Getting Things Done
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28
CORE DEFINITION
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity system developed by David Allen and published in a book of the same name. GTD is described as a time management system. Allen states "there is an inverse relationship between things on your mind and those things getting done".
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity system developed by David Allen and published in a book of the same name. GTD is described as a time management system. Allen states "there is an inverse relationship between things on your mind and those things getting done".
Anchor fast decisions
Proposed by David Allen, the core idea is "the brain is for thinking, not for remembering." The mechanism is to **clear the cache**—move all tasks out of the mind into an external system, eliminating the background anxiety of "unfinished business" (Open Loops), thereby achieving a state of calm focus. The five steps Capture-Clarify-Organize-Reflect-Engage form a closed loop.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/5Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Doneverified
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