Are you getting things done?

digital organizing

Jan 20

Written By Veronica Bishop

Getting Things Done is a popular productivity system by David Allen that emphasizes getting organized and staying productive through time management.

The focus of the GTD methodology is 5 steps you can use to be more creative, strategic and focused.

laptop calendar and to do list on a white desk as example of tools to use in getting things done method

Capture – Gather everything that has your attention and place it in an Inbox (essentially a ‘brain dump’).
Clarify – Is this an actionable item? Is it a reference item? Trash?
Organize – Is this a multi-step project or a single task item? Does it belong on the list of errands, the list of calls to make, the list of emails to send etc.
Reflect – Take time each week to review your list and reassess where you are and what you are doing.
Engage – Do the action item or Delegate the action item or Defer the action item.

David Allen has written a book for GTD, but I discourage people from reading it until they have an understanding of how GTD works. Otherwise, it’s a lot of information for your brain to comprehend. Use the cheat sheet, check out GTD infographics online, then grab the book and use the table of contents to read up on any areas where you still have questions.

I use a lot of the GTD principles in my daily workflow, and have found it to be a great system – as long as you keep to the weekly review, that part is essential. Got questions? Just ask me!