Getting Things Done (GTD)
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a productivity framework created by David Allen. Its primary goal is to move "open loops" out of the human mind and into a trusted external system, freeing up cognitive resources for creative and focused work.
The Five Steps
- Capture: Collect every idea, task, or piece of information into a trusted "inbox."
- Clarify: Process what you've captured. Is it actionable? If not, trash it, incubate it, or file it as reference.
- Organize: Put reminders of your actions into appropriate categories (Next Actions, Projects, Waiting For, Calendar).
- Reflect: Regularly review your lists (Daily and Weekly Reviews) to ensure the system remains current and reliable.
- Engage: Execute tasks based on your current context, time, and energy.
Relationship to PKM
While GTD is an execution framework, it relies on a robust reference system for Project Support Material. The actionable-vs-reference divide is the most critical intersection between GTD and Personal Knowledge Management.
See Also
- actionable-vs-reference
- wiki-pattern-operations
- org-mode (often used as a GTD implementation tool)