This remark reminds me of when my kids told me they were taking a course in our public schools called study skills. It made perfect sense and I wondered why hasn't this always been done?

My initial reaction is that education in general is focused strongly on creating a qualified workforce and this hasn't been seen as an obvious "A" list candidate for any job out there. Once someone starts though, the value becomes readily apparent to all.

"Abandon learning and put an end to all your troubles" Lao Tsu

"It was only easy after I showed you how"

Christopher Columbus

I'm currently working in research (psychiatric) and I think part of the problem is what David alluded to...defining "time management". It's similar to measuring IQ in that you would have to have a concrete definition of what you're measuring and also be able to control for all sorts of outside variables such as learning style, stability of family environment, wide differences in daily schedules and demands, personality differences, etc.

I would definitely be interested in doing a research project on it, but it would be a big job to tease out all the details and procedures of the actual research. Then we'd have to find someone to fund it.

I can assure you that social science is full of studies on "time management" Just wade into Sociology or Economics and read any labor theorist (e.g., Marx). Capitalists have always been obsessed with managing other people's time so as to get more for their investment. Old news. The issues addressed here, I would say, are radically different: Dave Allen constructs a system that helps individuals to manage their own habits as a strategy for self-empowerment. In the end, it seems, one does use time better. But If I've understood what I've read so far, at a certain point, time should be a concern only when you choose to make it one (if all goes well).

Hi, David

I'm a fan of your GTD book.

I also have a simple Chinese Blog here and I focus on discussing the usage of GTD in Chinese style.

http://www.wretch.twbbs.org/blog/twhsi

Some of my friends discuss GTD in Chinese here. If any problem about copyright, please let me know and I will delete it.

Now I use my blog to share the thinking of GTD. I hope you will be happy to hear this news_ some Taiwanese like your books

Thanks, folks, for sharing your thoughts. As one of my essays in Ready for Anything described, I've been asked to say how GTD fits into the "competency models" for many organizations. Nobody has one yet for our stuff. But all their "competencies" fall through the cracks if they don't do GTD, and all of them are enhanced significantly if they do. Go figure.

I agree that time cannot be managed. I see GTD as an required life skill for societies and cultures like ours just like we would have required knowing how to farm was a life skill that was required (and is still required in many parts of the world) a 150 years ago. Today we have to know what to do with information to survive and thrive versus knowing what to do with the land, animals etc. So I think knowledge management is a much better description for the skills we need to live our lifes to the fullest today. I see that most of us are in the early stages of developing these skills.

Dave,

I think I know what your book is about: ATTENTION MANAGEMENT.

That's likely old news to you and some of your readers, but I didn't see it mentioned here yet.

Some time ago I did some in-depth reading about ADD (attention

deficit disorder). No matter whether one buys into the idea

of ADD being a rigidly definable syndrome or rather takes it as a fad (and one which was

en vogue some time ago already),

there is no doubt that some of us humans have

severe problems directing our attention to where

we better should, excactly when and to the extent we should.

I see very strong connections bewteen the theories and tools developed in the ADD

community and the models and techniques

you promote. Are you familiar with some of the

better books on the subject, e.g. 'Scattered'

by Gabor Mate?

Anyway, your ideas can be true lifesavers for a poorly organized, ADD-type person.

- Thilo

It doesn't matter what it's called, whether time management or "getting things done." I, too, wonder if there has been research on the productivity and happiness of people who use various systems whether GTD, numbered lists, Franklin, etc.