How to adopt “Getting Things Done” for 2022
What is “Getting Things Done” (GTD)?
In short, “Getting Things Done” is a methodology on productivity that aims to externalise your thoughts, clarifying them with concrete next actions, organising them into projects, and achieving them efficiently.
A diagram summary would look like this.
For a more in-depth approach, I suggest you start with this Youtube video, giving a brief overview of the method, then continue by reading David Allen’s book.
Why do we need to adapt it to 2022?
David Allen (the author behind the methodology) released the last edition of the GTD manual in 2015. Since that year, notetaking and productivity software have changed tremendously. By this guide, I hope to share my takeaways from the method and my process for applying GTD with a suite of free digital tools.
I. Capturing your thoughts
You must capture every idea that comes to your mind in your inbox. It can be a post-it, a note on a sheet of paper or your phone. It is best to use the tools you are already more comfortable with, which will not require significant adaptation from you. Your capturing device must be easy to use, allowing you to move on promptly after storing your thought.
→ Digital tool I’d recommend for capturing: The Reminders app on your iPhone or equivalent is probably the best option if you are often on the go, without a pen or paper in your pocket. Now, you can even use your voice assistant to create the reminder. I suggest you assign the reminder to the next day (unless urgent) so that every inbox element can be dealt with simultaneously, for example, when planning your day.
II. Clarifying your thoughts into next actions
When reflecting on your inbox each morning, you should rewrite each inbox element into concrete, actionable next steps. Instead of “start my dissertation”, more “Write three research questions that fit the scope of my study and send them to my advisor”.
All elements in your inbox must either have an assigned next action, be classified as “Reference” (meaning they do not need further action), or be eliminated. If you feel the next step must take less than 2 minutes, it is better to do it as soon as it pops into your mind.
III. Organising your next actions into projects
If one of your Inbox items requires more than two steps, it becomes a project. A project is simply a succession of actions needed to achieve a larger goal. You will deal with all your projects and their respective next steps every week to ensure you are on the right track. Personally, I would advise doing it on Sunday morning, as you are less likely to be interrupted by external events.
You must work with your next-action and projects lists parallel to your calendar.
→ Digital tool I’d recommend for handling your projects: Notion is an efficient notetaking app that will serve you well whether you are a student or in a small company. One of the past companies I’ve worked with even used it for their Wikis and onboardings.
→ Digital tool I’d recommend for planning your week: Google Calendar is by far the best free planning tool available online. It is intuitive, complete and responsive. You can assign different colours to the various events you will encounter during the week (classes, gym sessions, afternoons with friends).
IV. Reflect on your projects with the Weekly Review, and Execute
The Weekly Review is the most critical half-hour/hour-ish of your week. It is best not to neglect it, as it may threaten the rest of your week. Assign specific days and times where you will engage with your next actions, accounting for other constants (classes, professional meetings). Be both realistic and optimistic about the time each action will take.
Planning your calendar would need a whole series of articles on its own. But I can suggest three levels of planning, based on James Maa’s astonishing productivity guide:
1) Easy: Put only obligations on your calendar
2) Medium: Put on time blocks to work on your next actions. This includes homework, group projects, meetings.
4) Hard: Put on time blocks to work on your personal goals.
3) Overkill: Put on everything else: sleep, shower, mealtimes, transportation.
Conclusion
GTD has been the most effective system I’ve tested for handling projects, assignments and classes while remaining free of negative stimuli and with a clearer mind. I would recommend it to both students, graduates and managers. What is one takeaway you will test from this method?
