Getting Things Done (“GTD” for short) is a widely popular personal productivity system invented and popularized by David Allen. However, as Nicole Dieker at Lifehacker pointed out in 2017, “You don’t hear a lot of people talk about the Getting Things Done productivity system anymore.”
I think that’s a shame because it’s a very effective system.
I first tried Getting Things Done after reading “What’s Best Next” by Matt Perman and then reading “Getting Things Done” by David Allen (in its newly revised 2015 edition) shortly thereafter.
At its core, GTD revolves around the following idea from David Allen:
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
What does that mean? Well, your brain does a much better job of coming up with random things than keeping track of them. Therefore, if you don’t have a system in place for reliably and comprehensively keeping track of all the random “open loops” your brain comes up with throughout the day, you will use up a lot of your mental bandwidth trying to remember everything instead of acting on them.
Enter the GTD system. It’s designed to solve the problem of tracking the “open loops” your brain creates—whether “I need to buy milk” or “I need to revamp my blog.”
The “Pillars” of GTD
- Capture: Think on paper. Get stuff out of your head and into a list.
- Clarify: Decide whether each item is an action, a project, something to delete, defer, or delegate, etc. GTD Workflow Chart.
- Organize: As you clarify, put things into different “buckets” – Action Lists, Project Lists, Someday/Maybe Lists, Waiting For Lists, Reference Materials, etc.
- Review: Look at your buckets regularly—daily and weekly.
- Engage: You know, get stuff done.
Getting Back on the GTD Bandwagon
Unfortunately, after following GTD for a few years, I “fell off the bandwagon.” I got sloppy with capturing and clarifying my “open loops,” leading to more time worrying about what I had to do instead of reviewing my “Next Action” lists and moving forward, GTD-style.
Just this past week, I decided to get back on the GTD bandwagon. I’ve got a Ph.D. dissertation to write and a baby on the way, after all! There’s no time to spend worrying about things I’m forgetting. 🙂
My GTD Tools
ToDoist
ToDoist is a fantastic task manager that I use to keep track of my personal tasks and projects.
Google Calendar
I use Google Calendar for managing my schedule—pretty straightforward. 🙂
Gmail
For email communication, I use Gmail along with Unroll.Me and Boomerang, both of which I highly recommend. I have three simple folders:
- @ACTION_SUPPORT
- @KEEP
- @WAITING_FOR_SUPPORT
When an email requires action, I place it in the @ACTION_SUPPORT folder and create a task in ToDoist to remind me. If it’s a reference email, I archive it or move it to the @KEEP folder. For emails I’m waiting on others to act, I set a follow-up reminder in ToDoist and move it to @WAITING_FOR_SUPPORT.
Evernote
Evernote is my second brain—my reference system for everything from receipts to class notes.
Leuchtturm1917 Medium Size Hardcover A5 Notebook – Dotted Grid
This is my go-to tool for “capturing” ideas, projects, actions, etc.
Good Overviews of GTD
The best overview is David Allen’s book, “Getting Things Done,” but here are some great free overviews:
How to Hack Your To-Do List
Watch and Listen to David Allen Summarize GTD
Productivity 101: A Primer to the Getting Things Done (GTD) Philosophy [LifeHacker]
GTD in 15 minutes – A Pragmatic Guide to Getting Things Done [Hamberg.no]
Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen – Animated Book Summary and Review
Want to Try GTD?
The best starting point is David Allen’s book, “Getting Things Done.”
Feel free to ask me any GTD-related questions in the comments below!
Note: Some links are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click and purchase. I only recommend things I find useful!