David Allen says all of the organizational apps out there are really just list monitors. What you need to do is list, or "map," what it is you need to get done, and do it, he says.

"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding on to them," he says.

Allen coined the term "GTD" aka "getting things done," and it's a program that prides itself on its five steps to "order chaos."

And those steps are: Capture, and collect what has your attention; Clarify, and process what that means; Organize, and put it where it belongs; Reflect, and review frequently; and Engage — do it.

That all makes sense, but... What really motivates us?

I'm working through this sentence:  "Your head is the worst place in the world for trying to hold stuff."

I agree with that statement. The brain is lousy for storing and then recalling. 

This article is less about what motivates us than what will get us to do things. For what motivates us, I can't think of a better reference than Dan Pink's book, Drive. 

Ah! That's the reason why I was struggling with this article. 

Getting things done is completely different from motivation. 

Of course, without motivation you can't get things done...