Category: “Getting Things Done - GTD”

It is the first stage through which any possible action or task has to pass. First of all you have to catch it. Capturing is to collect everything that might represent something you have to do into a reliable system you will process and review later. So simple: noting down something in your notebook, recording a thought in a voice memo, entering a task in your favorite application…

The Next Actions list may contain a large number of possibilities. These actions must be done as soon as possible, but what criteria should you use to choose the most appropriate action to do at all times? These four, in this order:

When you begin to use GTD you usually find yourself with some mixed feelings. First, once you achieve to capture, clarify and organize all your outstanding actions—which is a hard job the first time you do it—, you have the rewarding feeling that everything is under control. You know all you have to do, what your priorities are and, most importantly, what things you’re not doing when you decide to spend some time with your family, friends or hobbies. This puts your mind at rest, allowing you to truly enjoy the time that you do nothing.

Both in your work and your life, there are often tasks or actions that you shouldn’t do personally. For several reasons: you don’t have the necessary knowledge or skills, you don’t have enough time or, simply, handing it to another person it’s more profitable—due to quality, speed or cost—.

One of the things I like about GTD is that it can be seen as a simple project management methodology. There is no contempt at all in that adjective, on the contrary, I think being simple it’s a great virtue. Managing projects—I say this from my own experience—can be really complex and, unless you are a Project Manager, the GTD approach will be more appropriate in most of your projects, especially if they are personal.