What is Getting Things Done (GTD)?

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity method described by David Allen in his 2001 book of the same name. Its central idea is that your mind is for having ideas, not holding them, so everything you need to remember should be captured in a trusted system outside your head.

The five steps

1. Capture: write down everything that has your attention, in an inbox.
2. Clarify: for each item, decide what it is and what the very next action is. If it takes under two minutes, do it now.
3. Organise: put actions, projects, waiting-for items and someday ideas in the right lists.
4. Reflect: do a weekly review to keep the system current.
5. Engage: choose what to do based on where you are, the time you have and your energy.

Why people like it

Getting things out of your head reduces the background stress of trying to remember everything. Thinking in next actions (“email Dana about the date”) instead of vague projects (“sort out the event”) makes starting much easier.

A lighter version

Full GTD has many lists and can feel heavy. The parts most people keep are: one inbox for capture, next actions instead of projects, and a weekly review.

In Thendoo: capture anything with ⌘K or Ctrl K into the Inbox, sort it one item at a time (make a task, do it now, someday or let it go), plan the day with Plan my day, and use the Weekly review to keep everything current.