David Allen on Managing Your Attention By: Published: Jan 24, 2019 David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, uses lists so he doesn't have to make a plan.David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, uses lists so he doesn't have to make a plan. This may seem counter-intuitive but it's actually extremely intuitive thinking. As soon as something crosses your mind it it best to deal with it immediately in the most appropriate way. Most of the time that means writing an action item down on a list to do later. But addressing thoughts as they occur to you, even if that just means acknowledging it and planning on saving it for later, frees up your mind so the real critical thinking can be done on issues that really matter.AMA_Edgewise_1519.mp3