What David Allen has said about Getting Things Done

Allen reports that mid- to senior-level professionals typically need one to six hours just to capture everything on their minds.

“it takes one to six hours just to capture what has their attention. Not to organize it, not to prioritize it”

The Tim Ferriss Show: #885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 20:31

Allen argues that broken agreements with oneself can be avoided by declining, completing, or renegotiating commitments.

“If you don't want to have a broken agreement, you have three options. One is don't make the agreement”

The Tim Ferriss Show: #885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 24:12

Allen argues that externalizing commitments is essential because people can only feel at ease about undone tasks when they know what they are.

“But you can only feel good about what you're not doing when you know what you're not doing”

The Tim Ferriss Show: #885: How to Simplify Your Life — Tips from Oliver Burkeman, Chip Conley, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More (Oct 2, 2026) · Listen from 23:19