In one line: Get every commitment out of your head and into a trusted system, decide the very next physical action for each, and review the system weekly, so your mind is free to think instead of remember.
Core idea
David Allen’s method [1] starts from one observation: if it’s on your mind, your mind isn’t clear. Every unfinished commitment, from “fix the test fixture” to “call about the car”, is an “open loop” that uses up attention until it is either done or captured somewhere you trust. Making lists isn’t enough. What helps is a complete system plus a habit of deciding, item by item, what each one actually requires.
How it works
The workflow:
- Capture everything into as few inboxes as possible: a physical tray, a notebook, one digital list. That includes work, home, community and personal items.
- Clarify each item, one at a time, from the top, and never put it back into the inbox. Is it actionable?
- No: trash it, file it as reference, or put it on a someday/maybe list.
- Yes: if it takes less than two minutes, do it now. Otherwise delegate it, or defer it to a list or the calendar.
- Organize the results:
- next actions, grouped by context such as calls, office, home or errands
- projects: any outcome that needs more than one action
- waiting for: things you’ve delegated or are expecting from others
- calendar: only things that are truly tied to a day or time
- someday/maybe
- Review daily (the calendar and next actions) and, above all, weekly: gather loose ends, update every list, look at every project, and get the system current. Purge reference files once a year.
- Engage. Choose what to do now based on context, the time available, your energy, and priority.
Planning a project naturally. Allen’s “natural planning model” follows the order the mind uses anyway:
- purpose and principles
- envisioning the outcome
- brainstorming
- organizing
- identifying the next action
Horizons of focus. Review your work at several altitudes:
- current actions (the “ground”)
- projects
- areas of responsibility
- one-to-two-year goals
- three-to-five-year vision
- purpose and principles
In practice
The two-minute rule and the weekly review are the two habits most people keep even if they drop the rest. For engineers, the method fits well with project tools. A Work Breakdown Structure defines the deliverables, and GTD’s “next action” question keeps each one moving. The “waiting for” list is especially valuable for leaders, who delegate a lot and need to follow up reliably.
Questions to ask yourself
- How many open loops am I carrying in my head right now?
- For my most stalled project, what is the very next physical action?
- When did I last do a full review of all my commitments?
Connections
- The bigger picture: Time Management. Choosing among actions: Eisenhower Matrix.
- The top horizon: Personal Mission Statement. Project structure: Work Breakdown Structure. Delegation: Monkey Management.
- Capabilities exercised: Responsibility and Urgency to Deliver, Resourcefulness, Decision Making.