A productivity system that works: The five steps of getting things done
seedling
planted Jul 12, 2021
To stay on top of all your tasks, you need to capture, clarify, organize, reflect and engage with your tasks.
A lot of work accumulates very quickly in your life. Keeping a system to stay on top of all tasks and projects is crucial.
The Getting Things Done method was invented by David Allen and illustrates a structure to organize not only your working life, but also smaller tasks in your personal life.
The following five steps can help you as a guide to stay on top of your tasks:
- Capture
- Collect all data, tasks, emails and ideas in one place. Write everything down.
- Clarify
- Decide what to do about an item
- Organize
- Organize the items in useful lists
- Reflect
- Review your lists regularly
- Engage
- Do your next tasks
If you properly use these techniques to create a workflow and always have an idea about your tasks, this can help you to get much more productive. Even if it takes some time to engage with these five steps, it can pay off exponentially to always know the next task at hand.
What to do right now? How to engage your next action
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Reflecting on your work and the importance of the weekly review
Reflection means to regularly review your current lists and check if everything is still in line. Reflection is an… Read this post ›
Organizing your tasks helps you to stay on top of your work
You should organize your tasks in fitting lists to avoid forgetting about them. Having a few lists gives you the needed… Read this post ›
Clarifying your tasks: Get a clear idea what do next
To clarify what to do, first decide if the item is actionable. If it is, what is the next action? If it is not, trash it… Read this post ›
Stop forgetting all your ideas and start capturing everything in an inbox
Capture every idea, document or task in an inbox. This is a place to dump everything that comes to your mind and keep… Read this post ›
Write it down
Don't try to remember everything. It unnecessarily clouds your mind. Just write every idea, every to-do down. The… Read this post ›
Reflecting on your work and the importance of the weekly review
Reflection means to regularly review your current lists and check if everything is still in line. Reflection is an… Read this post ›
Organizing your tasks helps you to stay on top of your work
You should organize your tasks in fitting lists to avoid forgetting about them. Having a few lists gives you the needed… Read this post ›
Stop forgetting all your ideas and start capturing everything in an inbox
Capture every idea, document or task in an inbox. This is a place to dump everything that comes to your mind and keep… Read this post ›
Creating a workflow with todos
Writing your tasks down helps you to remember them. Choose a daily highlight to-do for the day. This need to be achieved… Read this post ›