thousand copies sold since 2001 in America alone, but also by the further development of the Allen concept by many authors, the creation of a special software, including mobile applications, where the Getting Things Done (GTD) method is used as a basis. Today, entire online resources are dedicated to individual Allen techniques (for example, “43 folders”). This clearly demonstrates that the author’s developments have significantly influenced such an area as personal. Therefore, in this article we will talk about the concept of GTD, the principles of its operation, as well as some practical aspects that everyone can apply in their activities.

How to bring things to completion

Getting Things Done– a technique for increasing personal effectiveness, developed and described in the book of the same name by David Allen. The abbreviation GTD is more common. Wikipedia says that the translation of the phrase from English language The wording “putting things in order” is mistakenly used in Russian (a book was published with this title in a Russian translation), while what is needed is “bringing things to completion.” An interesting fact is that the Russian-language and English-language Wikipedias differ in their interpretations of the very understanding of the GTD technique: the first calls it independent and limitedly related to time management, while the second claims that GTD is a method within the framework of time management.

Many experts note the specific style of presentation inherent in Allen. His ideas, unlike the ideas put forward by Stephen Covey in "", are not inspiring, but provide a strict and detailed description of the algorithm. Unlike Covey, who is not devoid of philosophical reflection and requires a clear mission statement covering the main goal of life, Allen, on the contrary, is building a system “from the bottom up.” He is convinced: in order to change your life, you need to start not with global tasks, but with putting things in order in the most insignificant surrounding details.

“I recommend that you act on the principle “right off the bat,” - this is how the author describes the use of his own method. According to Allen, you don’t just need to read and take note, you need to actually start using it, because it does not require special skills, and the results will not be long in coming.

So, armed with advice from the author, we come to the most important thing: the question of the essence of the method of getting things done. Many criticize the GTD concept for its complexity and incomprehensibility, which, at the same time, does not prevent everyone from developing their own system, adopting only some postulates. Below are just such recommendations from the book “Getting Things Done”:

Organization of space

One of the first recommendations made in the book. According to Allen, workplace akin to a checkpoint from which the journey begins every day. The point here is very abstract - the point is not so much that the workplace is not littered with papers and scattered office supplies (this requirement is common to everyone who resorts to time management), but that you need to organize it as much as possible “for yourself ", according to your type of activity and needs. There are also specifics: the GTD technique implies the presence, in addition to a desk, of course, of the following attributes:

  • paper trays (at least three);
  • a pack of A5 paper;
  • pen or pencil;
  • sticky leaves (~8 x 8 cm);
  • paper clips;
  • clothespins for large reams of paper;
  • stapler;
  • scotch;
  • eraser;
  • label gluing machine;
  • paper folders;
  • diary;
  • trash can

Reference information storage system

Everyone needs such a system. A cabinet for storing correspondence, many folders, a machine for gluing labels - in a word, everything that helps to structure any incoming information with lung target access it later. The author is confident that the process of posting a letter or document in such a system should take no more than 60 seconds. Therefore, it is better to organize something like an alphabetical catalog that will allow you to access information quickly and conveniently.

Lists

In addition to using a calendar planner, everyone needs to have 4 lists:

1. “Next actions.” In this list, you write down the things that you need to do in the near future. It doesn’t matter what form it is – a paper notepad or a text document on the desktop of a personal computer, it is important that it is always with you. This way, you will have a constant reminder of the things that still need to be done. You need to edit such a list and make new entries into it every day.

2. Projects. Under this heading, Allen understands enterprises that are several related sub-actions, and therefore require more than one action to complete. Projects need to be monitored in order to be able to judge the progress of their implementation (weekly).

3. Postponed. This list stores projects the implementation of which is delegated to someone or requires the influence of external factors. They also need to be checked systematically (at least once a week).

4. Someday/maybe. From the name of the list it is clear that this is a list of uncertain things to do for the future, like running a marathon or starting a blog.

Maintaining these lists is closely related to the main principles GTD: collection, processing, organization, review and action.

Collection. David Allen uses the term "recycle bin" to refer to the capture of information in any medium for the purpose of freeing the mind. This could be an organizer, a diary, a laptop. You need to get everything out of your head (in this case, move it) and proceed to the next stage.

Processing. When processing information, it should be divided into two types: that which requires action and that which does not. When working with the first type, we either do it ourselves, or delegate, or put it off. When working with the second one, set it aside in background information, get rid of it, add it to the “someday” list.

Two minute rule – if it takes less than 2-5 minutes to complete a job, it must be done immediately.

Review task list should be done daily or as often as possible. GTD requires at least a weekly review of all activities, projects, and backlog items.

Action. Physical performance of tasks.

In addition to what has already been said, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that GTD is not a unique tool, but a set of techniques. You can take them as a basis, adjust, change according to your type of activity and needs.

Control over achievement

In order for the small things into which we divided our large ones to move towards completion, it is important to understand what goal we are pursuing, what results we want to achieve. As already mentioned, in accordance with this, a series of sequential actions and reminders are planned, combined into a single systematic system. How more difficult task, the more it should be divided into smaller “bricks” and the more detailed this system needs to be developed. Let's take a closer look at the stages of achievement:

  • The answer to the question of what we want to achieve. We need to clearly understand why we perform certain actions. It's like an archer aiming for the bull's eye of a target. He can perform many actions from drawing the bowstring to shooting, but the result will still be checked by the arrow hitting the center of the target. Without answering the question, he can send an arrow at the audience.
  • The answer to the question is how we want to achieve. Here, for most people, the generator of ideas begins to actively work, producing both suitable and downright crazy ones. By first recording everything without criticism and then selecting the most suitable ones, you can more easily achieve your goal.
  • Choosing the best trajectory and directly following it. So, after answering the questions, we can create a clear plan, following which we can achieve our goal.

Your life consists of set goals, a series of your actions and the results obtained. The better you can structure information at different levels, build chains of actions and follow them, the better you can put your affairs in order.

A little about the author

Finally, a little about the author himself. David Allen (born December 28, 1945, Shreveport, USA) is an expert and consultant on time management and personal productivity. IN adolescence was keen, won the Louisiana State Debating Championship. At the university he specialized in the study of American history. After graduating from college, D. Allen spent quite a long time looking for his place in life. According to his own assurance, he changed at least 35 professions before the age of 35. The list of positions he holds is truly impressive, and at times even exotic. The future coach worked as a waiter, a cook in a restaurant, a karate teacher, a magician, a turner, a seller of vitamins and mopeds, a travel agent, a tourism manager, and a landscape designer. In the 1980s, he began developing training programs for managers and executives at Lockheed Corporation.

Today D. Allen heads own company, which provides coaching in the areas of effective management and productivity. Allen himself very rarely conducts public seminars. He is also one of the founders of Actioneer Inc, a company that specializes in the production of office supplies.

Allen has written three books - the already famous Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity and Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life, as well as Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life".

Discount for 4brain users

Allen himself very rarely conducts public seminars; this is done by his certified students. Thus, in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, its certified partner is Everconsult, which conducts training on GTD.

The Everconsult company contacted us and offered all users of our website a 15% discount on their events (for those interested). . To receive a discount when registering, you just need to enter a promotional code.

It is for this reason that in the GTD method, collecting and taking notes of information comes first. This is why you need to keep your magic notebook with its intellectual potential with you, everywhere and always.

2. Schedule of assigned tasks

Regarding the task at hand, we ask the following questions:

  1. How important is this task?
  2. How long will this task take to complete?
  3. Do you have to complete it within a certain time frame or can it be done whenever you want?

In addition, the GTD method provides in point No. 2 for defining clear steps to complete a specific task. For example, there is a checkmark on your list: create a business plan for a new project. Then, to finish this task, you must break it down into smaller, interconnected subtasks.

If the task is to create a business plan, then this task is often a lot of work. And every time you look at that item on your list, you want to put it off again and again. The problem is that your brain perceives this task without specifics. For this reason, you need to divide this task into several smaller ones:

  1. Find business plan examples on the Internet.
  2. Look at the content, get acquainted and understand the essence.
  3. Create a similar sample for your project.
  4. Make sketches.
  5. Change something, improve something, etc.

Why is it so easier? Because our brain loves to plan and divide large tasks into smaller ones. Moreover, this happens all the time. Let's say you want to go to a restaurant. Your brain begins to think (plan) step by step:

  • What kind of kitchen do you want;
  • Which friends should I invite?
  • What time is best to go;
  • What will the weather be like and what should I wear...

Thus, the brain divides this task into subtasks and, without much stress, solves everything step by step. And in more complex and less pleasant matters, the brain needs your help.

3. Systematization of affairs

The third point of the GTD method is to organize things:

  • By degree of importance;
  • Urgency;
  • And by the number of steps taken.

To do this, you need to create several categories and subcategories, and then distribute cases among them.

Example 1. In a month you have a meeting with a former work friend. You want to meet him, but you don’t know what might happen during this period of time, where you will be, etc. This task can be safely added to subcategory No. 1. Set a reminder in Google Calendar a week in advance and then resolve this issue.

Example 2. You have a desire to learn. In fact, this is for And it can be done when there is time. This task can be added to subcategory No. 2, i.e., it is advisable to do it.

— The second category is important matters. We estimate the approximate time it will take to complete this task. If it takes less than 3 minutes (read a short article, answer an email...), then it needs to be done right away, before you start writing it down somewhere.

After this, divide category No. 2 into subcategories. For example, 1 - project, 2 - personal; 3 - business... Distribute your ideas into categories and if there are issues that need to be resolved at a certain time, then indicate exactly this time next to it.

4. View and update

In the GTD system, point No. 4 is also very important. Review your list 1-2 times a week. This is done in order to add new things, delete things that have been done, or delete things that have lost their relevance.

Many people using the GTD system ignore this point. And this is one of the most important stages. Because the basis of productivity is accuracy and awareness. If your list is in terrible shape, you will have no desire to return to it and you will abandon your endeavor.

5. Follow through

Complete your tasks according to their urgency, importance, your mood and motivation. Incorporating the GTD method into your life takes practice and discipline.

It's worth it, because using the GTD tools, you will have time, develop and feel fulfilled!

Dedicated to Katherine,

to my wonderful partner in life and work

Have time to live!

For quite some time now, the abbreviation GTD has become as familiar to many people in Russia as USB or GPRS. On online forums dedicated to time management and personal effectiveness, the “Getting things done” system is discussed as actively as choosing a diary or setting life goals.

Fortunately, over the ten years of existence of the Russian time management community, the question “To plan or not to plan time?” ceased to be relevant. Not planning your time, being late for meetings, forgetting about your obligations is as indecent as not using a fork and knife in a restaurant. Over the past few years, time management has taken the same place in our lives as the gym or swimming pool. be in good physical fitness- naturally. The methods can be different - swimming, yoga, volleyball... - the essence is the same. Similarly, it is fashionable and natural to do everything, not forget anything, always find time for work, leisure, communication with family and friends.

The main question is what methods of self-organization to choose, relatively speaking, “what suits me better: swimming or the gym?” How can you set up a personal time management system easier, more comfortably and with pleasure? Depending on psychological type Some people find it easier to eat with a knife and fork, while others find it easier to eat with Japanese chopsticks. In any case, a certain system, sequence, and methodology are needed.

Every developed country has experts who specialize in time management. Russian readers are well aware of the books of Lothar Seiwert, head of the Heidelberg Institute for Strategy and Time Planning; Stephen Covey, President of the American FranklinCovey Corporation; Brian Tracy, leadership and effectiveness specialist; Kerry Gleason, Stefan Rechtshafen, Julia Morgenstern and others. Some works have not yet been translated into Russian and are waiting in the wings - books by Mark Forster (Great Britain), Harold Taylor (Canada), etc. Among such specialists is David Allen, whose system is well known in the USA and has already gained many fans in our country.

David’s own work schedule is impressive: the schedule of his seminars in largest cities USA and Europe. His book is clear, practical, recipe-based, technologically advanced. Some principles and recommendations are worth arguing with, and, undoubtedly, the Russian translation of the book is destined to serve as a catalyst for active discussions. But one thing is certain: the book is in demand and useful. Its popularity in Russia even in the English-language original is proof of this.

I wish you, the reader, with the help of David Allen’s proven experience and practical recommendations, learn to have time to live. Live a rich, effective, beautiful life, in which every minute of Time has its own weight and the highest value.

Good luck to you!

Gleb Arkhangelsky,

General Director of the company "Organization of Time",

creator of the Russian Time Management community

www.improvement.ru

From the author

Here is a treasure trove of strategies and principles. You will find new strength in yourself, learn to remain calm and will cope with things much more efficiently, spending significantly less effort. The ability to get things done and successfully complete tasks is important, but at the same time, you personally should not be prevented from enjoying life, which seems almost or even completely unavailable when working hard. However, we are not talking about a “either/or” choice: believe me, you can work effectively and at the same time live for your own pleasure in the world of everyday worries.

Productivity is one of the most important aspects work. Perhaps what you do is really important, interesting or useful, or perhaps it is not, but the work must be done either way. In the first case, as a rule, you want to get the maximum return on the time and effort spent. In the second, take on a new business as soon as possible, without leaving any “tails”.

The art of relaxing the mind and the ability to free it from all worries and worries is probably one of the greatest secrets of great people.

Captain J. Hatfield

And whatever you do, you would probably like to feel more calm about what is happening and feel confident that at the moment you should be doing exactly what you are doing. Whether you're having a beer with co-workers after work, admiring your baby sleeping in his crib in the middle of the night, answering an email, or having a quick word with a client after a formal meeting, you need to be confident that this is what you should be doing. at the moment.

While working on the book, my goal was to teach you to work as efficiently as possible and relax as soon as you want or feel the need.

I, like many of you, have been looking for answers to the questions for a long time: what to do, when and how. And now, after more than twenty years spent developing and implementing new methods for increasing individual and organizational productivity, after much research and attempts at self-improvement, I can confidently say that there is no single universal solution. None computer programs, seminars, personal planners, and personal mission statements will not make your day easier and will not make decisions for you day after day, every week, and throughout your life. What's more, once you find a way to make your work more productive and simplify your decision-making just one level, you'll have a new set of responsibilities and creative goals that can no longer be achieved using a simple formula.

But while there aren't any simple tools for perfecting personal organization and productivity, there are steps we can take to improve them. Year after year, as I worked on myself, I found deeper and more important things to focus on, ideas to think about, and things to do. I found simple processes, allowing to significantly increase a person’s ability to creatively and constructively approach worldly concerns, which everyone can master.

This book is the culmination of more than twenty years of research into individual productivity. This is a guide to maximizing results and minimizing costs in a world where work is becoming more complex every day and requires multiple solutions. controversial issues. I've spent many hours training people on the front lines - in the workplace - helping them process and organize the tasks at hand. The methods I have discovered have proven effective in a wide variety of organizations, in all areas of activity, in different cultural environments, even at school and at home. After twenty years of training and teaching the most experienced and productive workers, I realized that the world needed my methods.

Organizational leaders strive to instill “ultimate productivity” in themselves and their subordinates as a basic standard. They, like me, know that at the end of the working day, closed doors There are phone calls they didn't have time to answer, assignments that need to be delegated, questions left unanswered during meetings and discussions, responsibilities left unfulfilled, and dozens of unread emails. Many business people succeed because the problems they solve and the opportunities they realize are ultimately more important than the flaws in their portfolios and offices. But at the current pace of life and business development, this balance is becoming very precarious.

On the one hand, we need proven tools that will help people focus their strategic and tactical efforts and prevent them from losing sight of anything important. On the other hand, it is necessary to create a work environment and methods that will not allow capable employees to “burn out” at work under pressure. We need consistent work style standards that keep our best and brightest employees free from stress.

This applies not only to organizations, schools also need this, where children are still not explained how to analyze the information received, how to focus on the result and what steps to take to achieve it. Each of us needs this knowledge: after all, it will allow us to use all the opportunities that open up to us in order to improve ourselves and constantly improve the world around us.

The power, simplicity, and effectiveness of the principles I share in Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity can best be experienced firsthand: in real time, in a real environment, in real world. Naturally, the purpose of the book is to outline the essence of the great art of workflow management and achieving high productivity. I have tried to present the material in such a way as to give you the big picture and at the same time give you a taste of the immediate results as you read the book.

The book is divided into three parts. The first part reveals the overall picture, contains brief overview system, explains its uniqueness and relevance, and then directly introduces the main methods in a concise and accessible form. The second part explains how to apply the principles of the system in practice. Here you can practice and step by step learn how to apply the described models in everyday life. The third part describes the even greater and more effective results that can be achieved if you make methodology and models an integral part of your work and personal life.

Join us! I want you to not only believe, but also be convinced that these methods can and should be used by you personally. I want you to understand that what I promise is not only possible, but also within the reach of each of you. And I want you to know that everything I suggest is very easy to implement. This does not require any special skills. You already know how to concentrate, write down important information, make decisions about desired outcomes and future actions, weigh alternatives, and make choices. You will find that many of the things you have always done instinctively and intuitively are indeed correct. I'll show you how to take these core skills to the next level of effectiveness. I will help you translate all these skills into a new behavior that will become a beacon for you.

Throughout the pages of the book, I constantly refer to training programs and seminars on the topic of productivity. I have worked as a management consultant for the past twenty years, both solo and in small teams. My work consisted mainly of individual training increasing productivity and conducting seminars on the methods outlined in the book. My colleagues and I have trained more than a thousand people, conducted training for hundreds of thousands of specialists and organized hundreds of group seminars. From this experience I drew impressions and examples for this book.

The essence of this book was perfectly captured by my client who wrote: “When I first started using the principles of this program, they saved my life... When I made them a habit, they changed my life. This is a vaccine against the daily life-or-death struggle, when “the project should have been completed yesterday,” and an antidote to the disharmony that many people themselves bring into their lives.”