Getting Things Done: A Simple Step-By-Step Guide

A context tag tells you where you should be, what tools you need, and/or who you need with you to complete a task. Examples of context tags are ‘out shopping’, ‘at work’, ‘with children’, ‘phone’ or ‘computer’. Other contexts you could use include the time you have available, how much energy you have, or what priority an item has. In GTD, a ‘project’ is anything that requires more than one action to complete. When your ‘inbox’ list contains multiple related tasks, create a separate project to manage those things.

This makes it easy to determine which items are very important and should be prioritized (category A) and which only contribute a small amount to the total value (category C). You have to make sure that your system is up to date, otherwise you won’t be able to focus on the task in front of you without thinking about whether you might have missed an appointment. US productivity consultant David Allen developed the system and presented it in his book of the same title, ‘Getting Things Done’, in 2001. The Getting Things Done method has gained millions of followers worldwide since the book was published.

Tasks that can be delegated

Once you have put all your thoughts and documents into your collection tools you need to periodically empty them. If you know that moving a task to your list will not ensure it will be dealt with then your mind will still keep thinking about that task. That defeats the purpose of GTD which is to free your mind of these thoughts. This includes things that need to be done, are incomplete, broken, or things that have some decision about potential action tied to them. Move all these items into your “in-basket” to process at a later stage.

This is where you take everything you’ve captured and then clarify and organize them. It may take a little while to get through everything you’ve added to the list after your first initial ‘brain dump’, but once you’re done, this happens continuously. Tasks can be divided into actionable and not-so-urgent commitments. The actionable tasks can then be delegated to your colleagues and teammates. It also enables you to review your projects and overdue tasks by sending reminders into your inboxes quickly so that you can take immediate action.

The power of getting things done: the GTD method explained

If you spend a lot of time in transit, you may want to think about a mobile setup that lets you get things done even while commuting. Many people lose opportunities to be productive because they are not equipped to take advantage of the time they waste in transit or whenever they are out of the office. It must be a place with access to all the things you need and where you feel comfortable working. Ideally, you will want identical workspaces at home and in the office so you can be equally effective in both. This will show you how much time you have free that day (you will easily see your appointments and meetings) and the things you need to do that day.

Open Upcoming to see what’s coming down the pipeline this week and any week in the future. If you can delegate a task to free up your own time and energy, you should. In Todoist, you can share projects with people, assign them tasks with due dates, and collaborate in comments.

Long Term Planning

At any given moment most people have numerous things on their mind. Our brains become cluttered with information, ideas, tasks, etc. We are so busy trying to remember everything that we cannot concentrate fully on the work at hand. There’s a reason why millions of people around the world swear that Getting Things Done has changed their lives. This system not only helps you check off tasks from your to-do list but also enables you to plan effectively for the future.

• As soon as you come across something that requires any action or processing, move it to your in-basket.
• It’s easy to get overly optimistic about what you can achieve and end up overwhelmed by missing deadlines.
• There are a large number of external commitments, frequently changing and with different levels of complexity.

The idea is to keep your collection tools close by, so that you can access them wherever you are. In GTD, a project is a desired result that requires taking more than one action step to complete (such as organizing a party). Therefore, the Projects List is used for actionable tasks that will take more than one step to complete.

Strengths and weaknesses of GTD

You shouldn’t share your workspace with anyone, not even your partner. It should be ready for you to work all the time and things shouldn’t be moved around by someone else. Store the “next action” in the Next Actions List or in your Calendar.

These are items that have been delegated or are awaiting action by someone else. For example, if you need to finish writing a blog post but are waiting on your editor to get you feedback on your last draft. Sync your Todoist with Google Calendar so that calendar events appear in Todoist as tasks and scheduled Todoist tasks appear in your Google Calendar as events. Update and review all pertinent system contents to regain control and focus.

To learn more about Getting Things Done and how you can implement the GTD methodology with Wrike, sign up for a free trial and get started today. This is how we establish the fact that Wrike helps you in saving 30 minutes per day while reducing the stress of your workload and increasing your productivity. Although the GTD workflow is applied at an individual level, you can also implement this methodology within a team. Wrike offers template folders where you can store your projects. Customize the hierarchy of tasks and share them with your team. GTD is the work-life management system that has helped countless individuals and organizations bring order to chaos.

Also known as GTD, the getting things done system can help keep staff organized and productive to ensure that they’re able to focus on their critical tasks. Do not add any other to-dos to your Calendar, as they will move the focus away from the items that are truly time- or day-specific. IT blog All other tasks or actions should be added to your Next Action list. Whereas the projects list will include various tasks required to complete a project, in the next actions list, include only the next action. When this task is complete, mark it with O and add the next action.

This makes it an ideal tool for beginners, as it pushes you to adhere to personal productivity best practices without even realizing it. GTD is a personal management method, quite different from any other. Each week, set aside time to review your lists, organize your tasks, and keep your system running smoothly. The review helps you adapt to changes, refocus your attention, identify next actions, and reflect on your workflow. However, the GTD method is usually excessive if you’re only involved in a relatively small number of projects and don’t have too many different personal and professional responsibilities. Ideally, you should add a context tag to items on your next actions list.