GTD Overview
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity methodology created by David Allen, described in his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.
Mind Like Water
GTD's core philosophy is achieving a state of mental clarity where your mind is free from the burden of remembering what needs to be done.
"Your head is for having ideas, not holding them." — David Allen
When your mind trusts that everything is captured in a reliable system, it can focus on actually doing work creatively and effectively.
The Five Steps
GTD consists of five interconnected steps:
1. Capture
Get everything out of your head into a trusted system.
- Write down every task, idea, commitment, or reminder
- Don't filter or organize yet—just capture
- Use the Inbox as your landing zone
2. Clarify
Process each captured item and decide what it means.
For each item, ask:
- What is it?
- Is it actionable?
- No → Trash, Someday/Maybe, or Reference
- Yes → What's the desired outcome? What's the next action?
3. Organize
Put things where they belong:
| Destination | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Next Actions | Actionable tasks you'll do yourself |
| Projects | Outcomes requiring multiple actions |
| Waiting For | Delegated to someone else |
| Calendar | Must happen at a specific time |
| Someday/Maybe | Ideas for the future |
| Reference | Information to keep (notes) |
| Trash | Not needed |
4. Reflect
Review your system regularly.
- Daily review — Scan your lists, calendar, and inbox
- Weekly review — Comprehensive review of all lists, clear inboxes, update projects
5. Engage
Take action with confidence.
Choose what to work on based on:
- Context — Where are you? What tools do you have?
- Time — How much time do you have?
- Energy — What's your mental/physical state?
- Priority — What matters most?
Key Concepts
Next Actions
A next action is the next visible, physical activity to move something forward.
❌ Bad: "Work on project" ✓ Good: "Open project folder and review status notes"
Projects
A project is any outcome requiring more than one action. It's a commitment to a result, not a to-do list.
Project Sections
Project Sections are labeled groups inside one project. They keep a longer project task list readable without turning it into nested projects or subtasks.
Example: a project named Launch website might have sections for Design, Development, and Content. The project still has one outcome; sections are just headings for tasks inside that project.
The Project Section field on a task assigns that task to one of the sections in its current project. It only matters when the task already belongs to a project that has sections. If the task has no project, or the project has no sections, leave Project Section blank.
Areas, Projects, and Tasks
Mindwtr uses a flexible "container" model so you can organize without friction:
- Areas are ongoing responsibilities (e.g., Work, Home, Health).
- Projects are outcomes with an end. They can live inside an Area or stand alone.
- Tasks can live inside a Project, inside an Area directly, or be completely unassigned (Inbox / no Area).
This lets you keep long‑running responsibilities in Areas while still capturing quick tasks without forcing a folder choice.
Rule of thumb:
- Areas answer: "What part of my life or work is this responsibility connected to?"
- Contexts answer: "What can I do right now, given where I am and what I have?"
For example, if you work for multiple clients as a contractor, using an Area for each client can be a good fit. A task might belong to Area: Client A, Project: Website Refresh, and Context: @computer at the same time.
The 2-Minute Rule
If an action takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately during processing.
Contexts
Tags that indicate where or with what you can do something:
@home,@work,@errands@computer,@phone#focused,#lowenergy
See also: Contexts and Tags
Why GTD Works
- External trusted system — Your brain stops trying to remember
- Clear next actions — No ambiguity about what to do
- Regular reviews — System stays current and trusted
- Context-based lists — See only what's relevant right now
Learning GTD
- 6 months — Stop feeling clumsy with the system
- 1-2 years — Truly internalize the principles
- Ongoing — Re-reading reveals new insights
Resources
- GTD in 15 Minutes — Quick introduction
- Getting Things Done (book) — David Allen's original book
- r/gtd — GTD community on Reddit