Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and the Business of Life

In 2008 I purchased David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" - a book that combines time management, organization, and prioritization in one well structured package. I loved it and implemented some but not all of his suggestions. In 2011 a friend of mine suggested that I read David's third book, "Making It All Work", which expanded on the same themes and provided further information.It's important to be clear up front that this book is based on that first book, refers to it fairly often, and is covering much of the same material. He does attempt to structure the book so that newcomers can "catch up" along the way, but I'd suggest people read the first book first. As it turns out, since three years had passed between me reading that first book and this one, I appreciated the catch-up material. That being said, he spends the first 26 pages just yammering about why his system is so brilliant and beloved, and it's only after 26 pages that you even are told what his system is all about. That was frustrating. He should have begun with an overview and summary so the reader could relate to the things he was saying.That being said, again the core of what he's explaining is extremely valuable. Anyone can learn these skills, and they make common sense. Your brain is great at being creative - so let other systems manage to-do lists and tracking things to remember so your brain isn't bogged down with those tasks. You don't try to memorize if your car needs gas or what its mileage is - you use gauges for that so your brain can be free to do the more important tasks of driving. So use calendars and lists to manage your life for you.Free up your brain's time. Redundant thinking on the same to-do topics is a waste of time. Studies also show that the brain works best when it concentrates and focuses on one task. So help your brain do that.The book uses the same type of important / urgent grid as other systems, here calling the grid perspective and control. The key is to try to work on things that are important and that you have control over. For each task on your list, figure out the next small step you can take so that you can easily scan and perform those tasks.The focus aspect of this is key. Be mindful of what you're doing at any point in time. Journal your thoughts. Brainstorm and write down ALL ideas without judging them. The more you practice brainstorming and writing, the easier it gets.Most of us have "stuff" all over the place waiting to be handled. By gathering things into one place, then sorting them, and setting up "homes" for them all, it helps make life much more manageable. You can even make a list for when you're "brain dead" - so that when you're exhausted you can simply choose an item and make some progress.Be sure to scan the lists weekly to see if some items should be crossed off, and if new ones should be added on! That way you keep your lists under control and a part of your regular schedule.Was it worth me getting this new book instead of just re-reading the initial one? I like to think that the more varied ways I read about something, the more it sinks in. I'm not sure if just re-reading a previous book would have made as much impact on me as hearing it in a different way. So while I do feel the intro was long winded and could be better written, I enjoyed the book immensely and it's revitalized my interest in mapping out my projects more thoroughly. So it did its job!

As a precursor: I am a long time GTDer who has fallen off the GTD wagon a few times, but I am still a loyal advocate and am proud to say I have been brown belt for some time now (and working towards blackbelt).This is simply David Allen's best works ever. However, you won't know it right away, hence some of the below stellar reviews from others. Let me explain. I think that there are two mistakes made with the portrayal of this book: (Confusion #1) You can use this book as a starting point for GTD. I don't agree. Anyone new should start with book #1. Book #1 is about the overall value of GTD and its overall implementation. (Confusion #2) If you are new to GTD this book will be a good introduction. Again, I disagree. This book is for those actively engaged in living GTD and those who are beyond the initial learning process (maybe after 2 months of GTD living). While the first book goes into the wisdom of GTD, its mostly about implementation. This is a vital first step to changing the way you manage your life. This second book "Making it all work" is about "living" GTD. It is about taking GTD to a "higher level". I think most of the thoughts expressed in the second book will be lost on the average reader if they don't have some experience with GTD beforehand.Ok, having stated that info up front: if you are a practicing GTDer, this book is a must read. My advice is to read it slowly. Maybe one chapter a day or every other day. This book is not a sit and read in one sitting. Its a "pour yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and think" about GTD book. It will help you to examine each aspect of GTD in greater detail. It will confirm if you understand or don't understand various concepts. It will help you to compose questions you can use in each step (actions, review, focus, roles, goals etc) to question if you are doing the right thing. In other words, it creates a conversation with yourself that exposes if you grasp or fail to understand various GTD principles. It will for sure expose areas for improvement and I feel that there is ample accompanying advice that lest you move forward.I personally struggled with grasping and defining the "Areas of focus and responsibility" and this book along with some of the great interviews on GTD Connect (online) really brought it all into focus and made it clear. After completing this book, I realized that some of the GTD criticisms I have heard in the past (like how to prioritize, etc) are all wrong. The problem is that you need to be much further up the horizons for prioritization to kick in.One surprising chapter is Chapter 19 "Making It All Work - in the Real World". This chapter is short, but a Gem. Its like a 5 minute conversation with David Allen and him walking you through the reality of GTD living and emphasizing the truly key components of any good GTD system.I will now read this book once a year. I don't see much need to read book #1 again from year to year, as #1 is the introductory level and book #2 moves you to mastery.So, don't let the first few chapters turn you off to the book, keep through to the end and you will be happy you did.As a side note, I read this via the kindle device, the kindle app on my iPhone and the Kindle app for the mac. It was a very good reading experience. The exception being that there are some useful appendixes that contain useful checklists. They don't format well on the kindle.

I took a Getting Things Done (GTD) course at work a few months ago and came away enormously impressed with the system and the philosophy behind it. It's all about setting up a system that works for you in getting your work ordered and binned correctly, which in turn frees up your time for what's important in live (self-reflection, your family and friends). David Allen's work is half actionable recommendations for work, and half philosophy for living your life. Always useful, it never comes off as preachy or unreasonably cultish.A part of GTD is setting aside time each week for self assessment - what have you achieved, what has slipped away, what are your new short term goals, have your long term goals changed. This book is a great complement to GTD because it provides more of a strategic guide to this reflection, with the end goal being work-life balance and overall happiness. Practicing the self reflection on a regular basis definitely make a difference in your outlook on your work week. A must have for those who have purchased Getting Things Done!

Yes, if you have read GTD then you don't absolutely need to read this. There is a little bit more of the 'why' in this one, and slightly less of the 'how', but they both cover the same ground for the most part.But reading this was better than re-reading GTD again, mainly because the newness of the words meant that I had to pay attention rather than skim. At the same time, reading it felt like coming home - I cringe to write this, but it's true. I don't enthuse over other self-help books, but David Allen is just great.

I purchased this a couple of years after reading the main GTD book, hoping that it would help me tidy up areas that weren't working yet & help inspire me. However, I just found it a hard & dry read. Eventually I took it abroad as my only book to ensure I finished it! I knew after the final page that it wouldn't be something I'd go through again, so made some notes & gave it away. For me, it just didn't really add enough value over the original book.

This is one of the most read and re-read books I own, finding that different sections reveal useful insights at different times. It is written in a clear and lucid style and I came away with a much clearer and practical understanding of the phases of the GTD Workflow Process and how they fitted together; it also helped as a GTD 'HELP' manual when I got lost - so less 'down time' in my life and more done under difficult circumstances.Having had a recent (Oct 2013) family bereavement, the GTD approach was of great practical use in getting the great amount of administration involved handled effectively and with clarity and sensitivity during a very stressful time. The Making It All Work's 'Gracey's Gardens' story is excellent. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to improve the management of their life, and get more done with less stress, especially in 'character-building' times!

If you are already doing the Getting Things Done process and would like to get further into the mindset, then Making It All Work is great background and reinforcement. Where Getting Things Done focusses on the details of the process, Making It All Work steps back and looks at how the various levels fit together. Great if you want to get more strategic.Also the appendices are excellent reference, containing checklists for incompletion triggers, project planning triggers, the GTD workflow, the weekly review and the levels of focus.

If you are looking for just one book by David Allen on GTD, this is the one to get. Although it doesn't go into as much detail as Getting Things Done on the GTD processes, it does a much better job of showing how things fit together.If you have already read Getting Things Done, there might be some good additional info, but I am not sure if it justifies the extra cost in both money and time.