Why GTD Still Works (And How to Implement It)
David Allen's Getting Things Done methodology is more relevant than ever. Here's how to build a frictionless GTD system with KeyResults.
"Getting Things Done" by David Allen revolutionized productivity when it launched in 2001, and its core principles are even more critical today. In our age of infinite distractions, having a trusted system to capture and organize commitments isn't optional—it's survival.
The Five Steps of GTD
Allen's methodology breaks down into five steps: Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect, and Engage. Most people fail at step one.
Your brain is for having ideas, not storing them. Every open loop—that thing you need to remember, that project you need to start, that person you need to email—consumes cognitive resources. It's like having 47 browser tabs open, except the tabs are in your head.
Do a "brain dump" once a week. Write down everything on your mind—work tasks, personal errands, ideas, worries. Then process each item through the GTD workflow.
Capture Everything
"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them." — David Allen
KeyResults serves as your universal capture system. Use Cmd+K to quickly add tasks from anywhere, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Goals become projects, key results become milestones, and tasks become the granular steps.
The system automatically tracks what's in progress versus what's waiting, giving you the mental clarity Allen promises.
The Weekly Review Ritual
GTD's secret weapon is the Weekly Review—a dedicated time to process your inbox, update your lists, and plan the week ahead. Most people skip this step and wonder why GTD "doesn't work" for them.
David's Friday Afternoon Review
Every Friday at 3pm, David blocks 45 minutes for his GTD review:
- He processes his email inbox to zero, creating tasks for anything requiring action
- He reviews his active projects in KeyResults, updating progress on each
- He checks the Someday/Maybe bucket for anything ready to activate
- He identifies his three most important tasks for Monday
- He captures any loose thoughts from the week in his journal
By 4pm, his mind is clear and his weekend truly begins.
With KeyResults, the weekly planning feature guides you through a structured review: What did you accomplish last week? What's your focus for next week? Which goals need adjustment? The health metrics show you which projects are thriving and which need attention.
Project vs. Next Action
Allen's distinction between projects and next actions is crucial. A project is any outcome requiring more than one step. A next action is the specific, physical thing you can do right now to move that project forward.
Every project should have a clear next action. If you're stuck, you probably haven't defined the next physical step clearly enough.
KeyResults handles this naturally—your goals are projects, your key results are milestones, and your tasks are next actions. Subtasks can be reordered via drag-and-drop to prioritize your next actions. The system prevents orphaned actions by requiring every task to connect to a larger objective.
The Someday/Maybe List
One of GTD's most powerful concepts is the Someday/Maybe list—a parking lot for ideas you're not committed to yet but don't want to lose. This prevents half-baked ideas from cluttering your active task list.
KeyResults has a dedicated Someday bucket for exactly this purpose. The backlog system organizes tasks into Now, Next, and Someday—making it easy to capture ideas without committing to them immediately.
Move tasks there when you want to capture an idea without committing to it right now. During your weekly review, scan your Someday list to see if anything should be activated.
Review your Someday/Maybe list monthly, not weekly. Items that have been there for 6+ months should either be activated or deleted.
Context-Based Organization
GTD emphasizes organizing by context (@computer, @phone, @home) rather than by project. When you're at your desk, you want to see all possible desk-based actions, not dig through multiple project lists.
Use KeyResults' project and tag system to organize by context. Create projects for each context, then use the filter features to see all actions available in your current situation. The health score helps prioritize which contexts need attention first.
Handling Overdue Tasks
Life happens, and sometimes tasks slip past their due dates. Rather than letting overdue items create anxiety, KeyResults includes a Reschedule feature that lets you quickly reschedule overdue tasks to Today, Tomorrow, Next Week, or any custom date.
Batch your rescheduling. During your weekly review, reschedule all overdue tasks at once rather than dealing with them one at a time throughout the week.
Trust the System
The ultimate goal of GTD is a "mind like water"—responding appropriately to whatever arises without anxiety or overwhelm. This only happens when you completely trust your system.
KeyResults builds this trust through consistency. Every commitment lives in one place. Nothing falls through the cracks. Your momentum and velocity metrics prove the system is working, giving you confidence to let go of mental clutter.
Organize Your Backlog
Sort tasks into Next and Later to focus on what matters