The David Allen Time Management Approach: A Different View

The David Allen Time Management approach is a challenge to conventional views of time management. Though his excellent book: Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress Free Productivity, is not explicitly about time management, it takes a radical view of the way we use our time.

In his “whole life” approach to getting organised, Allen provides essential ideas and a proven approach to organising and getting things done. In fact, the David Allen time management approach suggests that we don't really need more time management. What we really need is thought management.

No Time To Get Work Done?

According to the David Allen time management approach, the problem is a feeling that we have too much to do, and not enough time to do it.

"Why do people complain that there's no time to get their work done?

Because there is more work to do than the work they think they have to do."

How many things are on your mind? Many people are stressed by the weight of unfinished tasks, either consciously expressed or looming in their subconscious.

From the mundane to the serious, these tasks are typically poorly defined and unresolved.

The mental clutter of these task lists makes it difficult for us to properly manage them, to prioritise, to meet deadlines, or to complete them at all.


As long as our minds are crowded with clutter, it's almost impossible to manage our thoughts, and therefore our tasks, properly.

The essence of Allen's approach is twofold.

Firstly, it requires us to re-frame our thinking, replacing notions of time management with the more effective thought management.

Secondly, we need to implement action management by: clearing our minds; clarifying our realistic commitments, and using effective task management systems.

The David Allen approach is to actually challenge the whole concept of time management.

Thought Management

“You need to get into the habit of keeping nothing on your mind. And the way to do that……is not by managing time, managing information, or managing priorities. After all;

You don’t manage five minutes and wind up with six.

You don’t manage information overload – otherwise you’d walk into a library and die, or the first time you connect to the web, or even opened a phone book, you’d blow up.

You don’t manage priorities, you have them.

Instead, the key to managing all of your “stuff”, is managing your actions.……The real issue is how to make appropriate choices about what to do, at any point in time. The real solution how we manage actions.”

For David Allen, time management is a misnomer. It's not time management we should be attempting. It's thought management and how we manage our actions that really counts.

Action Management

The next step in the David Allen Time Management approach, is to implement some practical action management techniques.

Firstly - before we can make any progress, we need to de-clutter our thoughts. If it’s on the mind it needs to be cleared. Everything needs to be captured on paper and put in to a collection area – an in-tray. This will help us to think more clearly and aid in defining and resolving our task management issues.

Secondly - we must both clarify our commitments, and objectively analyse our ability to meet these. This ensures we only manage tasks we have a realistic chance of completing.

“A paradox has emerged in this new millennium: people have enhanced quality of life, but at the same time they are adding to their stress levels by taking on more than they have resources to handle.” “Most of the stress people experience comes from inappropriately managed commitments they make or accept.”

The second phase thus focuses on defining and prioritising our overall task lists.

Thirdly - use an effective action management system for detailed planning, implementation and task control. These needn't be too detailed or onerous, but will help us to:

clarify priorities

specify intended outcomes

identify logically sequenced actions needed

keep track of progress

David Allen's website has an excellent range of free gtd action tools available as downloadable pdf’s. For support in dealing with the topics discussed above, we particularly recommend:

• The Threefold Nature Of Work;
• Five Phases of Mastering Workflow;

• Personal Inventory Control;
• Stalking The Wild Projects;
• Workflow Diagram;
• Workflow Diagram - Advanced.

Or download "The Complete Set Of David Allen's Free Articles" zip file, if you want the full set.

Whichever you download, the important thing is that you use them! Use the David Allen time management approach to make the most of your time. Then use it to help your colleagues. That's the Happy Manager approach!

Before you go, have a look at this video clip of David Allen in action. Seven minutes and twelve seconds may seem a long clip, but it's definitely time well spent!

Go to Site Map from David Allen Time Management

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