Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

In Chapter 13, Allen promotes GTD to the reader by differentiating it from other productivity methods. He suggests that one of his system’s unique aspects is how it combines productivity with a higher-level vision. To illustrate his point, he cites GTD’s emphasis on outcome visioning: a practice more frequently associated with spiritual or person-growth strategies. Suggesting that very few methods combine the practical and the spiritual, Allen declares this to be his ultimate goal: “The challenge is to marry high-level idealistic focus to the mundane activity of life. In the end they require the same thinking” (270).

Returning to his theme of the front-end approach, the author insists society as a whole needs to move away from responding to events only as they happen as it creates “a stressful fire-and-crisis siege mentality” (273). He presents his vision of a calmer, more productive workforce created by the large-scale adoption of front-end thinking, which rounds out the theme of The Bottom-Up Approach, and Front-End Thinking. Reinforcing points made at the beginning of his book, Allen emphasizes how quickly the world is changing. He impresses upon the reader the importance of adapting to this change and presents the skills he promotes as “essential in the twenty-first century” (271).

In Chapter 14, Allen gives further credence to GTD by discussing its similarities to areas of psychology and cognitive science. By citing specific research studies, including a paper by the president of the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman, the author illustrates the scientific credibility of his theories. Moving on to anecdotal examples from his consultancy work, Allen claims that adopting his methods has increased the resilience and productivity of “scores of the best and brightest individuals on the planet” (284). He suggests that readers can expect similar productivity and success if they follow his advice.

The book’s final chapter delivers the culmination of Allen’s ideas in his discussion of GTD Mastery. GTD is presented as a lifelong craft. The more practitioners refine its techniques, the more they can elevate themselves above the daily grind to focus on higher ideals.

Allen uses several analogies to explain the process of GTD Mastery. He compares it to learning to drive and to playing tennis. These relatable analogies convey the concept that first attempts at the system will feel unnatural, but as the fundamentals are absorbed, practitioners become more capable and assured. Once techniques become an automatic habit, they can be honed to perfection. By explaining the process in this way, Allen encourages perseverance in those who find his methods challenging.

The author uses a further analogy—advancing from Graduate to Postgraduate level—to explain how GTD mastery involves climbing horizons from the ground floor up. Returning to his concept of the six horizons, ranging from Ground (current work) to Horizon 5 (life goals), the author claims that, as mastery increases, readers will find higher principles drive them. Having achieved a mind like water, they will also no longer be distracted by unexpected challenges. At the highest level, Allen claims one can “create clear space and get things done for an ever-expansive expression and manifestation” (287). The author’s vocabulary shifts from the practical to the mystical as he describes the spiritual state one achieves at the highest level of GTD mastery. Although not explicitly alluded to, Allen’s overall vision of GTD seems to be influenced by his martial arts training. Both GTD and karate (in which Allen is a black belt) are multi-leveled, lifelong practices emphasizing serenity, discipline, and control.