Get Everything Done

1. Personality Drawn to Mark Forster’s Systems

Core Appeal: Simplicity, flexibility, psychological relief, and flow.

Creative / intuitive types
Writers, artists, or entrepreneurs who work in bursts of inspiration.
They dislike bureaucracy and over-structuring, but need gentle nudges to overcome resistance.

Experimenters and tinkerers
People who like trying new systems and optimizing “on the fly.”
They’re comfortable with iteration and don’t expect one perfect method forever.

Procrastinators / resistance-sensitive people
Those who often feel blocked by large, structured systems.
Forster’s focus on reducing friction (Zero Resistance, AutoFocus) is very appealing.

Minimalists
People who dislike large capture systems and want to “just do the work.”
They want the smallest viable set of rules.

Adaptive workers
People whose days are unpredictable, or whose work depends on shifting moods/energy.
They need a method that flows with psychological states.

Potential pitfall: Can neglect long-term strategy or big-picture structure, so strategic planners may feel under-served.

Here is a second answer from ChatGPT:

1. Mark Forster’s Systems: Personality Fit

General Profile:
People drawn to Forster tend to be experimenters, intuitives, and self-observers. They care less about comprehensive structure and more about psychological ease, flow, and adaptability.

Likely Traits:
Creative types who resist rigid systems.
Procrastinators who struggle with starting tasks and need methods that lower friction.
Minimalists who dislike complexity and want the simplest possible structure.
Adaptive personalities who enjoy trying different approaches depending on mood or context.
Reflective/self-analytical—they like to test systems on themselves, noticing what triggers resistance.

Strength-seeking: They want productivity methods that feel good to use, not just that “work on paper.”

I also asked ChatGPT about GTD:

2. Personality Drawn to David Allen’s GTD
Core Appeal: Structure, clarity, comprehensiveness, and trust in a system.

Analytical / structured thinkers
Engineers, project managers, executives—people who like order and defined processes.
They’re comfortable building and maintaining systems.

Completeness-seekers
Those who feel anxious unless everything is captured, categorized, and under control.
GTD gives them peace of mind.

Long-range planners
People who want to connect daily actions to 30,000-foot goals.
Horizons of Focus and project mapping satisfy this.

Disciplined / review-oriented workers
Those who enjoy (or at least don’t mind) weekly reviews, detailed lists, and organizing.

High-responsibility roles
People managing teams, multiple projects, or large workloads where dropping a ball is costly.
GTD provides confidence they won’t miss commitments.

Potential pitfall: Can feel overwhelming, bureaucratic, or rigid for people who dislike constant review/organization.

2nd answer from ChatGPT:

2. David Allen’s GTD: Personality Fit

General Profile:
People drawn to GTD tend to be system-builders, organizers, and planners. They care about control, comprehensiveness, and reliability.

Likely Traits:
Detail-oriented, conscientious types who find relief in structure.
High-responsibility professionals juggling many roles/projects at once.
Long-term planners who value aligning daily tasks with bigger life goals.
Security-seekers who feel anxious if commitments aren’t tracked externally.
Consistency-driven—they like a stable framework that doesn’t change much.

Strength-seeking: They want productivity methods that guarantee nothing slips through the cracks.
3. Simplified Contrast
Trait Mark Forster Systems GTD
Style Minimalist, experimental Comprehensive, structured
Best for Creatives, procrastinators, flow-seekers Managers, planners, detail- oriented
Comfort with Ambiguity High (methods adapt on the fly) Low (everything clarified and categorized)
Focus Ease of action, psychological momentum Externalized control, trusted system
Weakness Can lack strategic structure Can feel heavy or bureaucratic

So in short:
Forster people are usually creative, resistant to bureaucracy, and drawn to psychological simplicity.
Allen people are usually structured, responsibility-heavy, and drawn to comprehensive order.

The 2nd summary:
3. In Short
Forster users: Psychologically oriented, flexible, flow-seeking, creative, often battling resistance.
GTD users: Structure-oriented, comprehensive, responsible, control-seeking, detail-focused.
Or metaphorically:
GTD appeals to the engineer (systems, reliability, everything captured).
Forster appeals to the artist-experimenter (flow, intuition, ease).

ChatGPT asked me: Do you want me to also map this onto something like **MBTI types or Big Five personality traits**?
I answered - yes
ChatGPT said:

Perfect—let’s map them to MBTI and Big Five to make the personality profiles clearer.

1. Mark Forster’s Systems
MBTI Fit

NP types (ENFP, INFP, ENTP, INTP):
Value flexibility, experimentation, flow.
Often resist rigid external structures.
Prefer adaptive, interest-driven systems.

SP types (ESFP, ISFP, ESTP, ISTP):
Action-oriented, dislike bureaucratic overhead.
Want frictionless, minimal planning.

Big Five Traits
High Openness: Enjoy experimenting with systems, dislike rigid rules.
Moderate Conscientiousness: Enough to want a system, but not enough to tolerate heavy structure.
High Neuroticism (sometimes): Attracted to resistance-reducing methods because of procrastination stress.
High Flexibility/Low Orderliness: They thrive in systems that bend with them.

Keywords: Creative, adaptive, intuitive, easily bored by structure, prone to procrastination.

2. David Allen’s GTD
MBTI Fit
TJ types (ENTJ, INTJ, ESTJ, ISTJ):
Natural planners and organizers.
Like structured, comprehensive frameworks.
Value predictability and long-term planning.

Some FJ types (ENFJ, INFJ):
Use structure to keep many responsibilities aligned.

Big Five Traits
High Conscientiousness: Especially Orderliness and Industriousness.
Moderate-to-Low Openness: Comfortable with structure and consistency.
Low-to-Moderate Neuroticism: Want stress-free productivity through control.
High Dutifulness/Responsibility: Trust the system to manage commitments.

Keywords: Organized, detail-focused, disciplined, systematic, responsibility-driven.

3. Comparative Snapshot
Dimension Mark Forster Systems GTD (David Allen)
MBTI NP, SP TJ, some FJ
Openness High Moderate
Conscientiousness Moderate High
Neuroticism Moderate–High (resistance prone) Low–Moderate (seeks calm)
Style Adaptive, minimalist, experimental Comprehensive, structured, reliable

Metaphor:
Forster appeals to the artist-inventor who struggles to start.
Allen appeals to the executive-engineer who must keep control.

(ChatGPT then offered to give a MBTI Fit for Each Forster System)

MBTI Fit for Each Forster System

1. Dreams (vision-driven, near no-list, intuitive action)
Best fit: NP types (ENFP, INFP, ENTP, INTP).
These personalities thrive on inspiration, exploration, and emergent direction.
They dislike heavy structures and love flexibility.
Secondary fit: Some SP types (ESFP, ISFP) who like free-flow spontaneity.

2. Simple Scanning (single long list, intuitive scanning, no dismissal rules)
Best fit: NPs again, especially ENTP / ENFP.
They enjoy freedom but like at least a central “basket” of options.
Secondary fit: INFP / INTP who want light structure but not commitments.
Least suited: Strong J types (need closure).

3. Autofocus (long list + scanning rules/dismissals, intuitive but with structure)
Best fit: NTPs (ENTP, INTP) — rules + play.
They like experimentation and tinkering with systems.
Also suited: ENFP / INFP who need gentle boundaries.
Appeal to some Js: Especially INFJ / INTJ who like “organic-seeming structure.”

4. Final Version / FVP (long-list mechanics with page rules; usable in long or short modes)
Best fit: NFJs (ENFJ, INFJ) and NTJs (ENTJ, INTJ).
It gives the predictability of a framework but leaves some room for adaptation.
Secondary fit: NPs who want to “bridge” into structure.
Appeal: Versatile — middle-ground system.

5. Do It Tomorrow (DIT) (closed daily list, short, protected, structured)
Best fit: SJs (ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ).
They like clear boundaries, daily closure, and predictable order.
Also fits: NJ planners (INTJ, ENTJ) who want protected focus.
Least suited: Free-floating NPs (feels confining).

6. Get Everything Done (GED) (multiple rotating lists, segmented and rule-driven)
Best fit: NTJs (INTJ, ENTJ).
They enjoy managing complex frameworks and seeing systemic balance.
Also fits: Some STJs who like order through segmentation.
Least suited: SPs and freewheeling NPs.

In Spectrum Order
Open / Intuitive end (P-types, especially NPs): Dreams → Simple Scanning → Autofocus.
Balanced / bridging middle (NJs and some FJs): Final Version.
Closed / Structured end (J-types, especially SJs & NTJs): Do It Tomorrow → Get Everything Done.

(I then noticed that ChatGPT had not listed the system from the book Secrets of Productive People, so I asked it to include it, and this was the answer)

Perfect, thanks for bringing this in — the Secrets of Productive People (SoPP) book sits a little differently than Forster’s other systems, since it’s more a toolkit/philosophy + a few light micro-systems (like 5/2) rather than a single closed method like Do It Tomorrow or Final Version.

If we place it into the spectrum you outlined (Dreams → Simple Scanning → Autofocus → Final Version → Do It Tomorrow → GED), I’d suggest:

📍 Where Secrets of Productive People Fits

Overall: Not a “system” but a framework/book of principles. It’s designed for flexibility and reflection.

Core micro-system (5/2): A small, low-friction list approach (always have 5 tasks on your list, aim to complete 3, then top up). This is mid-spectrum: not as fluid as Dreams or Simple Scanning, but much lighter than DIT or GED.

Placement:
👉 Between Autofocus and Final Version, slightly leaning toward Autofocus.

Like Autofocus, it balances freedom with a little structure (top-up rules).

Like FV, it offers mechanical rules, but they’re minimal and optional.

Unlike DIT/GED, it doesn’t “close” the system; it leaves plenty open.

🔮 MBTI Types Drawn to Secrets of Productive People

Based on its strengths and weaknesses:

ENFP / ENTP (Ne-dominant) → Attracted to the flexible, idea-rich, philosophical toolkit. They’ll enjoy browsing the “secrets” and experimenting.

INFJ / INFP → Appreciate the attitudinal/mindset focus, realistic thinking, and the balance of fewer, better tasks. The reflective exercises will resonate.

ENTJ / ESTJ → Might find the book’s fragmented/philosophical tone frustrating, but could lock onto the 5/2 method as a practical mini-structure.

ISTJ / ISFJ → Will probably dislike the looseness of the book unless they pair 5/2 with a more robust structure like DIT.

✅ So in short: Secrets of Productive People is philosophy + micro-system. It sits in the middle spectrum (near Autofocus) and best appeals to intuitive personality types (N), while structured types (SJs especially) would need to anchor it with a more rigid system.

This is my comment on the above:

Taking into account that ChatGPT as far as I know is not a human being or a psychologist, and the placing of Mark Forster's systems on a spectrum is somewhat speculative, nevertheless the principle that productive systems fit certain personality types seems to me the best explanation, apart from the wisdom of the system itself, for why certain systems work for some but not others.