I came to GTD in perhaps an unusual manner. Knew precisely zero about all this until several years ago when I sat in a seminar with a dozen or so detail-frazzled magazine editors while David motored through a 40-minute version of the basic presentation. I immediately recognized that he knew just where I'd been living. Then I saw that he knew why. And he knew how to get out of it. Fairly remarkable, yes, but hardly life-changing. Ah, but he knew how to stay out of it! I read GTD on the plane home and have never looked back.

The point here is that, for me, the book alone might not have provided sufficient motivation. Since then I've listend closely to the entire CD set, yet just last week I decided to sign up for the Road Map event in DC. The book helped me implement, but the presentation is what lit the fire.

I think it probably has to do with the way we learn. In a book we have to read and comprehend. In a class we are taught, questions are answered real time, and comprehension is enhanced through writing, listening, and the use of example. Now, by taking notes as you read, comprehension can be expanded, just not to the degree of teaching. While reading, we can visualize the concept. When being taught, we can see the concept. Their is no interpertation, as example, and the spoken word, remove doubt and increase our focus. The concepts David writes about are not easy to implement. It takes discipline and persistence. After reading the book, I downloaded the flow chart from the web, also purchased "David Allen's Workflow Processing using Microsoft Outlook". The implementation of the software, coupled with the visual focus from the flowchart, and my written notes from the book, allowed me in essence, to teach myself. I would not recommend this method. The seminar will dramatically cut down on implementation time. The quicker you become efficient and productive , you will be inspired to continue to work and refine David's system. Don't forget the weekly review, it is a good learning exeperience in itself. The seminar will ramp you faster for quicker results.

I have only listen to the CD sets (GTD & Ready for Anything), in one simple suggestion, clean your garage if you don't have one, find some place that has old stuff you have collected. From my multiple experiences, it instantly puts your mind into a decide what is it, and what to do with it mode. Not to mention all the new projects you want to work on.

David--

As an educator, I can tell you that each person has their own learning style. Most of us are visual learners, meaning we process information visually better than in any other way. Some of us are auditory, meaning if we see it, we forget it. If we hear it, we remember it. My son, for example is auditory. As he was having difficulty in math, we approached his teacher and explained he was auditory. She agreed to move his desk away from other students on test days to allow him to whisper the problems out loud to himself as he took the test. His grade skyrocked with that minor adjustment. He is now a pre-med major and is preparing for the MCATs. How is he preparing? CD prep sets, not just books.

The value of the seminars is that they cover all learning modes, visual, auditory, digital, etc. In addition, as you present, you will often use several examples to illustrate a point or to explain something in several ways as you pick up visual clues (confused looks on the participants' faces, for example)that a point was not understood. This feedback/adjustment loop is not available in print or audio products.

If you have the chance to go to one of David's seminars, go!

You can read the book ...

- but the learning does not stop there.

You can go to the seminar ...

- but the learning does not stop there.

You can listen to the CDs ...

- but the learning does not stop there.

You can put into place every practice David lists ...

- but the learning does not stop there.

It is a process that is never finished and that only continues to be polished as long as we are willing to do the work.

To me, in a word, it's synergy...here's why:

People learn in very different ways, and they can very often even learn different things in different ways -- recall Multiple Intelligence theory and cognitive progress models (data to information to knowledge...) -- for example, I will often use Mind Mapping, Concept Mapping & Ordered Lists as different views of my cognitive subject.

So my point -- the seminar reinforces and reframes the Books, and vice versa. Of course, someone might learn "better" in one or the other environments (books vs. seminars) and all I'm saying is that seems more likely that someone will get more progress, more quickly with a combination of these methods.

Most folks these days need an arresting audio/visual experience to become engaged (this being the attention deficit age and all).

I saw David give the intro 1 hour talk at an American Society for Training and Development conference in Feb 2005 and I was captured (yes I, like many of my collegues, are ADD).

David has an affinity in person (and in his speaking) that very quickly gets people to a place of saying "this guy really undestands my struggle" -- the value of which is often grossly underestimated as a milestone to implementing life changing systems -- call it a moment of conversion if you want to be mystical about it.

Since seeing David live, I've picked up the book and the audio book from iTunes and I have to say that niether are as engaging as the 50 minutes where I saw him live. (Both can be dry and easily get lost in the sea of "business-speak" resources that are out there).

It's those 50 mintues of seeing him live that keep me pluggin away at the system.

I'm going to the 1 day seminar in Seattle to not only be equipped, but to continue being inspired.

I read a book last year from a financial guy who had lots of good advice. I implemented most of it, although my enthusiasm began to fade after a few months. I saw him in person last fall & he really fired me up. It's impossible to compare reading a book/listening to an audio program with seeing someone live. People who have a passion for a certain topic are able to radiate energy & enthusiasm in person that they just can't on the printed page or through spoken word. Try to find an interview of a favorite author of yours (anyone) talking about their subject & then compare that with them reading their audiobook, or reading what they've written in a book. The book is important, as it lays out the foundation & explains things in detail that you'd barely have time to cover in an 8 hour seminar, plus the reader can go back over the points that are a challenge to them as many times as they need to. But in no way can the author share thier enthusiasm as they can in an "unscripted" way (by unscripted, I mean that they can go off-topic, share personal stories & add info as the engagement progresses, whereas in reading from a book, everything is completely scripted & I know exactly which word you will say 15 words from now.)
The emailer's statement that (s)he hasn't fully implemented the plan shows that (s)he isn't completely sold on the premise. After all, who wouldn't want to revolutionize their life? The fact that (s)he is writing to you indicates that (s)he is still trying to get sold on it. Hearing David present the basic tenets of GTD in person would be a completely different experience than reading the book/CD.

I am a field training consultant with a federal agency. I paid my own way to attend David's workshop in St. Louis five years ago. Afterwards, my agency contracted with him to present GTD and Leveraging Vision and Focus.

After the first presentation to a small class of 25 persons, and a satellite audience, my agency (based on staff feedback) expanded David's "live" audience for the next presentation to cover 1/2 of our cafeteria (over 200 folks). His presenations remain the most successful, and talked about sessions we have ever sponsored.

Hearing David live gives you all the things the other folks have mentioned in their posts. It also does one more thing. You get to meet other folks who are passionate about this material, and one of the greatest thinkgs about attending a classroom session for me has always been the relationships I've maintained.

Finally, I believe David is plowing new ground. This latest wrinkle is a "ramp up" of his material, and takes it (and us) to a new level. How valuable is your time? Would you rather get answers to the questions you have in a real time setting, or fumble around trying to figure it out on your own?

For me, I'm all for the path of least resistance.

Going to see David is like going to a rock concert. I already own the CD, but after I see him live, I run into the streets and turn over in-boxes and burn to-do lists.