Getting Things Done (GTD) The Basics

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a productivity system, created by David Allen, based on the principle that individuals can increase productivity by recording tasks externally in action lists. By capturing these tasks, one's mind is free to focus completely at the task on hand and is not cluttered trying to remember what to do. As Allen puts it on his website: GTD "transforms personal overwhelm and overload into an integrated system of stress-free productivity".

Allen advocates three models to gain perspective and control:

1. A workflow process
2. A framework with 6 levels of focus
3. A natural planning method

The workflow process:

Collect - capture everything that needs to be tracked, remembered, or acted on into a "bucket". These buckets can be: physical inbox, email inbox, PDA, file folders, notebooks etc. All buckets should be emptied (processed) at least once per week.

Process
Start at the top.
Deal with one item at a time.
Never put anything back into 'in'.
If an item requires action:
Do it (if it takes less than two minutes), OR
Delegate it, OR
Defer it.

If an item does not require action:
File it for reference, OR
Throw it away, OR
Incubate it for possible action later.

Organize as you work through the Process phase each item will be placed in one of the following lists:
1. Project Lists: Define your projects; every open loop in one's work/life where there is more than one action necessary for completion becomes by definition a project.
2. Context Specific Next Action Lists: Identify Next Actions - for every item requiring attention(or project), decide what is the next action that can be taken on that item. Store Next Actions by the context in which they will be done - ie. "at the office", "phone calls"
3. Waiting for List — When an action has been delegated to someone else, or when one is waiting for some external event before a project can be moved forward, this is tracked in the system and periodically checked to see if action is due, or a reminder needs to be sent.
4. Someday/Maybe List — Things to be done at some point, but not right now.
5. Calendar - all items for which there is a fixed time/date commitment should be tracked in your calendar. These can be appointments, events, absolute deadlines etc.
6. Filing system: A filing system must be easy, simple and fun. Even a single piece of paper, if needed for reference, should get its own file if it doesn't belong in an existing folder. Allen suggests a single, alphabetically organized filing system, in order to make it as quick and easy as possible to store and retrieve the needed information.


Review
Daily Review:
Given the time, energy and resources available at a particular moment, one must decide the most important task to be done immediately, and do it.
Weekly Review:
Here is the real trick - all outstanding actions, projects and 'waiting for' items are reviewed weekly, making sure that any new tasks or forthcoming events are entered into one's system, and that everything is up to date. Next actions can be scheduled or blocks of time are planned for like activities.

Do
The thrust of GTD is to eliminate the clutter, minimize the number of times that a particular item is touched, so that more time can be spent doing. It also allows you to match your energy with the types of tasks at hand, rather than strict prioritization, which in other time management systems can lead to an energy:task mismatch that generally results in procrastination.

Framework with 6 Levels of Focus:

1. Current actions
2. Current projects
3. Areas of responsibility
4. Yearly goals
5. 5 year vision
6. Life goals

Natural Planning Method:

1. Defining the purpose and principles
2. Envisioning the outcome
3. Brainstorming
4. Organizing
5. Identifying next actions