Normally I share my musings on software engineering, but today I wanted to share something a bit more high-level — about how I organize my work and my life.

A few years ago, I was underwater. I had just become a new dad, taken on new responsibilities at work, and had a million things flying at me every day. I was trying to keep up, but honestly—I was winging it. I've always struggled with organization. I got the important things done and cared deeply about helping others, but everything lived in my head or in random places. That gave me a constant anxiety that I was forgetting something important.

Then I read Getting Things Done by David Allen. The idea of having an inbox for everything-- one trusted place to capture all the thoughts, tasks, and ideas that hit me- completely changed how I operate. Getting everything out of my head was such a relief. Even better, GTD gave me a clear process for what to do with all that stuff. A step-by-step path from inbox to done.

It might sound small, but it changed everything. I stopped feeling scattered. I knew what to work on. I trusted my system. The anxiety disappeared. Now it's second nature for me-- and something my wife and I even use together to stay organized.

It's hard to overstate how big of a difference it made. For me, GTD wasn't just about getting more done-- it was about finally having a clear head and having more agency over my life. I've found this book and this system hugely impactful to both my work and my life. If you haven't read Getting Things Done, I'd highly recommend it.