David Allen is a well-known expert in productivity and personal growth. His ideas have changed the way of many people manage work and life. With his simple methods, he has helped many to focus, and control over their daily tasks.
Join us as to explore his most inspiring quotes, filled with wisdom on productivity and success. As part of our series “100 Motivational Writers and Their Great Works,” All Good Quotes presents “David Allen and His Top 30 Quotes” to inspire you!
Famous Books of David Allen:
David Allen has written several well-known books. Here are his most famous ones:
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2001) – introducing the GTD method for organizing tasks and reducing stress.
- Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done (2003) – A collection of tips and insights to improve productivity.
- Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life (2008) – GTD method to apply it in different areas of life.
Grab this must-read book today!

Also Read: 10 Golden Words for Life
30 Best Quotes of David Allen:
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
“The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.”
“You can do anything, but not everything.”
“Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to relax.”
“There is no ‘right’ way to do a wrong thing.”
“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started.”
“If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.”
“You can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool your own mind.”
“The key to winning is poise under stress.”
“You don’t have to be perfect, just committed.”
“You don’t need more time, you just need to decide.”
“If you’re not doing what you love, you’re wasting your time.”
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
“Anything you haven’t committed to a trusted system is open loops in your head, consuming energy, and degrading clarity.”
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s up to you how long the tunnel is.”
“You can’t manage time, but you can manage your attention.”
“The clearer your purpose, the easier your decisions.”
“Productivity is not about doing more, it’s about doing the right things.”
“It’s not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours that counts.”
“The better you get, the less you run from reality.”
“Your head is for having ideas, not for holding them.”
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
“Life is not about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.”
“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”
“If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves.”
“The more you clarify what you’re not going to do, the more you can focus on what you are going to do.”
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.”
“You can’t buy time, but you can borrow it.”
“You can’t manage what you don’t clarify.”
“Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to relax.”
About David Allen:
David Allen is a famous productivity expert and bestselling author. He created the Getting Things Done (GTD) system to help people stay organized and manage work better. His journey began when he struggled to balance work and life. After years of effort, he developed GTD—a simple and effective method that is now used by many people all over the world.