Getting Things Done

Summary

The workflow has five stages: capture, clarify, organize, reflect, engage. They turn vague “stuff” into clear, actionable commitments. The goal is to get everything captured, processed, and into the right buckets so you can engage with confidence.

• Capture — Get everything that has your attention into trusted inboxes. When capture becomes habitual, open loops stop draining focus and you gain mental space for creative and strategic work.
• Clarify — For each item, decide what it is and what the very next physical action is. If it’s not actionable, trash it, file it, or defer it. Defining that next action breaks paralysis and turns intentions into progress.
• Organize — Put clarified items into lists: Projects, Next Actions, Waiting For, Someday/Maybe, and reference. Organize by context so you can see what’s doable in the moment.
• Reflect — Regular review, especially the Weekly Review, keeps the system trustworthy. When you know nothing is slipping through, you can relax and trust your lists.
• Engage — Choose what to do based on context, time available, energy, and priority. The system reduces overwhelm by narrowing choices to what actually fits now.

Beyond the workflow: every project needs a clear outcome and at least one next action; and the system only works if you use it—dedicate workspace and simple tools you’ll actually maintain, and aim for frictionless capture and quick processing.