Getting Things Done

Key takeaways

• Your head is for having ideas, not for storing them; write everything down
• Capture, clarify, organize, reflect and engage form one repeatable system for all commitments
• Ask what the very next physical action is, and vague projects become doable
• Anything under 2 minutes gets done immediately rather than tracked
• A weekly review keeps the system trusted, so your mind can finally relax

Inside this bit

1. A mind like water

   Why do you suddenly remember an unpaid bill at 2 in the morning? Because your brain is still carrying it.

2. Capture every open loop

   The first step is collection. Anything that has your attention, big or small, work or personal, gets written down in a small number of in-trays: a notebook, a phone app, a physical tray on your desk.

3. What is the next action

   Now you clarify each item. Allen's key question is deceptively simple: what is the very next physical action?

4. Organize by context and project

   Allen organizes actions not by priority but by where you can do them. A list for calls, one for the computer, one for errands, one for the office.

5. The weekly review keeps it alive

   A system is only as good as your trust in it, and trust comes from regular maintenance. Allen's weekly review is the engine.

6. Put it to work

   This week, sit down with a blank page and write every single thing that has your attention until nothing else comes; give it a full hour. Go through that list and rewrite each entry as a specific next action, doing anything under 2 minutes on the spot.