GTD

A clean desk might be the sign of an empty mind, as some bumper stickers suggest, but that’s exactly how David Allen likes it. The veteran coach and management consultant, leader of the Ojai, California–based David Allen Company and author of three bestselling books including Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Viking Penguin, 2001), has blazed the trail in productivity training, time management and stress reduction, aiding clients ranging from major global corporations such as American Express to Boy Scout troops.

The mission and method, as shared in Costco member Allen’s books and workshops are simple: Clear the to-do list clutter from your head so that your mind can get to work on creative action.

Allen’s productivity methods, titled GTD (for Getting Things Done), are being used by tens of millions of people around the world, from Estonia to Russia to India, and are successful because, according to company spokesman James Rider, “we don’t let work define us. We define our work. GTD is the bridge between the practicality of handling everyday tasks and finding the spiritual promise of relaxation, focus and control.”