Getting Things Done (GTD)
Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, Engage
- Best for
- clearing mental clutter and trusted systems
- Time
- Ongoing
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Weekly review of open loops
- Capture — inbox zero: 47 items collected from email, Slack, notes
- Clarify — each item: actionable? Next action? Project? Waiting for?
- Organize — sorted into: @calls, @computer, @errands, @home, @waiting
- Reflect — weekly review: all projects current, calendar clear, mind clear
- Engage — trusted system lets you work on the right thing without re-deciding
Frequently asked questions
What does GTD stand for?
GTD stands for Getting Things Done, a personal productivity methodology developed by David Allen and published in his 2001 book of the same name. The method's central claim is that stress comes from open loops — commitments stored in your head rather than a trusted external system. GTD provides a 5-step workflow (Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, Engage) to move everything out of your head and into a system you trust.
What are the 5 steps of GTD?
The five steps are: (1) Capture — collect everything that has your attention into an inbox; (2) Clarify — decide what each item is and what the next action is; (3) Organize — put items in the right place: calendar, next-action list, project list, waiting-for, someday/maybe, or reference; (4) Reflect — review weekly to keep the system current and trusted; (5) Engage — do the work, trusting that you're working on the right thing because everything else is captured.
How is GTD different from a to-do list?
A to-do list collects tasks without a workflow for processing them. GTD's value isn't the list — it's the Clarify step that turns vague 'stuff' into concrete next actions, and the Reflect step (weekly review) that keeps the system trustworthy. Without these, lists grow stale and stop being trusted, which sends open loops back into your head.
Does GTD include prioritization?
Not explicitly. David Allen's original GTD is agnostic about priority — the assumption is that if you trust your system and see all your options, you'll make good in-the-moment decisions about what to do. Many GTD practitioners add a prioritization layer on top, commonly the Eisenhower Matrix (urgent/important) or energy-level tagging (@high-energy, @low-energy).