“And, you’re missing the point of the article if you think that we’re criticizing Allen or his system.”

You’re right, but I definitely missed the point of the article as I read it the first time, and I think the style it was written in was a factor.

This is mostly due to the confusing summation of GTD and to the “No offense to Mr. Allen” line, which due to an odd modern twist of language seems to suggest that offense IS intended.

And the headline.

The epiphany of GTD is that most people have forgotten how to use tools like inboxes, file cabinets, to-do lists, appointment calenders, etc. David Allen reminded us how to use these things properly. For that he’s a genius.

ALSO: “No offense to Mr. Allen, but this 43 folders idea is anything BUT revolutionary.” Has David Allen ever suggested that he invented the tickler file? Or any of the pieces of GTD? I think I recall him saying the opposite at some point.

This is a neat find, but there’s no need to sensationalize it by suggesting you’re tearing down cherished illusions or whatever. You’re usually capable of better than that, Erin.

Regarding GTD … though the system uses much more than the 43 folders tool, what many people don’t understand is that *none* of the ideas in GTD are new. At all.

The idea of physical next actions … the idea of defined outcomes for projects … the idea of context lists … the idea of inbox processing … the 2-minute rule … all of these have existed in productivity/organizational literature for decades (if not more, as is the case with the 43 folders).

What’s interesting about GTD is the way David Allen has put it all together. If you actually stick with GTD to the letter, you’ll have everything dumped into a comprehensive system. Unfortunately, very few people follow it to the letter. Also, many people tend to obsess over the system rather than focus on the doing, which is a big problem.

I like GTD’s comprehensive system. It’s not the only way to do things, but it’s useful, and it’s taught some useful concepts to a lot of us.

I’ll add a data point that the tickler file system is well entrenched in secretarial training. It was required when I worked at IBM in the early 1990s (we all had to have the same setup so anyone could fill in for anyone else), and it had it’s own section in a secretarial textbook I worked on a couple of years ago.

I don’t think the article comes across as overly critical of GTD or David Allen — or Martha Stewart — but the article _strongly_ implies that GTD = tickler file. (Though at this point, if someone reads the comments and our lively discussion, I don’t think they’d walk away with that impression

If I may borrow what Michael said and run with it, how would you feel about someone saying:

“Take for instance Erin Doland’s site about uncluttering. If you’re not familiar with Doland, she has a blog that discusses the downfalls of ‘unitaskers,’ the unnecessary, single-use items that manage to find their way into our homes.”

Is that a fair summation of the site?

(I say not; and if I saw someone mention your site that way, I’d suggest a rephrasing to them, too.)

“The GTD system is: Tools + Patterns + Discipline”

Without any tools, the system doesn’t exist. Additionally, if you read the whole of this post, we never once say anything about Allen getting his ideas for the “patterns” in the system from an outside source. And, you’re missing the point of the article if you think that we’re criticizing Allen or his system.

Finally, had we written the headline for the post as 43 Folders, instead of GTD, readers would have thought we were referencing Merlin Mann’s now-defunct productivity website by the same name.

To trust your systems, and clear your mind of things that don’t need your immediate attention right now, you need to use them properly. Just one example given is only using a calendar for things that Must Be Done on a specific day. The tickler file is just a calendar for physical items–items you will need on a specific day, or things you want to be reminded about in the future but don’t want on your mind right now: bills, tickets, birthday cards, regularly scheduled tasks, etc.

GTD is no more about the tickler file than this blog is about unitaskers. It’s just a small support piece.

But pretend you’ve never read GTD, and read your headline and article. Do you see how easy it would be to conclude that GTD is a book about the 43 folder tickler file system? That’s the (only) thing I take issue with in this article.