What is GTD?

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity methodology created by David Allen and outlined in his book of the same name. The core principle is simple: your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. By capturing everything that has your attention and processing it systematically, you free your mind to focus on actually doing work instead of trying to remember it.

GTD is not just a task management system—it's a comprehensive approach to managing all your commitments, projects, and inputs. When implemented correctly, it creates what Allen calls "mind like water"—a state of relaxed focus where you can engage fully with whatever you're doing without nagging thoughts about what you might be forgetting.

Why GTD Works

Traditional to-do lists fail because they don't account for the complexity of modern work and life. A simple list doesn't help you decide what to do next or ensure you're working on the right things. GTD provides a complete system for:

  • Capturing everything that has your attention
  • Clarifying what each item means and what you need to do about it
  • Organizing items into appropriate categories and contexts
  • Reflecting regularly to keep your system current
  • Engaging with confidence that you're working on the right things

The Five Steps of GTD

GTD is built around five core steps that form a workflow for processing everything that comes your way. These steps work together as a system—skip one, and the whole thing breaks down.

  1. Capture - Collect what has your attention
  2. Clarify - Process what it means
  3. Organize - Put it where it belongs
  4. Reflect - Review frequently
  5. Engage - Simply do

Let's dive deep into each step.

Step 1: Capture

The first step is getting everything out of your head and into a trusted external system. This includes tasks, ideas, commitments, projects, random thoughts—anything that has your attention.

The Capture Mindset

The key principle here is 100% capture. If you only capture some things, your brain won't trust the system and will keep trying to remember everything. This defeats the entire purpose.

What to capture:

  • Tasks and to-dos
  • Project ideas
  • Commitments you've made
  • Things you're waiting for from others
  • Ideas for someday/maybe
  • Reference materials you might need
  • Anything causing you stress or taking mental energy

Capture Tools

You need trusted capture tools that are always available:

  • Physical inbox - A tray on your desk for paper items
  • Digital inbox - Email, notes apps, or dedicated GTD tools
  • Mobile capture - Your phone for capturing on the go
  • Voice capture - Voice memos when you can't type

The specific tools matter less than having them consistently available. Many GTD practitioners use Todoist or Things 3 for digital capture, with a paper notebook for analog capture.

Capture Best Practices

  • Capture immediately when something comes to mind
  • Don't try to organize during capture—just get it down
  • Make capture tools frictionless and always accessible
  • Review capture points regularly to process items
  • Use quick capture shortcuts in your apps

Step 2: Clarify

Once you've captured everything, you need to clarify what each item means. This is where many people fail—they capture things but never process them, leading to overwhelmed inboxes.

The Clarifying Questions

For each captured item, ask yourself:

"What is it?" Understand what you've captured. Is it a task, a project, reference material, or trash?

"Is it actionable?" Does this require you to do something?

If not actionable, it's one of three things:

  • Trash - Delete it
  • Someday/Maybe - A possibility for the future
  • Reference - Information you might need later

If actionable, determine:

  • What's the next action? The very next physical step
  • Will it take less than 2 minutes? If so, do it now
  • Am I the right person? If not, delegate it
  • Is it part of a larger project? Multi-step outcomes need project planning

The Two-Minute Rule

If an action will take less than two minutes, do it immediately. The time spent organizing and tracking it would be greater than just doing it.

This rule is surprisingly powerful. Many items that seem like tasks are actually quick actions that can be cleared immediately.

Step 3: Organize

After clarifying, you need to organize items into the appropriate lists and categories. GTD uses a specific organizational structure:

Core GTD Lists

Next Actions Individual next steps organized by context (see below). These are concrete, physical actions—not vague tasks.

Projects Any outcome requiring more than one action. Each project has at least one next action on your Next Actions list.

Waiting For Items you're waiting on from others. Track what you're waiting for, from whom, and when you asked.

Someday/Maybe Ideas and possibilities for the future. Review regularly to decide if they should become active.

Calendar Only for time-specific items—appointments and deadlines. Don't use your calendar as a to-do list.

Reference Information you might need. This includes files, notes, and any material you want to keep.

Contexts

GTD organizes next actions by context—the tool, location, or situation needed to complete them. Common contexts include:

  • @Computer - Tasks requiring your computer
  • @Phone - Calls to make
  • @Home - Tasks for home
  • @Office - Work-location tasks
  • @Errands - Things to do while out
  • @Anywhere - Tasks requiring no specific context

Contexts help you see only relevant actions. When you're at your computer, you see computer tasks. When you're out running errands, you see errand tasks.

Step 4: Reflect

The system only works if you keep it current. GTD requires regular reviews at different levels.

Daily Review

Each day, review your calendar and next actions lists. This ensures you know what's coming and can plan accordingly.

  • Check today's calendar for appointments
  • Review next actions lists
  • Identify your most important tasks
  • Process any new inputs from inboxes

Weekly Review

The weekly review is the linchpin of GTD. Without it, the system degrades quickly. Set aside 1-2 hours each week for:

  1. Get clear

    • Process all inboxes to zero
    • Review calendar (past week and coming weeks)
    • Empty your head of any new items

  2. Get current

    • Review all project lists
    • Review next actions lists
    • Review waiting for items
    • Review someday/maybe list

  3. Get creative

    • Think about new projects or ideas
    • Identify stuck projects
    • Consider what's on your mind

Higher Horizons

Beyond weekly reviews, periodically review your:

  • Areas of focus and responsibility
  • Goals and objectives (1-2 years)
  • Vision (3-5 years)
  • Purpose and principles

Step 5: Engage

With your system in place and regularly reviewed, you can engage with confidence. When choosing what to do, consider:

  1. Context - What can you do here/now?
  2. Time available - How much time do you have?
  3. Energy available - What's your current energy level?
  4. Priority - What's most important?

This intuitive model works because your system is complete and current. You can trust that if something important needs doing, it's on a list.

Best Tools for GTD

The best GTD tool is one you'll actually use. Here are proven options:

Digital GTD Tools

Todoist - Excellent for GTD with projects, labels (contexts), and filters. Natural language input makes capture fast.

Things 3 - Built with GTD principles. Beautiful design for Apple users with areas, projects, and tags.

OmniFocus - The power user's GTD tool with perspectives, review modes, and deep customization.

TickTick - Feature-rich with calendar, habits, and Pomodoro built in.

For Notes and Reference

Notion - Flexible for project support materials and reference.

Obsidian - Great for linked reference materials and thinking.

Evernote - Solid for reference with powerful search.

Getting Started with GTD

Ready to implement GTD? Here's how to begin:

Week 1: Mind Sweep

Set aside 2-3 hours for a complete mind sweep. Capture absolutely everything that has your attention—every commitment, idea, task, worry, and project. Don't organize yet, just capture.

Week 2: Process and Organize

Go through your captured items one by one. Apply the clarifying questions. Set up your lists (projects, next actions by context, waiting for, someday/maybe).

Week 3: Build the Habit

Start using your system daily. Process new inputs. Work from your context lists. Do a weekly review on the same day each week.

Ongoing: Refine and Maintain

GTD is a practice, not a one-time setup. Expect to refine your approach over time. The weekly review keeps everything running smoothly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Capturing but not clarifying - Items pile up unprocessed
  • Vague next actions - "Work on project" vs. "Draft outline for blog post"
  • Skipping weekly reviews - The system degrades without maintenance
  • Over-complicating - Start simple, add complexity only as needed
  • Wrong tool focus - The system matters more than the tool
Productivity Stack Team PS
Written by

Productivity Stack Team

Our team of productivity experts researches and tests tools to help you work smarter. We combine hands-on experience with thorough analysis to provide actionable recommendations.

Getting Things Done (GTD) FAQ

Most people can set up a basic GTD system in a weekend. However, building the habits to maintain it takes 4-6 weeks of consistent practice. The weekly review habit is particularly important—without it, the system degrades quickly.
No, GTD can work with paper and folders. However, digital tools like Todoist, Things 3, or OmniFocus make capture, organization, and review much easier. The best tool is one you will actually use consistently.
This is common when starting GTD. Review your project list and move non-essential items to Someday/Maybe. You can only actively work on a limited number of projects. Focus on what matters most and defer the rest.
Process email to zero regularly. Each email is either trash, reference, or creates actions/projects. Use the two-minute rule for quick responses. Forward complex items to your task manager for proper processing.
No, GTD covers all areas of life—work, personal, health, relationships, hobbies. Having one trusted system for everything is more effective than separate work and personal systems.
If an action will take less than 2 minutes to complete, do it immediately instead of organizing it. The overhead of tracking a 2-minute task exceeds the effort of just doing it now.
Once per week, ideally at the same time each week. Many people do Friday afternoons or Sunday evenings. The weekly review typically takes 1-2 hours and is essential for keeping your system functional.
Contexts are the tools, locations, or situations needed to complete an action. Common examples: @Computer, @Phone, @Home, @Office, @Errands. Organizing by context helps you see only relevant actions.
Recurring tasks can be set up in most digital GTD tools. For the methodology, treat each recurrence as a fresh next action. Some people track recurring items as checklists within a recurring project review.
GTD is primarily a personal system, but it works well within teams. Each person maintains their own GTD system. The "Waiting For" list tracks items delegated to others. Team tools like Asana or Monday can complement individual GTD systems.

More Productivity Guides

📚 Productivity Methods

The Pomodoro Technique

12 min read 📚 Productivity Methods

Building a Second Brain

20 min read 🔧 Tool Guides

Notion for Beginners

15 min read 📚 Productivity Methods

Time Blocking

14 min read