What is Getting Things Done?
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a productivity methodology created by David Allen and introduced in his 2001 book of the same name. Unlike simple to-do lists or time management hacks, GTD is a complete system for capturing, organizing, and executing everything that demands your attention.
Mind Like Water
"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them."
The goal of GTD is to achieve what Allen calls "mind like water"—a state of relaxed control where you can respond appropriately to whatever life throws at you. When you trust your external system to hold everything, your mind is free to focus on the task at hand.
This isn't just productivity philosophy. Research in cognitive psychology confirms that unfinished tasks create mental tension (the Zeigarnik Effect). By capturing and clarifying commitments, GTD releases this tension and restores mental bandwidth.
Related: GTD pairs well with deep work principles. See our Deep Work Guide for Developers for complementary strategies.
The 5-Step GTD Workflow
GTD's power comes from its systematic approach. Every piece of "stuff" in your life passes through five stages:
Step 1: Capture
Collect everything that has your attention. Ideas, tasks, commitments, emails, random thoughts—all of it goes into an inbox. The key is to capture without judging or organizing. Your only goal is to get it out of your head and into a trusted place.
In Super Productivity, use the Inbox for quick capture. Hit the keyboard shortcut, type your thought, and move on. You can also paste plain text—each line becomes a separate task.
Step 2: Clarify
Process each item and decide what it means. For every item in your inbox, ask:
- Is it actionable? If no, trash it, file it as reference, or add to Someday/Maybe.
- If yes, what's the next action? Define a concrete, physical action like "Email Lisa about launch date" (not vague like "Handle marketing").
- Is it a project? If it requires multiple steps, create a project and identify the first next action.
Step 3: Organize
Put items where they belong. GTD uses several lists:
- Next Actions: Single tasks ready to do, organized by context
- Projects: Outcomes requiring multiple actions
- Waiting For: Things delegated or dependent on others
- Someday/Maybe: Ideas you might pursue later
- Calendar: Time-specific actions and appointments
- Reference: Information you might need later
Step 4: Reflect
Review your system regularly. Daily, scan your calendar and action lists. Weekly, do a comprehensive review (more on this below). Without regular reflection, your system becomes stale and untrustworthy.
Step 5: Engage
Do the right work at the right time. When it's time to act, choose based on:
- Context: What can you do where you are? (@office, @home, @phone)
- Time available: Do you have 5 minutes or 2 hours?
- Energy: Are you sharp or running on fumes?
- Priority: What matters most right now?
GTD Setup in Super Productivity
Super Productivity was designed with GTD principles in mind. Here's how its features map to the GTD framework:
| GTD Concept | Super Productivity Feature |
|---|---|
| Inbox | Inbox (quick capture with keyboard shortcut) |
| Projects | Project boards with sub-tasks |
| Contexts (@home, @work) | Tags (#home, #office, #deepwork) |
| Someday/Maybe | "Someday" project or dedicated tag |
| Waiting For | #waiting-for tag with person's name in task |
| Calendar | Due dates, reminders, and schedule view |
| Reference | Task notes and attachments (links to files/docs) |
Recommended Setup
Here's a simple structure to get started:
Projects
- Work projects (one per major outcome)
- Personal projects
- Someday/Maybe — for ideas not yet committed to
Context Tags
#office— tasks requiring your work setup#home— personal errands and tasks#deepwork— tasks requiring focused concentration#quick— 5-minute tasks for low-energy moments#waiting-for— delegated or blocked items
The Weekly Review
The Weekly Review is the secret sauce of GTD. It's the ritual that keeps your system trustworthy and your mind clear. Without it, tasks slip through cracks, projects go stale, and you lose confidence in your system.
"The Weekly Review is the time to gather and process all your stuff, review your system, update your lists, and get clean, clear, current, and complete."
✓ Weekly Review Checklist
Pro tip: Create a recurring task in Super Productivity for your Weekly Review. Friday afternoon or Sunday evening works well.
Deep Dive: The Weekly Review is GTD's keystone habit. Learn the psychology behind it, common mistakes, and how to make it stick in our GTD Weekly Review Guide.
GTD for Developers
Developers face unique challenges: constant interruptions, context-switching between codebases, and the cognitive load of holding complex systems in mind. Here's how to adapt GTD for software development:
Integrate with Your Tools
Super Productivity connects with GitHub and Jira, pulling issues directly into your task list. This means you don't have to manually copy tickets—they flow into your GTD system automatically.
- GitHub issues become actionable tasks
- Jira tickets sync with your project boards
- Time tracked flows back to your issue tracker
Handle Interruptions
When someone interrupts you with a request, capture it immediately in your inbox. Don't context-switch. Say "Got it, I'll look at this" and return to your focused work. Process the interruption during your next clarify session.
Technical Debt as Someday/Maybe
That refactoring you've been meaning to do? Those tests you want to write? Capture them all in Someday/Maybe. During Weekly Reviews, decide if any have become urgent enough to promote to active projects.
Code Review Workflow
Create a #code-review context tag. When you have 30 minutes between meetings, filter to this tag and knock out pending reviews.
Deep Dive: For more developer-specific workflows, see our guide on Developer Productivity.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even the best GTD setup can break down if overcomplicated. Here are the traps to watch for:
Too many contexts create friction. Start with 4-5 tags max. Add more only when you genuinely need to filter differently.
"Plan marketing" isn't actionable. "Write outline for campaign brief" is. Every task should start with a verb and be completable in one sitting.
Skipping your Weekly Review quickly erodes trust in your system. If you can't trust it, you won't use it. Protect this time.
Regularly prune tasks you'll never do. A clear list supports a clear mind. If it's been in Someday/Maybe for a year, delete it.
Why Super Productivity for GTD?
Many tools claim GTD compatibility, but most are either too simple (basic to-do lists) or too complex (enterprise project management). Super Productivity hits the sweet spot.
Built for GTD
Super Productivity combines inbox capture, flexible tagging, project boards, and integrations—all while keeping your data private and local.
Fast Inbox Capture
Keyboard shortcut to capture thoughts instantly.
Privacy First
Your data stays on your device. Always.
GitHub & Jira
Pull issues directly into your GTD system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GTD only for business professionals?
No. GTD works for anyone juggling multiple commitments—students, parents, freelancers, developers. The principles of capturing, clarifying, and organizing apply universally. If you have more to do than you can hold in your head, GTD can help.
Can I combine GTD with Pomodoro or Time Boxing?
Absolutely. GTD tells you what to work on; Pomodoro and Time Boxing help you execute. Use GTD to organize your tasks, then time box your day and use Pomodoro timers during focused work sessions.
How long does it take to set up GTD?
Initial setup takes 1-2 hours to do a complete brain dump and organize your projects. The system becomes second nature within 2-3 weeks of consistent practice. The Weekly Review is the key habit to build.
Does Super Productivity work offline?
Yes. Super Productivity is fully offline by default—your data stays on your device. You can optionally sync via your own cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, WebDAV) if you want access across devices.
Is my data private?
Absolutely. Unlike cloud-based task managers, Super Productivity stores everything locally. There are no accounts, no telemetry, and no third-party access to your data. You stay productive without sacrificing privacy.
