Getting Things Done – Ep. 293: Slice of GTD Life with Jens (January 15, 2025)

Episode Theme & Overview

This episode is an in-depth conversation with Jens, an experienced GTD practitioner and community organizer from Denmark. Hosted by John Forester, the discussion explores Jens’ GTD origin story, his journey through various productivity systems, the development of Nordic GTD meetups, and the evolution of the renowned GTD Summer Camp. The episode also delves into the importance of community for sustained productivity, memorable stories from GTD gatherings, and tips for keeping lists, calendars, and capturing ideas.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jens' GTD Origin Story and Early Practice

• Jens is based in rural Denmark, near Copenhagen, and has been practicing GTD since January 17, 2006, considering it his "GTD birthday."

  [01:36] Jens: “A colleague … posted in the company newsletter 2, 3 pages praising the work of David [Allen] and I was quite inspired and I signed up for the David Allen Company newsletter the 17th of January in 2006. So I consider that as my GTD birthday.”

• Before formal training reached Denmark, Jens self-taught GTD using newsletters and David Allen’s book.
• He later attended a GTD Master Class in London (2014), which deeply inspired him.

2. Building the GTD Community in the Nordics

• Jens helped found the first Danish GTD meetup in 2015 after connecting with other enthusiasts through LinkedIn and meetup.com.

  [03:52] “We then started the meetup group. 10 people meeting at different companies to talk about GTD. And we had the first Danish meetup in 2015. … Now we have over 400 people in the Copenhagen meetup group and 600 people in the Facebook group.”

• Meetups now exist across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland—even internationally.
• The pandemic shifted meetups online, allowing broader international participation, including guests from Germany, Netherlands, Estonia, and the US.

3. Evolving Personal Productivity Systems

• Jens has cycled through productivity tools:
  • Started with paper calendars and Danish-designed systems (Time System).
  • Moved to Remember the Milk (web), then Omnifocus (iOS) for 10 years, now Apple Reminders.

  [10:15] “I finally caved in and bought [an iPhone] and then used Omnifocus for ten years before I two and a half year ago went to Apple Reminders.”

• Prefers digital tools for capturing ideas quickly and overcoming perfectionistic pressure from fancy notebooks:

  [12:53] “If I have high quality paper and pen, I have to be putting high quality stuff on the paper.”

4. The Power of Capturing Ideas

• Capturing on-the-go is essential. Jens shares a humorous story about stopping his car repeatedly to write down ideas while heading to a GTD meetup:

  [14:30] John: “They said you would have been here 30 minutes ago but you had too many ideas.” [15:04] Jens: “An idea that's good enough to stop the car.”

• Changing physical environments (like going to a summer house) sparks creativity and new thinking.

5. Founding and Growing the GTD Summer Camp

• Originated from casual meetups in summer houses, sparked by Morton’s comment in the Facebook group.
• The first camp was organized post-lockdown in an observatory near Copenhagen with 23 participants from 6 countries.
• Camp has grown each year, drawing up to 57 participants from 13 countries by 2024.
• Structure and content evolved, with a shift from minimal breaks (“break for no one”) to prioritizing networking and unstructured conversations.
• Notable for a diverse, supportive community, recurring attendees, and international guests.

6. Community and Belonging

• Sense of “tribe” is a recurring theme; participants finally feel understood regarding their systems and stationary obsessions.

  [19:40] Bjorn (Swedish participant): “I didn't knew I missed the GTD summer camp before I went to the summer camp … it’s such a good quote because we had no idea what we started and what it meant for people to come together.” [30:09] German participant: “I found my tribe.”

7. Family, Friends, and Spreading GTD

• Jens actively invited his family to sample GTD through test seminars, but finds he’s still the most avid practitioner at home.
• Shared lists with his wife prove practical, especially for recurring events like vacation packing.

8. Advancing GTD Practice

• Jens sought out advanced seminars (Levels 2 and 3) in both Denmark and London to deepen his practice.

  [24:07] “Coming back from London … after the Level 2 seminar I felt I was giving a huge spike and I was almost not able to steer it [my GTD system]. Opened so much for me, the possibilities and all the ideas … Quite overwhelming… but I got so much out of it.”

9. Summer Camp Details and The GTD Community Experience

• Recent camps are held at a conference center near a beach, with international airport access.
• Languages: All presentations and most conversations are in English, even among Scandinavians, for inclusivity.
• Attendance cap is dictated by venue size—targeting 60–80 attendees in the future.
• Activities include themed presentations, walk-and-talks on the beach (a beloved tradition enabling personal bonding), and communal weekly reviews:

  [36:53] “We also have a session with a weekly review for one or one and a half hours, sitting in a room with 40, 50 people all doing their weekly review, the concentration and the focus, it's such amazing to experience that.”

• Next summer camp: June 14–15, 2025, with info at GTDSummercamp.com.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community:

  • [19:40] Bjorn: “I didn't knew I missed the GTD summer camp before I went to the … summer camp.”
  • [30:09] German participant: “I found my tribe.”
  • [31:08] Tilen, from Slovenia: “I signed up for the interesting content, I enjoyed the nice location, and I returned for the amazing people.”

• On Capturing Ideas:

  • [15:04] Jens: “An idea that's good enough to stop the car.”

• On Practicing GTD:

  • [24:07] Jens: “After the Level 2 seminar I felt I was giving a huge spike and I was almost not able to steer it … Opened so much for me, the possibilities and all the ideas and didn't have my practice ready to handle all that.”

• On Stationary and Systems:

  • [12:53] Jens: “If I have high quality paper and pen, I have to be putting high quality stuff on the paper.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:36] Jens’ GTD origin story and early adoption
• [03:52] Birth and growth of Danish GTD meetups
• [10:15] Productivity system evolution: From paper to apps
• [14:30–15:04] The “ideas good enough to stop the car” anecdote
• [15:47–17:08] The inception of GTD Summer Camp
• [19:40] “I didn’t know I missed the GTD summer camp” – The impact of community
• [24:07] The leap from Level 1 to Level 2: Deepening GTD
• [30:09–31:08] The “tribe” and what makes the camp special
• [36:53] Group weekly reviews and beach walk-and-talks
• [33:00, 37:39] Next summer camp details and registration info

Tone and Takeaways

The conversation between John and Jens is warm, nerdy, and community-focused, full of mutual recognition for the subtleties GTD enthusiasts value—systems, stationary, capturing workflows, and the joy of finding “your people.” There’s humor about perfectionism and relatable stories about the learning curve for digital tools. The path from lone GTD experimenter to community pillar is inspiring and underlines the lasting impact of mutual support and face-to-face (or virtual) gathering. The episode is packed with practical wisdom, memorable quotes, and a clear message: GTD’s power multiplies with camaraderie.

Additional Insights from David Allen (Closing Message) [38:30]

David Allen offers a perspective on the cyclical nature of GTD learning:

“All of us with this GTD methodology go through cycles. … There's inspiration, a plateau, and then new inspiration as you see what others are doing. You return to the ‘manual’ and discover new possibilities.”

He encourages listeners to embrace this journey, use resources like GTD Connect, and recognize that each return to the basics can open new avenues of productivity.

For more information or future camp registration, visit GTDSummercamp.com