
Brinton is a technology and finance consultant who holds a degree in economics from Brigham Young and an MBA from University of Virginia. He draws on his personal success to share a system for implementing Allen’s ideas, custom-tailored for the workplace.
One of the challenges with implementing the “Getting Things Done” model is the amount of work it initially requires. If you’re relying on an external note-taking system, that extra work is quickly pushed aside when crunch time comes. Unfortunately, it’s during crunch time that you most need a system of organization.
Brinton’s approach to this problem is simple: Integrate as much of the “Getting Things Done” system as you can into the work you already do. This book is filled with practical advice on how to use tools, like Microsoft Outlook and Excel, to build task lists and start tackling them.
While that’s a tremendous strength of the book, it’s also one of its weaknesses. If you prefer Evernote to OneNote, or don’t already use the Microsoft Office suite, much of the content will feel pretty foreign. Brinton assumes a fairly high level of tech savvy on the part of his readers.
The “Getting Things Done” system is a powerful tool to organize and streamline your workflows and processes. Brinton’s tools are a valuable addition to anyone looking to get started with a strong system. The combined advice and tools could be enough to make this month the month to get on track at work.