Why GTD Still Works (And How to Implement It)

"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.

Capture Everything

"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them." — David Allen

KeyResults serves as your universal capture system. Goals become projects, key results become next actions, 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.

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. The editor even supports bold, italic, and bullet point formatting to help you organize your thoughts clearly.

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.

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/Maybe view for exactly this purpose. Move tasks there when you want to capture an idea without committing to it right now. During your weekly review, scan your Someday/Maybe list to see if anything should be activated.

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—similar to how Todoist handles rescheduling.

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 and focus on executing.