And once you know which way works best, you can optimize from there. You might be connected to the internet all day at work, but this isn’t related to work you can make it really specific, like “Home iMac.” Some keep it simple, like iMac. Where do we research how to build a sailboat? Let’s try The Internet. These are super-useful when combined with other features in OmniFocus, so it’s worth spending some time on them at the start. A context is the tool, resource, or location-whatever is required-to get the task done. Which brings us to the concept of a context. Hooking up a defer date to an action says “I’ll hide from sight until this date.” Dates aren’t a requirement but dates help ensure that actions don’t fall through the cracks or beg for your attention when they don’t need it. Read more about delegation-there are many different approaches.Īnd then we have dates: defer dates and due dates. Send them an email right then, or create an action to “Email Brian about this one thing.” One other thing to consider: can you do it, or does it require someone elses action? If someone else: delegate it. For kicks, we could probably start with “google ‘how to build a sailboat.’” Turning it into a project means “Build a sailboat next year” is the end goal, and you’ll have invidivual, doable steps along the way. Even if it’s just a model, there are at least a few steps required to make your goal. Take “Build a sailboat next year” as an example. Is it a simple action that could go in a “Miscellaneous” project?.With each item you wrote down, take a second to think about a few things: Processing your Inbox is important-take time to do it right. You’ll hit a groove after 5 minutes and end up with a pretty large collection. Put it in the inbox-even though it’s a huge project that you probably don’t even know how to start.ĭavid Allen advises GTDers to do a brain dump: spend 20 to 30 minutes going through all aspects of your life, putting down anything that you need to work out in the future. I need to remind my kid to take the garbage out on Fridays. Oh, I need to schedule a checkup with a doctor. Getting Things Done® starts with the concept of an Inbox-a temporary holding area to get any idea or task out of your mind so you don’t forget it. You can also read the original GTD Whitepaper. It was originally designed without a software component in mind-manila folders, actually! GTD® is a great system, but with OmniFocus, it can be even better.

Tasks around the house, career goals, things to buy-anything you can turn into a command to follow or action to do.

Developed by David Allen and published in a bestselling book of the same name, Getting Things Done® became a compelling system for dealing with anything.

Setting up evernote for gtd