There are a number of "right" answers to this inquiry, but one of the most significant things allowing me to accomplish so much is compiling and working off of a very good "To Do" list.

Without a doubt my commitment to writing things down and having a system in place to remind me of my action items has been a major reason I’ve been able to achieve all that I have.

I thought I had a good handle on this until I started to do some research for the new love in my life, Dr. Kendra Pearsall, who is an incredibly brilliant naturopathic doctor but happened to be, like many of us, organizationally impaired. Like most of you, she was frequently overwhelmed with too much to do, too little time to do it, and also a general sense of unease that something important was being missed.

The Nightingale-Conant line of audiotapes had long proved to be an outstanding resource, so I figured they might help Dr. Pearsall as well. I have listened to many dozens of their tape series, and recently purchased one on improving organization that I thought would be a good resource to help Dr. Pearsall reach higher levels of efficiency.

Meanwhile, though, I thought there would be very little that these tapes could offer me as I felt I had a terrific strategy on keeping organized. Well, nothing could be further from the truth!

I love audio tapes as I can multi task, such as prepare my meals or run, while listening to the information. Well, let me tell you that I was absolutely blown away by the profound brilliance and simplicity of the material that I listened to on this particular tape.

It’s called "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen. The full audiocassette series costs $79.95 and is well worth the price, but by far your best value is the book-version of Allen’s "Getting Things Done." It contains nearly 300 pages of Allen’s "pure gold" information for just $11.20 at Amazon, and is truly one of the most useful books I’ve ever read in my life.

David Allen's approach to managing yourself and your world may be amongst the best advice you ever receive, too. It is profoundly practical, realistic, hands-on, and superbly focused with hundreds of tips, tools, and techniques for improving your personal productivity. Interestingly, I found that this $11.20 book-version of "Getting Things Done" had far more worthwhile details than even the $79.95 tapes.

I believe that most people who’ve already read and applied Allen’s information would say they’d have gladly paid $1000 beforehand if they knew what his insights held in store -- not just motivation but real methods to achieve higher levels of goal fulfillment, mental reassurance and honest-to-goodness organization.

And although I originally purchased Allen’s insights for someone else, it has turned out to be one of the most important books I’ve ever read in my life -- I would easily pay $10,000 for this information. That may sound extreme, but you’ll see what I mean when you read "Getting Things Done" and start applying its principles in your life.

Fortunately, of course, you don’t have to pay $10,000 or even $1000. For a mere $11.20 you can get this crucial information. (This book is so good, however, that those who buy hardcover versions when they know the book will be used excessively should definitely consider spending the extra $6 for "Getting Things Done" in hardcover. The hardcover version has been out since January 2001, while the paper edition was just released in January of this year.)

The "Getting Things Done" book is all that you will need. It requires no special add-ons or binders to purchase, as with some organization programs. You can easily implement the system with pencil and paper.

If you are one of the 40,000 health care professionals that receive this newsletter, or you manage any aspect of any sort of business, let me assure that this book is an absolute mandatory read. I am making this book required reading for my entire administrative staff in my office and on the Web team, and I think you’ll be inspired to do the same.

But if you don’t entirely trust my exuberance for "Getting Things Done," just read the seventy-plus reader reviews at Amazon, which are overwhelmingly five-star reviews. In particular, check out the review from Don Mitchell, an Amazon Top-Ten Reviewer, who gave it his highest rating and provided an in-depth overview of the book, including stating that "The process advocated by this book is described with lots of systems flow charts that will appeal to all of the engineers and left-brained people. The right-brained people will find lots of discussions about emotions, feelings, and stress. So both types of thinkers should do well with this material. "

This amazing book really will appeal to all types, and it will help you no matter what type of responsibilities you are trying to juggle in life, be it health issues, family, work, etc. So avoid procrastination and get this book now while you are thinking of it. I am certain you will find that this book can change your life.

I normally don’t recommend hard cover versions, but this is one you need to have as you will use it so much. However, if you can’t afford the extra $6 or don’t believe me, then at least grab a paperback version of "Getting Things Done" and start reading this life-changing book as soon as you can.

Hardcover

Paperback