David Allen
Born 1945 · Age 80
American author and productivity consultant; creator of the Getting Things Done (GTD) time-management method; author and founder of the David Allen Company.
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Life & Career Timeline
Won State Championship in Debate (youth)
Grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana; acted and won a state championship in debate while young (high-school era). Year estimated from typical age; mentioned in biography.
Began undergraduate studies at New College (New College of Florida)
Attended New College in Sarasota, Florida (New College of Florida). Exact matriculation years not given; approximated from birth year.
Completed graduate work at University of California, Berkeley
Completed graduate work in American history at UC Berkeley (date not stated explicitly; year here is an estimate based on typical post‑grad timing).
Began struggling with heroin; briefly institutionalized
After graduate school Allen began using heroin and was briefly institutionalized; the biography notes the episode but does not give an exact year (approximate).
Ordained minister with Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness
David Allen is an ordained minister with the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness; biography confirms ordination though not dated precisely.
Claimed to have had 35 professions before age 35
Allen has stated he had 35 professions before turning 35 — a personal career milestone he cites in interviews and profiles.
Began applying productivity perspective to businesses; consulting at Lockheed HR
In the 1980s Allen began consulting with businesses; biography specifically mentions consulting at Lockheed's human resources department. Year placed mid-1980s to capture '1980s' reference.
Developed and refined system that became 'Getting Things Done' (GTD)
Allen developed the time-management method known as Getting Things Done while working with organizations and clients over years prior to the book; exact year not given — placed as late 1980s/early 1990s (approximate).
Founded David Allen Company (founder/consultant role)
Allen operates as a productivity consultant and runs the David Allen Company / Getting Things Done organization. The biography and external sites reference the company; founding year is not provided in the supplied text (year here is an approximate placeholder reflecting company formation during his consulting era).
Featured in Fast Company profile
Fast Company ran a profile ('You can do anything – but not everything') that covered Allen and his productivity thinking (article dated April 30, 2000 in the references).
Published 'Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity'
Allen published his flagship book Getting Things Done (often cited as the defining GTD work). New York: Penguin Putnam (2001).
Published 'Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life'
Allen published Ready for Anything, a collection of productivity principles and newsletter articles (book listed with 2003 publication date).
Profiled in The Atlantic ('Organize Your Life!')
The Atlantic ran a feature on Allen and GTD (referenced July 1, 2004).
Featured on CNN and other major media
David E. Williams (CNN) covered Allen and his GTD approach (reference dated Feb 9, 2007); numerous other media profiles that year (Business 2.0, Wired) deepened public recognition.
Wired magazine feature on David Allen and GTD
Wired published a prominent piece profiling Allen and the GTD community (Wired article dated Sept 25, 2007 in references).
Published 'Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life'
Allen released Making It All Work, a follow-up to Getting Things Done (listed with 2008 publication date).
Later edition / international edition of 'Ready for Anything' (UK edition listed 2011)
An edition/printing of Ready for Anything is listed with a 2011 London: Little, Brown Book Group; this reflects continued publishing activity and international editions.
Relocated to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Allen and his fourth wife Kathryn moved from Ojai, California to Amsterdam in 2014 (reported in biography / DutchNews reference).
Published revised edition of 'Getting Things Done'
An updated/revised edition of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity was released in 2015 (revised edition listed).
Recorded audio/voice content (recorded May 2016)
Reference in bio indicates David Allen's voice was recorded in May 2016 (likely for audio/website/materials).
Ongoing international speaking/consulting and GTD training (company milestone)
David Allen's teaching, training and corporate consulting with Getting Things Done continued globally through the 2010s into the 2020s (ongoing business milestone; no single date provided).
Public recognition and citations (ongoing)
By 2024 Allen remains widely cited as the originator of the GTD method; his books are available internationally and his company continues to offer training.
Co-authored 'Team: Getting Things Done with Others'
Allen co-authored Team: Getting Things Done with Others (Penguin), published May 21, 2024 — addresses applying GTD principles to team/group work.
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