What is GTD? A Simple Guide to Stress-Free Productivity

Do you ever feel like you're juggling a dozen things in your head at once? A work deadline, a call you need to make, a great idea for a side project, and "don't forget to buy milk." It's exhausting. This feeling of being overwhelmed is what the Getting Things Done® method, or GTD®, was created to solve.

At its heart, GTD is not about working harder. It's about creating a system you can trust completely, so your brain can stop remembering and start thinking. Here’s how it works in five simple steps.

Step 1: Capture — The "Leaky Bucket" Problem

Your brain is like a leaky bucket. If you pour ideas and to-dos into it, they'll eventually spill out and be forgotten. The first step of GTD is to plug the leaks.

The Rule: If it's on your mind, get it out of your head.

Write down every single task, idea, or commitment, no matter how small. In Native Focus, this is your Inbox. It's a single, trusted place to dump everything, so you can have peace of mind knowing it's been captured.

Step 2: Clarify — What Is This, Really?

Now that everything is in your Inbox, you process each item one by one. You don't do the tasks yet; you just decide what they are. For each item, ask a simple question: "Is this actionable?"

If No: It's either trash (delete it), something to incubate (Someday/Maybe), or reference material.

If Yes: You must decide the very next physical action required. "Plan vacation" is not an action. "Research flights to Honolulu" is. This becomes a Next Action.

Step 3: Organize — Putting Everything in its Place

Once you've clarified your actions, you need to organize them.

If an outcome requires more than one action (like "Plan vacation"), it becomes a Project. A project is just a collection of actions leading to a goal.

If an action requires a specific tool, place, or person, you give it a Context. For example, "Call the dentist" gets the @Calls context. "Buy milk" gets @Errands. This is the magic of GTD.

Step 4: Reflect — Keeping Your System Trusted

Your system is only useful if you trust it. The Weekly Review is the most important part of GTD. Once a week, you'll look over all your lists: your Projects, your Next Actions, and your "Waiting For" items. This ensures everything is up-to-date and gives you the confidence to know you're not forgetting anything.

Step 5: Engage — Making Trusted Choices

This is where the magic happens. When you have a moment to work, you don't ask, "What should I do?" You ask, "What can I do?"

Are you at your computer? Filter your Next Actions list by your @Computer context. Now you have a curated list of only the things you can possibly do right now. There's no stress, no guessing. You simply look at your trusted list and engage.

That's it. GTD isn't complicated. It's a habit that turns the chaos of modern life into a calm, controlled workflow. And Native Focus was built to be the perfect, quiet companion for that journey.