Getting Things Done (GTD)

Getting Things Done, the art of stress-free productivity, is the title of a book published in 2001 by David Allen. This book proposes a method for managing priorities, based on five steps for effectively organizing daily tasks.

The aim of this method is to "organize the chaos " that surrounds us, as promised on the official Getting Things Done (GTD) website, now a registered trademark.

The five steps of the GTD method

1. Collecting

The first step is to "capture" everything that concerns us: tasks, ideas, projects to be carried out or considered, whether personal or professional.

2. Clarifying

This involves analyzing each task to determine whether it is a priority, achievable and worthy of action.

• If the answer is no, the task must be discarded, abandoned or archived.
• If the answer is yes:
  • If the task takes less than two minutes, it must be executed immediately.
  • If it takes longer, you need to move on to the next stage: organizing.

3. Organizing

This phase consists of structuring each task, defining its level of priority and planning its execution. The result is an exhaustive list and schedule of actions to be carried out.

4. Reviewing

This stage is based on regular monitoring of task progress. The method recommends a weekly review to adjust, revise or update priorities, and assess effectiveness.

5. Acting

The final stage is implementation: acting on the plan.

A flexible, accessible method

The GTD method stands out for its simplicity and flexibility. Its effectiveness lies less in its tools than in the understanding and assimilation of its principles. Although these steps may seem laborious at first, they enable priority management that considerably reduces stress and improves productivity.