GTD in 15 minutes – A Pragmatic Guide to Getting Things Done

The page presents GTD as a simple system for collecting tasks, ideas, and projects and turning them into visible actions you can trust. Its focus is on reducing mental load by capturing everything, deciding what each item means, and reviewing the system regularly.

Reading notes

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• GTD is described as a framework for organising and tracking tasks and projects, with the goal of building full trust in the system.
• The method treats the brain as a bad place to keep unfinished obligations and wants tasks moved into external lists.
• The basic lists are next actions, waiting for, projects, and someday/maybe, plus a calendar for date- and time-specific items.
• The in list is for capturing ideas and tasks as they appear, with as little friction as possible.
• Processing the in list means asking whether an item is actionable.
• If something is not actionable, it is discarded, filed as reference, moved to someday/maybe, or put into a calendar or tickler file for later.
• If something is actionable, the next step must be a physical, visible action.
• If the next action takes two minutes or less, it should be done immediately.
• If it takes longer, it can be delegated and tracked on the waiting for list, or added to next actions.
• Any outcome that requires more than one action belongs on the projects list.
• Contexts are tags for next actions that show where or with what equipment the action can be done.
• Agenda contexts can be used for meeting notes tied to specific people.
• The someday/maybe list holds ideas and projects that may be done later but should not clutter current work.
• The calendar is only for items that must happen on a specific date or time.
• The weekly review is presented as critical for keeping the system accurate.
• Weekly review checks that each project has a next action, removes stale items, and moves relevant items from someday/maybe into current lists.
• Trigger lists help prompt memory during the weekly review.
• The system works better when list boundaries are clear and the tools are pleasant but not distracting.
• Read/review folders and tickler files are presented as useful support tools for handling material to read and future reminders.