I have read the first three chapters in Getting Things Done by David Allen, and so far I like what I’m reading.

There is a total of 13 chapters in the book, and the chapters are divided into three parts. I read the first part, which pretty much gave an introduction to the GTD system and goes into some of the theory behind it. Part 2 of the book goes into details with the five stages of GTD (collection, processing, organizing, reviewing, and doing). Part 3 goes deeper into the significance of GTD.

I’m a late newcomer to this system, since there are over 58 blog feeds relating to GTD available (with HD BizBlog being one that I particularly subscribe to). David Allen has become so popular that he is now a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Typically when there is a topic this hot, it is more a fad rather than something of substance with staying power, but I think GTD is here to stay. That’s because GTD was a system built for the Information Age, and it helps us address a problem that has never existed before - namely, information overflow.

I’m speaking as if it happened long long time ago, but it’s true: the Industrial Age, which was characterized by physical capital, ended in the 20th Century. Traditional day-planner calendars and to-do lists were sufficient with the amount of information that people dealt with during that time. The Information Age of the 21st Century is characterized by knowledge being the capital, and the traditional systems were no longer sufficient.

From the looks of it, using the GTD system will allow one to be able to handle deluge of information. However, the system is not a quick 1-2-3 to implement, as can be seen in the workflow diagram below:

The selling point to me was the theme in the first three chapters - namely, being able to trust a system so that you don’t have to stress anymore. This theme plays into an earlier post where I mentioned how I delegated time management to my PDA. GTD helps to take it further - not only is there delegation to a system, it is delegated to a very reliable system that will help relieve you of your stress. I can trust in the system and not worry. In the age of Blackberries and Instant Messaging, I forgot what it meant to not worry.

I will continue to read the book and will blog my experience as I apply it in practice.