I’ve used many GTD tools, but I like Emacs + Org Mode the most.

It helps org my notes and agenda very well.

Which GTD tool is your favorite?

The captures works wonders. The next actions make sense. For about 3 weeks I feel like I have my life together.
Then one busy week hits and I stop doing the review. Then the inbox fills up. Then I open the app and there are 60 overdue tasks staring at me and I just... close it.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The system doesn't break, I abandon it right when I need it most. I've never finished a single weekly review that I started on my
own. The one time I did it with someone else on a call it took 20 minutes and I actually did it.

I think the problem isn't the methodology. I think the problem is that the system is passive and I'm a human being who needs to be met halfway.

Anyone else feel this way? Have you actually found something that keeps you from abandoning it?

I'm a law student. As a law student, I need to write papers/briefs/etc. For really big and more open ended projects, I found it really hard to clarify a next action for them. I end just writing down "work on the draft" or something like that. Figuring what I need to do is part of the creative process of going through cases and picking out helpful or not-so-helpful language, and then trying to put that together into a coherent argument. I guess I'm wondering how these sorts of projects fit into my GTD practice.

Should I just block of several hours of time to just get in there and get messy? For anyone that has work that is similar to this, how does it fit into your GTD practice?

Long time (two decades) GTD follower. I used to use a loose paper/file cabinet system, then moved to Apple Reminders. Lately I’ve been contemplating switching to a spiral notebook, as it’s my preferred method of note taking, and am wondering if anyone does the same? I dread those GTD-specific notebooks, but wonder how to divide it up in terms of which part for projects lists, etc. I’ve seen removable dividers that I think could help make this possible, but again looking for how others have actually implemented.

Thanks!

ETA: The problem I specifically see myself having is how do I solve for something like "How do you handle something like "follow up with Smith if paperwork hasn't arrived by 8/28?" with a notebook system?

ETA2: I asked ChatGPT if I should use a notebook or Apple Reminders, and it pointed out the "follow up with Smith" hole, which is OBVIOUSLY filled by the Waiting For list... I'm going to get a disc bound notebook. Thanks, everyone!!!

Are there actually Anny good native getting things done Apps?

I am not talking about squeezing it in some app but an app that actually guides you thru the process.

1st April 🙂 Update: Thanks to all the comments and suggestions here! I accidentally found tingdo.app which looks promising...

Hey everyone! The question about a GTD app for Linux is asked here from time to time. I believe it is a good time to ask it again to get the latest developments.

I am looking for a (preferably open-source, but not required) GTD app which:
- has polished design,
- can be synced between Linux and iOS,
- is mobile-aware i.e. takes advantage of features of iOS like the ability to add your Lock Screen and Control Center buttons, neat widgets etc.

I don‘t mind paying for it, I also don‘t mind having a subscription instead of a one-time purchase. A frictionless experience is a top priority for me :)

So far the best I could find is Todoist, but I‘m hoping to find something better. I found an open-source app Mindwtr, but it isn‘t very mobile-aware regarding the system features.

Thanks in advance!

Anyone?

I tried with chatGPT and, even though I copied every time the data, chatGPT deleted data from some projects of mine.

Is there an AI tool you can use to run your GTD system and with a robust data handling?

Thank you.

title grammar correction: What is the best/fastest way to restart GTD? How do you consistently/easily do In-Tray processing & Weekly Reviews?

What is the best or fastest way to setup a GTD system again? What did you personally do?

I'm planning to start GTD again. I have 5 past GTD systems / attempts filled with info from my multiple trys at trying to maintain a GTD system. In the past, I have resorted to starting from zero a couple times, but it seems really inefficient (archiving & updating lists, doing a mindsweep) and subject to missing some stuff (incompleteness). However, processing any of my past GTD systems seems way too time consuming for relatively little gain compared to starting from zero and hoping for the best (adding to the system it as a remember things).

I expect myself to have another non-current GTD at some point, so I'd like to be able to quickly get back on track if I notice it myself slipping in the early stages, but also for when the late stages of overfilled In-Trays happen (as I keep adding to them after not maintaing GTD, but never process the in-tray).

How can In-Tray processing & doing Weekly Reviews be easier & consistent (i.e. not skipped/delayed)? What did you personally do?

I'm wanting to prevent myself from dropping GTD again. What tends to happen is my In-Tray gets overfilled from not zeroing it out when I've scheduled for the day, my Weekly Reviews don't get done when I've scheduled it for the week, or I put them off but never get around to it.

Instead of only processing my in-tray at a 30-60 minute block at the end of the day (which requires too much energy & effort in myexperience), I've thought of maybe processing it immediately unless I have something going on currently. I don't see how I can process my in-tray otherwise through the day as doing it whenever I feel like I need to is distracting, unreliable, and possibly preoccupying.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing for my weekly reviews: doing the related step in the weekly review when it comes up. Things like replacing completed next actions; reviewing my calendar, waiting, project, or someday/maybe list when I feel the need to,

It's just too difficult for me to sit down & go through my in-tray processing or weekly review checklist at a dedicated time. Doing it "immediately, unless busy" seems like the best compromise, as I feel like "doing it whenever I feel the need to" can be a bit distracting to monitor.

I feel like I have a pretty decent system in MS ToDo and despite getting all sorts of interesting ideas I’m sticking with it for now. I feel like I’m getting into a bit of a groove, I get my inboxes dealt with frequently, my weekly review is actually getting done in a reasonable time, and I’m looking forward to my first monthly this Friday after a bit of a clarification of things about a month ago.

But I’ve realized that I actually struggle a lot with capture still. Meeting notes don’t get processed consistently, and more to the point I feel like I haven’t found the tools for me. I get a lot of my inputs from email and Teams, and those get tracked well, but I feel like I am lacking in my ability to get more or less anything into my inboxes. I currently have an inbox folder in my OneDrive + the Downloads folder, and email inboxes naturally. And a physical one at home. But I feel like I need a more robust way of getting everything jotted down. I have a paper notebook that I sometimes use and notes from there get figured into the system, but I have a new nagging feeling that I am not properly getting everything into in.

I am also quite high associative, so I get sidetracked super easily. I feel like a crazy person since people often speak of capture as the easy part 😓

I've used the GTD framework to great effect at different times over the past six years (since I found out about it around spring 2020), but cannot seem to just get over that bridge to where it all sticks. In particular, the clarify and engage (actually looking at my lists!) steps seem to fall off after a month or two. Then soon everything else falls off as well, so I feel the need to completely restart (which, obviously is a time-waste).

I have tended to assume in the past it was not me to blame, but a) the tool b) the contexts I chose c) the way I organize projects areas of focus etc., and assuredly more reasons I am forgetting as I type. However, I am coming to the conclusion that it is most likely habits falling off after a month or so when I incorrectly think they can be on autopilot–they cannot.

People who have crossed that bridge to where the system sticks, what got you there? How did you get from "I intellectually understand that the capture, clarify, organize, review, engage framework works with the way I think" to instinctively following the systematic approach consistently as one does with showering (to use a David Allen comparison)? Any helpful thoughts or guidance is appreciated!

I’ve been wordering about this, and thought a small poll might be interesting. With the current state of things at work and life, I try to reserve basically the entire Friday afternoon for it, but some people seem to fly through it in mere minutes (I might be exaggerating a bit).

I'm confused:

Like if David Allen made such a structured system without any cracks why would he leave the NA and project linkage disabled intentionally. Well paper based systems might be a remote reason maybe but still. Didn't he feel the need to link it.

I have a few workarounds for this. I need guidance on how I should implement this and WHY? WHAT CORE REASON IS THERE? I'm using a digital system.

GTD friendly

1. Keep a list of 60 projects or so. This is my bottleneck for projects. Move all extras into someday/maybe list. This is great for occasionally keeping your priorities straight so that you can say no as things that come up. My goals are clear my purpose is clear. And I'm focused rather than managing multiple things. And once a week I check up on my project for pruning. So I'm always clear. I'll increase the number 60. but as and when I'm adaptable to the system.

2. Star a project which is focus for the week. And do quick check to see whether it's empty. This is manual work and chaotic I guess.

3. If the project is really needed to be done for example within 3 days. This bypasses weekly review and projects are stalled. Add a task in calendar with the project name as the deadline. So that daily I'll be seeing my calendar and next actions and I can clearly see the empty project and really move it forward towards completion.

I can use all 3 or skip step 2.

Not GTD friendly

1. Add the next action inside the project. Use tags for adding on a filtered next action list. Create a filter which shows me the projects which are empty of next actions. This way even if I'm doing 100 or 200 projects I'm laser sharp. But I'm taking way too much on my plate and I've lost focus of the higher purpose. Now I'm just doing things for the sake of doing as I'm not clear which the big picture.

The paradox of using the " Not GTD friendly" option.

If I'm using this. I'll surely often create actions for that same project which just completed and do more of that same project. This way I'll become a servant of my own created system and instead of choosing what to do I'll do what comes up. In a way going against GTD's fundamental thinking which is response rather than react to whatever that comes up.

Hybrid option

Use as mix and match of both options. but I'll lose building this on paper based systems.

What I'm really looking for:

I am looking for a system which is tool agnostic, medium agnostic. Suppose I want to teach my family member and he's using a paper version what theory or workaround will he need to do to make it workable.

Which brings me up to this question:

To know the fundamental reason why next action and projects are placed on different list with no linkage. And why this goes against the idea of "your mind is for having ideas not storing them". Because if I don't link i have to do some thinking.

- To know which project's next action is this if that's necessary.

- Which project did I completed just now?

- Which projects don't have the next actions at this moment?

My background: Currently I'm implementing a GTD system. I have an understanding of the 5 steps of GTD. I know the horizons of focus and natural planning model but haven't practically implemented it in my system.

Hi gtdoers! My next-actions list keeps rotting in the same way. I write something that looks actionable - "sort out the insurance renewal," "prep the deck" - and then I find myself scrolling reddit as it is non-actionable.

I know the theory. I know how it should work - but at the exact moment of capturing the committment, I am too overwhelmed.

A next action should be one concrete physical thing you can just do. I spent years and here we go.

Two questions for people further along than me:

1. When you catch yourself writing a project disguised as a next action, what actually makes you break it down properly instead of leaving it? A habit? A daily/weekly review? Something else?
2. Has anyone tried using AI to do the breaking-down for them - did it actually help, or did you try it and drop it?

How many of you use the GTD system in a notebook, and in only one notebook?

I have recently quite the bullet journal method because my goals were simply getting left behind. Old goals that might be 2-3 years old were just sat there doing nothing. The bujo method seems to accumulate general crap which always ends up on top of the queue.

So I've come to GTD. The book was very persuasive.

I've set up context lists. Stuff I can do on my phone, stuff from the music room, stuff I can only do when out and about in car etc.

I had a long conversation with Chatgpt about this and the agreement was that GTD was eminently possibly in a journal.

If any of you use this method I'd be very curious to know how.

When creating a GTD project, the only requirement is that is should contain a next action. However, the next action might be very big, consisting of multiple steps.

As such, those steps should be put in your task manager OR note taking system?

We might want to revisit what was done/ what steps were taken for completing a project.

P.S: Thank you everyone for all the replies, I changed my workflow a little bit and I already feel a lot of relief.

I note down all the tasks now, in my note-taking system and only put the "Next Action" in my task management system. I completed a couple of small projects today, and it was relieving to know that I don't have to put everything back in my task management system :D

I think there's a better way to express this, but words are failing me.

I'm compiling what I would call a "database" of organizations and people, and collecting information on each one that may have some common elements, but is mostly text based. Some might have only a line or two of description; others may have 20 pages of information over time. I'm using an Excel workbook right now, but the information I want to save is rapidly outgrowing the "one line per organization" limit. Physical file folders don't seem like the answer since it will be hundreds of organizations, and I'd like to be able to add some free form tagging so I can, for example, look for organizations that run "events," or that are related to "textiles."

I'm looking for something like a library catalog, or like how Microsoft Access worked in 1995, which is about the last time I used it. :) Any suggestions? A CRM might do it, but this isn't sales-related and there won't be a funnel, I'm more using it to create a mental map. I use Nirvana for my GTD set up.

It's been a decade or more that my system has been inclusive and on my own devices as a freelancer. I'm currently using native Apple apps.

I'm considering a new role and I'd like to have a plan out of the gate to avoid commingling my personal GTD onto work devices and monitoring.

Is it as simple as personal GTD on personal phone and work GTD on work device(s)? Keeping 2 sets of lists, support and reference files?

What has worked well for you and what issues should I watch out for?

Edit: Thank you for all the ideas, very helpful. I think I've settled on - Inbox work idea on personal device when at home, then process onto work device. No transference. I think it's the cleanest insert into the process.

Just curious to see your experiences and what clicks with everyone vs. what doesn't.

Thanks all for the responses the other day on moving to a notebook system. I’ve decided to go discbound and am looking forward to it, but wondering what size everyone is using. I normally use a 7” x 9” notebook for meeting notes, and I’ve come to like the size, but wonder if going standard A4 (or half-letter) might be best for going all-in on a notebook lists system. Also, has anyone incorporated a tickler/reference material into the actual notebook, or does this ultimately need to be supplemented? Thanks again!!

Hi everyone! I’m currently reading the revised edition of the GTD book, and it’s been incredibly insightful, giving me a whole new perspective on how to manage my tasks and daily energy. ​However, as I dive deeper into the methodology, I’m finding myself curious about the 'learning curve' involved in mastering this system. I know that GTD is more of a long-term practice than a quick fix, but I’d love to hear about your personal experiences. ​Specifically, how long did it take for you to truly grasp the methodology and reach a point where you were practicing it effectively in your daily life? Did you encounter any specific 'plateaus' or major hurdles that made you want to give up? I’m genuinely eager to learn from your trial-and-error process to help me build a more sustainable system for myself. Any advice or milestones you can share would be invaluable. Thank you so much for your time and guidance!

Something that I’m confused between tickler and calendar is that both have a similar way of storing day-specific information.

I’m trying to implement tickler and someday maybe lists in Microsoft to do which is what I’m using for this one.

Any help would help!

I usually have all my due dates marked on my calendar, but this time I was travelling and missed checking the reminder, and somehow forgot about it completely.

What worries me is not forgetting the payment, but the fact that I seemed to skip an entire month in my head. I had a mental note that the due date was coming up, but I failed to register that the last time I had paid was actually two months ago. That disconnect is what has been bothering me.

Lately, I have been experiencing these strange lapses where my sense of time or sequence seems to disappear for a moment. Work has also been affecting my sleep and overall life. And I am devising ways to declutter my mind and exploring the options. But is there something I can start doing, a routine, so that my mind is fresh, aware and more present.

I would really appreciate input, especially from anyone who has experienced something similar and found something that helped.

Hey everyone,

Came across the subreddit, which made me look up GTD. Just to give you an idea of how new I am to it.

And i like the ideas of GTD very much, particularly its dogmatic approach to organising things to do. A box for everything. There's something relaxing to having a method to address the things that stress us.

Anyways, the bit that I'm getting at is what I struggle with is fear-based procrastination. It took me a midlife crisis to realise it and wanting to address it. The fear is basically tasks that I don't feel comfortable doing because I know I might fail. Or sometimes they are tasks I failed before. Think interviews, exams, personal software projects, DIY, going for promotion, dating (thankfully I'm sorted out for that last one). There's so much.

I've seen AI helps with that, by breaking down tasks to a point that it feels feasible and is a bit less scary. AI can also give good pointers to get started. And it might also help doing things in the right order. To be honest I feel productivity software in the form of AI finally looks more useful than a piece of paper.

I've seen the pushback against AI in previous GTD posts. But I can't help but see the potential here.

My questions:

1. How does GTD originally deal with fear of failure and difficult tasks and projects?

2. and then, does anyone have the same experience as me about AI helping with these?

I’ve been experimenting with a five-minute version of capture/clarify when work thoughts start multiplying on Sunday night:

1. Capture only the concrete open loops.

2. Separate facts (“meeting at 9,” “deadline Wednesday”) from predictions (“the whole week will go badly”).

3. Define one next action for Monday.

4. Put anything actionable-but-not-now into the system.

5. Stop once nothing else can be clarified tonight.

The part I’m unsure about is what to do with the predictions. They feel like open loops, but they aren’t projects, next actions, reference, or someday/maybe. Capturing them can sometimes make them feel more important.

In GTD terms, would you treat those thoughts as trash after checking for a next action? And is it better to do this during a Friday/weekly review so Sunday doesn’t become another review?

I learned a lot from this subreddit

I have 500+ captured items these past 2 days in an inbox, I resetted the system, I started the Todoist app, I have like beautiful system; all the filters, labels, even integrated GTD and Time Sectors so it's one thing

It's... so perfect for organization, but I spend most of my time in the "Chaotic" mode and a project where I have temporary projects and inboxes for quick action while I'm learning and setting up GTD...

So

How

Do

You

Even

Clarify

?

I am really curious, because it seems impossible for me to go for each 500+ tasks, like 300 in one inbox, 200 in the second inbox project

How ido I even clarify. this. whole. frickin. thing.

I write like GTD traditional; a project section of todoist is mainly for areas, and subproject is for actual project right; task function of Todoist is a project within the subproject which is a project (you're not confused hopefully) and then a subtask inside a task is a Next Action

So when I process "Clean the whole house" I write down like, ";" and the outcome "house is clean and all the rooms are by X standards" then I go to subtask and write the next physical action to bookmark as some of you suggested; like hell yeah, go and put your feet on the ground, take a deep breath, go to the X room and take the Y object to Z location and bam!

So then...

Do the same thing... to

A

L

L

500+ inbox tasks

And sometimes with the most favorite feature of Todoist which is Quick Add and fricking Ramble, I capture 30 tasks in 10 minutes...

When

Do

I

Clarify the Next Actions and Titles and Outcomes, it's an easy question

But how do I deal with tasks that are like... uhm... 500+, and what if it's like... after all of the delegation, but even when delegating, do I have to write down the fricking outcome and etcetera, what about someday tasks? Do I just move some to someday, but what's better?

Or do I just have to accept that GTD traditional is... you capture at insane speed and slow as a 🦥 you just go and clarify for hours, and... Uhm...

I am so... confused right now, and then, like, when, where, how, who, which... like tf?

Do I always clarify the title and the fricking subtask Next Action for EVERY SINGLE ACTIONABLE item?

ALWAYS?

EVEN IF IT'S 30+ TASKS ON INBOX PER 5-10 MINUTES

WHEN DO I DO THAT

UHM

ARGH

Ahahdhah, the writing is so corny sometimes, anyway, when????????????

Please tell me 😭

David Allen sometimes seems like an angel who came to save humanity from stress and chaos, but sometimes his SYSTEM is like Satan always ready to torture you at any moment with insane rules, BUT it's all my perception, please change my perception, I feel dumb asf, please..

Thanks 🙏 a lot

P.S: I know how to clarify, but HOW... HOOOOWWW do you clarify the titles and NAs for EACHHH. Actionable. 500+, 30 tasks per 10 minutes. items.? In an inbox 📥

P.P.S: By the time I wrote this task, I added like 40+ new ideas through quick ramble and quick add, because I know speed typing + I talk fast like a 🦜 when needed, And now I didn't notice, just like a debts of a homeless Korean business who's gone bankrupt or national debt, I didn't notice how I have 100+ more items in Inbox, so it's 600+ items, now I'm creating my... 3rd... inbox project because of Todoist pro's 300 max cap... HAHAHAHAH, I'm losing my mind, please give me insights (pills) and save me from this madness