Your Ultimate Guide to Getting Things Done (GTD)

Ever feel like your to-do list is running your life instead of the other way around? Welcome to the club. We all juggle countless tasks, both personal and professional, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

That’s where Getting Things Done (GTD) comes in – a powerful methodology designed to help you reclaim control over your tasks and projects.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the essential steps to implement GTD in your daily life, turning chaos into order.

• From conducting a brain dump to creating a Next Tasks List,
• from planning complex projects to organizing your tasks effectively,
• and from handling surprises with ease to maintaining a clear vision for your goals – GTD covers it all.

We’ll also dive into practical tools like your Projects File, Calendar, Waiting-for List, Someday-Maybe List, and Reference File, ensuring you have everything you need to get started.

By the end of this guide, you’ll not only understand the GTD methodology but also be ready to apply it, transforming how you manage tasks and projects. So, let’s get started and take the first step towards a more organized and productive life!

Where to start with GTD

GTD, or Getting Things Done, is a personal productivity and time management method created by David Allen, detailed in his book “Getting Things Done”.

Sure, there’s a mountain of information about GTD online. But let’s cut to the chase: GTD isn’t the easiest system to wrap your head around. It has a learning curve that can make you want to throw in the towel before you’ve even gotten started.

So here’s my plea if you’re new to GTD: trust that you can become way more productive with it and significantly less stressed about your tasks, both at work and in your personal life.

The true magic of GTD is that, while it might seem complicated at first, it eventually becomes indispensable.

I’m not going to cover every nook and cranny of GTD here. For one, the book is nearly 300 pages long, and I’m not about to claim I can distill all that into a single blog post. Secondly, I just want to get you started, and you only need a few steps to do that.

Your GTD journey begins with a specific exercise. It might take some time, but trust me, it’s worth it, whether you fully adopt the system or not.

The brain dump exercise

Grab a couple of blank sheets of paper and jot down every single task that’s cluttering your mind right now. Yes, I mean every task.

• Start with work-related tasks. List every report you need to write, calls you need to make, emails you need to tackle, instructions from your boss, client demands – everything. If you don’t work at a desk, don’t skip this step. Write down everything specific to your job.
• Next, move on to household tasks. Cleaning, cooking, repairs, calling the plumber – everything that keeps your home running smoothly.
• Then focus on family tasks. Include visits to relatives, picking up someone from the airport, making sure your kids do their homework, helping your child choose a college, or planning a night out for your spouse.
• Now, list health and fitness tasks. Schedule that doctor’s appointment, pick up prescription drugs, visit the gym, or research a new diet plan.
• Don’t forget about friends and colleagues. Maybe you need to make a reservation for a meetup or remember to be on time for a hangout. Write down all your social obligations.
• Shopping and bills come next. List everything you need to buy and all the bills you need to pay by the end of the month.
• Educational tasks are up next. Note down books you want to read, articles to save, classes to attend, or supplies to buy, like that new guitar tuner for your lessons.
• Finally, think about hobbies and entertainment. Write down movies you want to see, concerts you want to attend, and any upcoming parties or events.
• And for the grand finale, list any miscellaneous tasks – things you’ve been avoiding because you felt too busy.

So, how did it go? How long did it take? Did you capture absolutely everything? If your list has fewer than 300 items, you’re not done yet. Spend a bit more time to make sure you haven’t missed a single thing.

Examine the list

Take a good look at your list. Can you believe all these things have been hogging your brain’s resources? No wonder you’ve been feeling stressed, constantly worried something important might slip through the cracks.

Now, imagine if your brain could focus on actually solving these tasks instead of just trying to remember them. That’s what GTD can do for you. It takes all these tasks out of your brain and puts them somewhere reliable.

The lists you’ve created are the foundation of the GTD system. You’ll build on them in the next steps. Reflect for a moment and ensure you’ve captured everything. If not, do a quick update.

👉 You might also be interested in: 30 Rather Unusual Productivity Tips

Selecting what to do next with GTD

With your brain dump exercise complete, it’s time to transform your massive list into an actionable plan. This will make choosing your next task a breeze.

If you’re not using any methodology, selecting the next task can feel overwhelming. There’s so much to do and so little time. You might aim to tackle the most important tasks first, but how do you determine what’s truly important versus what just seems urgent?

This is where GTD really shines. It helps you take your brain dump list and break it down into manageable, actionable sections. GTD guides you to sort tasks in a way that reduces confusion and makes prioritizing easy.

Next, we’ll look at how to use GTD to create these actionable sections.

Dividing your list into projects

Your brain dump list, as it stands, isn’t very workable. To boost productivity, you need something more focused and manageable.

The first step is to turn your list of tasks into a list of projects. Here’s how:

1. Group Similar Tasks: Gather all tasks that are related to the same area. For instance, if you’re a freelance designer and blogger, your list might include tasks like improving the menu for client X, designing custom buttons for client X, finishing touches on client Y’s site, writing a new blog post, and updating WordPress.
   • You can group these into: Client X tasks, Client Y tasks, My blog tasks
   • These groups become your projects.
2. Identify Complex Tasks: Some tasks might seem simple but require multiple steps to complete. For example, “have the car fixed” sounds straightforward but involves choosing a mechanic, calling them, making an appointment, taking your car to the mechanic, and picking it up. This is actually a project.

The idea is to create a number of projects, each consisting of at least two related tasks. This approach makes your list more manageable and sets the stage for the next step in implementing GTD.

Next tasks list / aka. as soon as possible list

This is where you’ll spend most of your time when working with GTD.

Now that you have your list of projects, it’s time to take the next step. Start by selecting just ONE task from each project and put it on a separate list.

This one task should be the next logical thing you can do to move a project forward. Every project has such a task, so choosing it should be straightforward.

For example, if your project is fixing your car, the next task might be to choose a mechanic.

Don’t try to select more than one task per project. It might seem like multiple tasks need to be done simultaneously, but that’s not the case. Even if you think two tasks need to be done at the same time, you’ll still start with one and then move on to the other. You can’t complete one task with your left hand and another with your right. Stick to a single next task for each project.

The list you’re creating, which contains only a single task from each project, is called the next tasks list. As the name suggests, it contains all the tasks you need to handle next; nothing more.

Selecting what to do from the next tasks list

Your next tasks list is still a collection of various tasks, so you need a method to decide which one to tackle first.

Here are four main factors to help you prioritize:

1. Your context

Your context refers to the environment you’re currently in. Some possible contexts might include: at the office, at home, on my phone, or at the shopping mall.

It’s clear that some tasks can only be done in specific contexts. For example, if you have an office job, you can’t tackle work-related tasks when you’re not at the office. So, there’s no need to clutter your mind with those tasks when you’re at home.

This context principle is straightforward but crucial. Keeping it in mind helps you avoid unproductive thinking and stay focused on what you can actually accomplish in your current environment.

2. Available time

Different tasks require different amounts of time. If you have only 30 minutes to spare, there’s no point in starting a new marketing strategy for your company.

When selecting a task, always estimate how much time it will take and compare it to the time you actually have. This way, you can choose a task that fits within your available time and avoid leaving things half-done.

3. Available energy

Sometimes, you might not feel up to doing creative work. Maybe some simple physical tasks, like washing the car, would be more suitable at the moment.

This is perfectly fine. You don’t have to be at your peak mental strength all the time. It’s okay to use those low-energy moments to handle other types of work.

4. Priorities

This is where the fun starts. Priorities are the final factor in deciding what to do next.

You likely have a sense of what priorities are. Either something is important to you at the moment, or it isn’t. For example, you might have felt fine yesterday, but today you feel ill, so visiting the doctor becomes the highest priority, even though it wasn’t a priority yesterday.

Priorities can change daily, and that’s normal. It doesn’t mean you’re unorganized. In fact, if your priorities haven’t changed in the last 10 years, it might be time to reassess them.

For now, think of priorities as the answer to the question: “What’s the most important task for me at this precise moment?”

To recap the steps for selecting what to do next:

1. Create your projects list.
2. Take one task from each project and put it into your next tasks list.
3. Choose what to do next based on your context, available time, available energy, and priorities (in that order).
4. Do the task.
5. Put another task from the same project on the next tasks list.
6. Go back to point #3.

The key to GTD – your daily graph of activity

Sounds serious, doesn’t it? Thankfully, the whole idea is quite easy to grasp.

At this point, you already know the main elements of productivity and where to start with GTD. This is great, but we’re still missing one important piece of information:

What the hell do we do with all this stuff?

Today, we’re going to cover exactly that.

Understanding the diagram of action

Understanding the Diagram of Action

When working with GTD, you’re always doing one of three things:

1. Tackling defined tasks.
2. Handling undefined tasks.
3. Planning (defining) your tasks.

These activities form a loop, repeating throughout your day, week, month, and beyond.

We’ll dive into planning your tasks in the next post, so let’s leave that for now and focus on the first two.

• Defined tasks are everything in your Projects List, Next Tasks List, Future/Maybe List, and Calendar. Basically, all the stuff you’ve planned to do.
• Undefined tasks are those surprises that life throws at you, demanding immediate action. Like when your spouse calls to say the house is on fire. (Okay, that’s extreme, but you get the idea.)

Everything you encounter in life falls into one of these categories: either planned (defined) or unexpected (undefined).

For defined tasks, it’s straightforward. When you’re ready to work, you just pick a task from your Next Tasks List and get it done. But what about those pesky undefined tasks? Do we just handle them as they come, or is there a strategy?

This is where the Daily Graph of Activity comes into play.

Getting to know your daily graph of activity

First, the graph itself. Don’t get discouraged because it’s actually quite easy to understand. Let me explain.

At the top of the graph are “things.” These are everything that crosses your path during the day – emails, ideas, phone calls, direct orders from your boss – anything that requires a reaction from you.

These things go into your inbox. Your inbox doesn’t have to be an actual inbox, like an email inbox or a mailbox in your front yard. It’s simply a place where all incoming things land. You could use a folder on your computer’s desktop, sticky notes on your monitor, or a special container on your desk. Whatever works for you can be your inbox.

Once things land in your inbox, they wait for your action. Pick something up and ask: What is it? Do I have to (or want to) do anything about it?

If the answer is no, you have four main options:

1. Trash it: Self-explanatory.
2. Put it in your Future/Maybe list: If you might want to deal with it later.
3. Schedule it in your calendar: If it needs action on a specific date and time (remember, your calendar is sacred).
4. Put it in your reference files: If it’s just information you want to keep, but it’s not actionable.

If the answer is yes, the next question is: Is it the next possible action?

Undefined things can range from simple tasks (like “Take out the trash”) to huge projects (like “Start the marketing campaign for Coca-Cola”). This question helps you decide which it is.

• If it’s a new project, put it in your Projects List and plan out the tasks needed (more on this later).
• If it’s a simple one-action task, consider if you can do it in less than 2 minutes. Why 2 minutes? Because taking care of every one-action task immediately would derail your entire day. GTD helps protect against incoming tasks sabotaging your workflow.
• If you can do it in less than 2 minutes, do it right away. An example is taking out the trash.

Most tasks take longer than 2 minutes. In that case, you have two choices: delegate or defer.

• Delegate: Send it to someone else, like an assistant or contractor. Put it in your “Waiting For” list so you remember to follow up.
• Defer: Put it in either your Calendar (if it must be done on a specific date) or your Next Tasks List (to handle when you’re working on defined tasks).

That’s all there is to the graph. Following it honestly helps you handle every undefined task effectively.

Undefined tasks can completely ruin your perfectly planned day, but GTD can help prevent that from happening.

Now what?

You know what to do with your defined tasks (simply do them when you have some time) and your undefined tasks (define them as explained above). But there’s one more quick thing I want to share with you today: how to review your work each day and week, and actually stay aware of what’s going on.

Here’s what I personally do.

Each day, I start with my Calendar because the most important tasks for the day are right there – tasks that can’t be overlooked. I recommend you do the same: start your day by checking your Calendar.

After the Calendar, I turn to my Next Tasks List. I pick one task and execute it, then move on to the next, and so on.

Additionally, once a week, I do a bigger review. I look at all my lists: Projects List, Future/Maybe List, Waiting For List. I ensure my priorities are still the same and that I still want to tackle all the tasks listed. I also plan the next week and update everything to align with my current goals and matters. This is also the time to create new projects and delete old ones – basically, cleaning things up.

And that’s it. This whole methodology boils down to these simple activities:

1. Take care of your Calendar.
2. Take care of your Next Tasks List.
3. Review everything.
4. Repeat.

This is why GTD is so effective in a real-life environment.

Six core components of GTD

Okay, so the graph above explains what to do when “things” happen, but in order to really milk that GTD-concept, you have to have these six core components in place:

1. Projects file

In today’s world, we all have hundreds of projects to take care of. And I don’t just mean “projects” in the way your boss might understand the term. In GTD, projects have a much wider definition.

👉 A project is anything that requires more than one action to complete.

Some examples: getting your car fixed, buying a house, painting walls – these are all projects.

A projects file is where you store all your projects. Each project should have a list of actions needed to complete it.

Let’s expand on the first example – getting your car fixed. The list of actions for this project might look like this:

1. Google for the nearest garage.
2. Call the mechanic and make an appointment.
3. Take the car to the garage.

A quick rule of thumb: whenever you encounter something that needs more than one action to complete, put it into your projects file.

Note; if you’re wondering where to keep your projects file, I cover the tools further down in this guide.

2. Next tasks list / “as soon as possible” list

The name says it all: it’s a list of things that need to be done as soon as possible.

But it’s not just a random to-do list. Here’s how you create it:

Take one task from EVERY project – one next possible action – and put it on your ASAP list. Each project should be represented by just one task on this list. When you finish a task, replace it with another one from the same project. Continue this process until the entire project is complete.

You can also add single-action tasks to your ASAP list. For example, if your friend sends you a text asking you to call him and you know it will take more than 10 minutes, you might not want to do it immediately, but you don’t want to forget about it either. So, put it on your ASAP list.

The ASAP list is the central element of GTD. It’s something you’ll use every day. Whenever you have spare time and want to be productive, grab your ASAP list and take action.

3. Calendar

Your calendar is sacred. Treat it as such.

Here’s what I mean: If you put something in your calendar, it means that “something” must be done on that specific date and time OR NEVER.

Don’t fall into the habit of adding items to your calendar just because you think you should, will, or can do them on a certain day (like Thursday, for example). Let me stress this again: If you schedule something for a specific day, it means you absolutely have to do it on that day OR NEVER.

So, what belongs in your calendar?

• Things that need to be done at a specific date and time. For example: picking up your sister from the airport, a doctor’s appointment.
• Things that need to be done on a specific day. For example: your boss wants a memo sent on Thursday, a project’s deadline.
• Things you need to obtain by a specific date. For example: you’ve told someone to send you a report by Thursday.

Picking up your sister from the airport is a perfect example of a task for your calendar. You either do it at that specific time or never.

4. Waiting-for list

This list is for everything you’re waiting on – inputs from other people, external events, etc.

You might be waiting for someone to pay you back (a classic example), or you might be waiting for the release date of the new David Allen book to be announced.

The most common scenario is waiting for someone to return your email or call. You need their response to plan further actions or for other reasons.

Put these items on your waiting-for list, and, well, wait for them.

5. Someday/future-maybe list

Picture this: you’re sitting in your chair, enjoying a hot latte. Suddenly, an idea pops into your head, or you get a phone call, an email, or even a message via carrier pigeon. This “thing” sounds nice or important and is actionable, but you don’t want to deal with it now, nor do you want to start a new project for it. What should you do?

Put this “thing” into your someday-maybe list. Get back to it once you have the time or the inclination.

The essence of GTD is not to use your mind to remember things, but to think about things. The someday-maybe list is a prime example of this approach.

6. Reference file

A reference file is a place for all things that are not actionable.

In other words, it’s where you keep all your valuable materials that might come in handy during work. For example, an email from a friend describing the basics of HTML would be perfect for your reference file. You don’t need to do anything with such an email now, but it’s better to save it because it might be useful someday.

Your reference file should be organized thematically – marketing, recipes, guitar tabs, etc. – with each category placed in separate folders. And so on…you get the point.

How to keep your projects from killing you

Some projects can be a real pain in the you-know-what. Not all of them, of course. But some projects keep us awake at night. This can happen for various reasons. Sometimes the tasks are just difficult to perform. Other times it’s the sheer amount of time required that frightens us.

But sometimes the most daunting thing is not knowing what’s going on in a project. We can’t seem to plan everything out or get a clear picture of what needs to be done.

Most projects we decide to execute should be defined and planned according to five main steps:

1. Setting goals and rules
2. Defining your vision for the end result
3. Brainstorming
4. Organizing
5. Selecting next tasks

Of course, not every project requires such an elaborate sequence of steps. Some projects are simple, and defining things like goals or visions would be overkill.

For example, if you just want to get your car fixed, you don’t need any smart rules to get it done. You probably know what needs to be done without any additional help.

However, GTD is designed to handle any kind of project, no matter how big or small.

The steps mentioned above can be applied to anything. Once you go through all of them, you can be sure that your project will be clear and understandable. This, in turn, will improve your chances of executing the project successfully.

To explain this whole process, let’s leave our simple examples behind and take on something a bit more complicated. Imagine that you’re buying a new apartment for you and your family.

1. Setting goals and rules

This is where you answer the critical questions of why and what for.

For our example, the question is: Why do you want a new apartment?

Some possible answers: You want to live closer to your workplace. You want your kids to live closer to their school. You want more space for yourself and your family. You want to live in the city center where all the action is. You want a more modern environment.

Every project’s reasons are unique. Personal projects differ from business projects, but they share common ground. For instance, if you’re starting a business instead of buying an apartment, the question remains: Why do you want to start a business?

No matter what you’re planning, always start with your goals and rules. Goals explain the “why.” Rules are even simpler.

Back to our example. Here are some rules: What’s your budget? Which neighborhood do you want to live in? Do you need a room for everyone? Do you need a garage?

Once you have these things lined up, you can move on to the next step.

2. Defining your vision for the end result

This is where you answer the question of what.

Create a complete vision of what you want as the end result of the project. The more details, the better.

Your vision should reflect the goals and rules you set in the previous step. These goals guide what should and shouldn’t be done in the project. Now, use these goals to form a clear vision of the final result.

A possible vision for our project:

I want a 4-bedroom apartment in the city center. At least X square meters of space. A large kitchen. It must have a garage. The price should be less than X. Modern furniture.

This is a solid vision. Of course, there are many more details we could include, but this is a good start.

The next step is to take this vision and brainstorm around it.

3. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is probably the most creative activity for any project. You’ve likely done it many times. However, brainstorming has little value if it’s done before defining your goals and vision.

A brainstorming session must revolve around a well-defined main idea to provide guidance and direction. This is exactly what setting goals and defining a vision accomplishes.

The brainstorming session itself is simple: it’s about answering the question of how.

Some people like to set restrictions, such as time limits, especially in a work setting with multiple participants. But if it’s just you, feel free to spend as much time as you need – within reason, of course.

Start by placing your goals and vision in a visible spot. Then, let your creative mind loose and write down every idea that comes to mind for what you might do in the project. And I mean EVERY idea.

This is not the time to judge or discard ideas, no matter how silly they may seem. Just get everything down on paper.

For our example: call the real estate agency, go to IKEA, hire a contractor, ask around about the neighborhood, choose paint colors, get a full-size Elvis sculpture, get an internet connection, secure a bank loan, hire a van, check all the installations (electricity, etc.), and so on. The list can be endless, so we’ll stop here.

Once you reach a point where you can’t think of anything else, it’s probably a good moment to stop brainstorming and move on to the next step.

4. Organizing

Now it’s time to select the good ideas and remove the bad ones. Brainstorming should give you a lot of both.

Why not brainstorm and organize at the same time? Because these activities are opposites.

Brainstorming requires creativity and free thinking, while organizing demands practicality and critical assessment. Doing both simultaneously simply doesn’t work, which is why organizing is a separate step.

The process is simple. Look at your brainstorming list and remove everything that doesn’t align with your goals and vision or is simply impractical (like the Elvis sculpture…or maybe not?).

Spend some time reviewing all the ideas. Your brain will naturally start prioritizing tasks and determining what needs to be done first. Use this state of mind to quickly move to the final step.

5. Selecting next tasks

This is where our old friend – the Next Tasks List – comes back into play.

By now, selecting the next task for your project should be straightforward. After organizing all your ideas, you should have a set of actionable items that align with your goals and vision. These are the crucial steps needed to implement your project. Now, simply choose your next task for the project.

Everything you’ve identified at this point goes into your Projects List. The next possible task goes into your Next Tasks List. From here, you can return to your usual GTD workflow. This is where everything ties together.

What’s next?

That’s it. All you have to do now is use the system to get more organized and execute your projects more effectively, both in your personal life and in business.

Just to recap:

1. Start with the brain dump exercise.
2. Create your first Next Tasks List, and remember the rules for choosing which tasks to handle at any given time.
3. Plan your projects according to the strategy in this post.
4. Put all main elements of productivity in place.
5. Remember to work according to your daily graph of activity.

I admit, there’s a lot to do if you want to fully implement GTD in your daily life. But would you rather be running around like a chicken with its head cut off because you don’t have a clue what to do next? Probably not.

GTD not only helps you stay on top of your tasks but also ensures that you have the mental clarity to focus on what truly matters. So, suspend your disbelief, trust the process, and watch as you find time for everything you’ve always wanted to do. Embrace GTD, and take control of your life today.

Have you tried implementing GTD in your daily routine? What challenges or successes have you experienced? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below – I’d love to hear how GTD is working for you!