GTD Gems

GTD Gems is entering a new chapter. GTD coach Meg Edwards is joined by Kerry Gallivan, who leads GTD Focus's GTD and AI programs, to introduce four new coaching programs and share one gem for the AI beginner and one for the agent power user.  Their shared message: AI can quietly create more work than it removes, and GTD is what keeps you grounded. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Wh...

In this final solo episode of GTD Gems, GTD coach Meg Edwards announces a new direction for the series: exploring GTD in the age of AI alongside coach Kerry Gallivan, who leads GTD Focus's GTD and AI programs. To mark the shift, Meg reads from the Conclusion of David Allen's Getting Things Done, published 25 years ago. She also explains why a solid GTD practice is the foundation for addi...

In this GTD Gem, GTD coach Meg Edwards shares a passage from Chapter 4 of David Allen's Getting Things Done , "Getting Started: Setting Up Your Time, Space, and Tools." She explores why having your own dedicated workspace matters and why sharing one can create underlying stress. What You'll Learn in This Episode:  👉 Why you need a system you use, instead of one you keep rebuil...

Meg Edwards tackles a next action that shows up on almost every client's list: "decide" or "think about," sitting there untouched. Drawing from Getting Things Done, chapter 7 (page 181), Meg walks through David Allen's guidance on decision catalysts, and how a calendar reminder or tickler file can turn a stalled decision into something you can trust yourself to revisi...

Meg Edwards shares a GTD gem straight from a conversation with David Allen: why so many people still don't fully capture everything out of their heads, even after understanding the concept for years. Drawing from Chapter 10 of Ready for Anything , Meg unpacks the deeper, more uncomfortable reason behind the resistance, and the surprising relief that comes from facing it. What You'll Lear...

GTD coach Meg Edwards unpacks one of David Allen's most powerful ideas: your stress and feelings of guilt isn't coming from having too much to do, it's coming from broken agreements with yourself. Drawing from Chapter 11 of Getting Things Done, page 244, Meg breaks down why this distinction matters and what to do about it. What You'll Learn in This Episode:  👉 Why "too mu...

GTD coach Meg Edwards reads from chapter 1 of David Allen's Ready for Anything, unpacking the "mind like water" concept he borrowed from years of studying karate. She traces how that idea shaped her own path into GTD, and how the Weekly Review still brings her back to that steady state today. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why David Allen says people don't need more...

GTD coach Meg Edwards digs into what she considered two of the most valuable lists in your GTD system: Agendas and Waiting For.  What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 The difference between a Next Actions list and an Agenda list 👉 How to organize and close the loop after any conversation 👉 The three-part structure that makes a Waiting For list super useful Timestamps: 00:00:03 – Meg Introdu...

GTD coach Meg Edwards steps back from the higher horizons to revisit  a foundational GTD truth — that stress doesn't come from having too  much to do, but from infinite possibilities and misaligned commitments.  Meg shares a personal story about recalibrating two major areas of  focus and how the weekly review helped her catch it before it became  overwhelming. What You'll Learn in This...

GTD coach Meg Edwards explores the highest horizon in the GTD  framework — horizon 5, purpose and principles — and shares personal  stories about how fleshing out this level changed the way she makes  decisions in both her personal and professional life.  Featuring readings from Getting Things Done and David Allen's Making It All Work. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 What David All...

GTD coach Meg Edwards explores the vision level of the horizons of  focus — horizon 4 — and shares a deeply personal story about what  happens when you lose sight of your own vision, and what it takes to  get it back.  Featuring readings from Getting Things Done and David Allen's "Making It All Work." What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 The difference between the goals level...

GTD coach Meg Edwards explores the goals level of the horizons of  focus and makes a case for why setting new goals before you have  control of your everyday world can actually work against you.  Featuring a reading from chapter 8 of Getting Things Done. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why GTD takes a bottom up approach before tackling goals and vision 👉 What David Allen says about set...

GTD coach Meg Edwards introduces the Higher Horizons of Focus and  shares the fascinating story of how David Allen first discovered the  six-level framework — including the Wall Street executive whose  schedule problem turned out to be about something much more important.  Featuring a reading from David Allen's "Making It All Work," chapter 2. What You'll Learn in This Episode:...

GTD coach Meg Edwards tackles one of the most common struggles she sees in coaching — procrastination — and shares David Allen's take on why smart people are actually the  most likely to get stuck.  Featuring a reading from chapter 12 of Getting Things Done. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why the smartest, most creative people procrastinate the most 👉 How to "befriend"...

GTD coach Meg Edwards shines a light on one of the most important  steps in the weekly review — the checklists prompt — and why building  even a few simple checklists can save you from repeated mistakes and  forgotten details. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why checklists keep getting pushed aside during the weekly review 👉 Where to store your checklists and how David Allen defines th...

GTD coach Meg Edwards takes a fresh look at the GTD the project list and why ignoring your "secondary" projects might be creating the very fires you're constantly putting out.  Featuring a reading from David Allen's  "Ready for Anything," chapter 7. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why your B and C priority projects are quietly causing your biggest  problems...

GTD coach Meg Edwards unpacks one of David Allen's most powerful  concepts, the threefold nature of work, and why understanding it  can completely change how you experience your day. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 The three types of work everyone does, and why most people only  recognize one 👉 Accepting unplanned work as a part of life 👉 How naming your work in the moment can ch...

GTD coach Meg Edwards explores how to have control without feeling  constrained. Featuring a reading from David Allen's "Ready for  Anything," chapter 3. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why control doesn't have to mean restriction — and how to reframe it 👉 The two moves that give you both freedom and structure: concentration  and cooperation 👉 What these two concep...

GTD coach Meg Edwards tackles one of the most common traps in  productivity, spending so much time getting organized that you never  actually get things done.  Featuring a reading from David Allen's "Ready for Anything," chapter 41. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 The difference between getting organized and actually getting things done 👉 Why micro-organizing everything...

GTD coach Meg Edwards introduces one of the most powerful concepts in  the Getting Things Done methodology, Open Loops, and why capturing  and clarifying them is the key to reducing stress and gaining focus. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 What open loops are and why they pull at your attention 👉 How unmanaged commitments create stress, even when you don't feel stressed 👉 Two pow...

GTD coach Meg Edwards takes a step back from the mechanics of Getting  Things Done to explore the bigger question: why do some people take to  GTD instantly while others never quite get it?  Featuring a reading from David Allen's "Ready for Anything," chapter 50. What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why GTD attracted Meg when other productivity systems failed her 👉 The one co...

GTD coach Meg Edwards breaks down the third and final "no side" tool in the GTD clarifying and organizing process — Reference — and why getting it clean and current can change your entire work environment.  What You'll Learn in This Episode: 👉 Why reference has no psychological weight once you've decided it's not actionable 👉 How to think about your reference system as a...

GTD coach Meg Edwards explains what a Tickler file is, how it differs from the Someday/Maybe list, and why it's one of the most underused organizational tools in the GTD system. What You'll Learn in This Episode:  👉 The key difference between a Tickler and a Someday/Maybe list  👉 How to set up both a physical and electronic Tickler  👉 Real-life examples of what belongs in a Tickler Ti...

GTD coach Meg Edwards provides an overview of the Someday/Maybe List and how it helps prevent everything you say yes to from becoming an immediate next action. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:  👉 Why the Someday/Maybe list is not a “graveyard” for ideas  👉 Ways to organize your Someday/Maybe list  👉 The “infinite possibilities” causes stress Timestamps: 00:00 The Yes Side of Clarifying 00:39...

Feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start with GTD? If your system feels like there’s too much to do, even after years of practice, this simple reset can help you regain clarity quickly. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:  👉 Why starting with your current reality beats starting with priorities  👉 How small, unfinished tasks create mental overwhelm Timestamps: 00:00 Where do you start with...