Podcast Summary: Getting Things Done — Ep. 336: Slice of GTD Life with Prachi
Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Jon Forester (GTD®)
Guest: Prachi (Founder of Cool the Globe)
Location: Pune, India
Episode Overview
This episode features an inspiring interview between Jon Forester and Prachi, a young climate action innovator from Pune, India. Prachi shares her deeply personal story of discovering her purpose, the origins and growth of her climate change app Cool the Globe, and how adopting the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology fueled her transition from overwhelmed student to impactful founder and global advocate. The episode dives into practical GTD applications, life choices, and the power of personal and collective action against climate change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Prachi’s Early Life & Finding Her Purpose
- Unique Schooling and Early Reflection
Prachi describes growing up in an experimental, “learn by doing” school, which encouraged self-reflection early on—her teacher once asked the class to write letters to their future selves:“I feel like, in a way, that was my first exercise in a GTD review.” (03:01)
- Rediscovery at a Crossroads
Years later, contemplating whether to pursue engineering, Prachi receives her letter back from her old teacher. The letter rekindles her childhood aspiration to "make an impact and change the world." - Pivotal Gap Year of Service
Inspired, Prachi drops out of engineering and spends a year traveling across India, working with farmers, waste pickers, and children—encountering the real-world effects of climate change. - First Steps Toward Change—at Home
Feeling overwhelmed by the scale of climate change, Prachi and her father set a goal: reduce their family’s carbon footprint by 10% every year. They begin tracking the impact of small, everyday actions.
Building “Cool the Globe” — From Family Project to Global App
- Quantifying Impact
Prachi describes how tracking carbon savings became an engaging family activity:"It almost became like a fun game.” (10:23)
- From Friends to First Users
The family project evolves into Cool the Globe, an app for tracking sustainable actions. After launch, getting beyond the initial 100 users was challenging. - Lessons from Scaling
Prachi gains experience scaling digital campaigns through fellowships and projects—most notably bringing 200,000 farmers onto a virtual expo platform in India via hyperlocal campaigns. - A Turning Point—Public Advocacy
After sharing her story via a video made during the Jagruti Yatra (a cross-country change-makers' train journey), Prachi’s phone “would not stop ringing” with new supporters—from students to CEOs. - Embracing the Founder Role
Suddenly recognized as a founder, Prachi experiences anxiety about sustaining the momentum and realizes she needs a framework to operationalize her ambitions.
Enter GTD – Transforming Chaos to Clarity
- Stumbling Upon GTD
Encouraged by her father’s earlier interest in productivity, Prachi finds Getting Things Done in their home library at the exact moment she needs it:“I remember opening Getting Things Done and I think that was truly the moment that changed my life because everything that came after really happened as a result of GTD.” (19:36)
- Mentorship & Mindset Shifts
After reaching out to Ali Wakeel, a GTD trainer in India, Prachi receives pro-bono GTD coaching for a year. Key lesson:“The list should not make you feel overwhelmed… it’s almost like going shopping and choosing which task feels fun.” (25:00)
- Tipping Point for GTD Adoption
Recognizes that GTD becomes transformative when you hit a “tipping point”—a moment of real, urgent need or transition. - Obsessive Implementation
Prachi devours GTD podcasts and the book, rigorously setting up her systems—integrating everything from inbox capture to context-specific lists.
Practical Impacts: GTD in Action Leading to Growth
- Campaigns & Scaling Reach
With greater clarity, Prachi and her team expand Cool the Globe’s footprint:- Set collective and personal targets (10% annual carbon reduction).
- Interactive features: Each user gets personalized suggestions and can see their cumulative impact.
- Stories of Impact – Diverse Users
- A 9-year-old starts cycling to school, saving “three times her weight in emissions.” (29:20)
- An 80-year-old reuses her wedding saree for her granddaughter’s wedding, saving 15kg CO₂.
- A CEO raises his office AC by 2°C, saving “thousands of kilograms” with one action.
- Cool the Globe by the Numbers (As of episode date)
- Reached 25 million people globally.
- Active in 150 countries.
- Surpassed 100,000 users.
- Over 7 million kg of CO₂ emissions collectively saved.
- Expanded to organizations, schools, and communities, including gamified features and local events.
Major Milestones Fueled by GTD
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Clear Vision, Better Choices Prachi explains how context-specific lists helped her seize unique opportunities:
“Every single milestone came on my Getting Things Done board before it came in reality.” (35:51)
- Example: While traveling to New York for the UN General Assembly, her GTD "New York list" reminds her to reach out to UN contacts—leading to a rare meeting with the UN Secretary-General and a part-time leadership role with the UN Foundation’s Next Generation India Program.
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Ability to Say No
GTD gave Prachi the visibility to choose her projects wisely, declining a full-time role she was passionate about because it didn’t align with her mission-driven priorities.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On personal “birthdays of purpose”:
“People say that you have two birth dates: the first one is when you're born, and the second one is when you figure out why.” — Prachi (06:07)
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On family support for unconventional paths:
“The first more difficult pitch I gave was to my parents... called my dad to a cafe... he was just as excited as I was.” — Prachi (08:11)
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On the GTD mind shift:
“The list… should not make you feel overwhelmed. It’s almost like going shopping and… choosing which task feels fun.” — Advice from GTD coach Ali Wakeel, as recounted by Prachi (25:00)
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On impact and collective action:
“What we started at our individual home… how can we get global citizens to join us in it?” (11:35) "Our belief… was when a lot of people like us come together, our collective impact can be extraordinary.” (31:02)
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On passing sustainability to future generations:
“Her granddaughter was getting married… instead of buying new clothes, she decided to reuse her own traditional attire or sari from her wedding and 15 kg of carbon emissions by doing that.” (29:20)
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On GTD as a “founder skillset”:
“I wanted to become overnight a founder and a CEO. And [GTD] was the tool… to help me do that.” (22:51)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [01:46] – Prachi’s school, early reflection, and formative exercise of writing to her future self
- [03:11] – The “wake up call”: receiving her childhood letter and embarking on a year of service
- [06:07] – Realizing climate change’s real-world, personal impact (“two birth dates” quote)
- [10:23] – Making climate action a family game, tracking impact
- [12:49] – Building and launching Cool the Globe as a college project
- [15:14] – Lessons from scaling digital campaigns, the Jagruti Yatra turning point
- [19:36] – Discovering GTD at a critical career/mission moment
- [24:50] – Mentorship from Ali Wakeel and shifting the GTD mindset
- [29:20] – Personal stories of user impact—children, elders, and executives
- [33:31] – Gamifying climate action, moving beyond guilt to community and fun
- [35:51] – How GTD enabled serendipitous opportunities (UN meeting and leadership)
- [40:34]–[end] – Jon’s reflection on cycles with the GTD methodology and encouragement for listeners
Tone & Language
The episode maintains a tone of warmth, inspiration, and practical hopefulness. Prachi’s storytelling is earnest and personal, peppered with humor about family and the relatable challenges of launching something new. Jon’s approach is encouraging and curious, allowing Prachi’s story and insights to take center stage.
Conclusion
Through vivid anecdotes and practical frameworks, this episode illustrates how purpose, systems (like GTD), and everyday actions can scale up to meaningful, global impact—showing that anyone, anywhere, can become a force for positive change.
Notable Links Mentioned:
Recommended for:
Listeners looking for inspiration, actionable GTD examples, or insight into grassroots climate action and purposeful entrepreneurship.