Getting Things Done, Applied

How I Adapted GTD for Modern Knowledge Work Using Notion

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For a long time, I thought my problem was poor time management.

I had calendars, to-do lists, reminders, productivity apps. I was busy most days and exhausted by the end of them. Yet there was this constant feeling that something was slipping through the cracks. Even when I wasn’t working, my mind was.

It took me a while to realize this wasn’t a personal failure. It was a lack of a system to manage and honor all the commitments I had made to myself.

That realization eventually led me to Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Before getting into the GTD workflow itself, it’s worth stepping back and understanding how the nature of work has fundamentally changed—and why our old ways of managing it no longer work.

The Nature of Work Has Changed

Most of our productivity habits come from a very different era of work.

Earlier, work was tangible and self-evident. Think assembly lines or clearly defined roles. Tasks had obvious start and end points. Projects had a finish line. Communication was limited and slow. Today, most of us are engaged in knowledge work—work that is invisible, ambiguous, and never truly finished.

• There are no clear boundaries

• Projects are never fully “done”, only improved

• Information is infinite

• Communication is constant

• Work leaks into personal time without asking permission

Old Work - Assembly line	New Work - Knowledge work
Clear start and finish	No clear finish line
Work was visible	Work is abstract
Efficiency = productivity	Productivity is hard to measure
Limited communication	Always online, always reachable

We’re still using industrial-age tools—calendars, to-do lists, prioritization—to manage information-age work. No wonder it feels broken.

The Real Problem: Open Loops

What finally clicked for me while reading Getting Things Done was the idea of open loops.

An open loop is anything that has your attention but hasn’t been clearly defined or parked where it belongs.

• An email you haven’t replied to

• An idea you want to explore “someday”

• A commitment you vaguely remember making

Individually, these seem harmless. Collectively, they drain mental energy. Your brain is excellent at generating ideas. It is terrible at storing them.

When open loops live in your head, your mind keeps reminding you—at the worst possible moments. This creates background anxiety that we mistake for “being busy”.

From Managing Time to Managing Attention

Traditional productivity advice focuses on time. But time isn’t the real issue anymore. The real issue is attention.

Knowledge work is ambiguous and infinite. There’s always more you could do. GTD doesn’t try to help you do everything. It helps you decide what deserves your attention right now.

A goal without a system is just a dream.

Without a system to manage commitments, goals stay abstract and stressful instead of actionable.

The End Goal : Mind Like Water

David Allen uses the phrase “mind like water”—and it’s one of the best metaphors I’ve come across.

Water responds appropriately. It doesn’t overreact. It doesn’t under-react.

A calm mind doesn’t come from doing less. It comes from knowing that everything has a place.

Stress isn’t caused by having too much to do. It’s caused by unclear agreements with yourself.

The Core Principles That Make GTD Work

GTD isn’t a list of hacks. It’s a way of thinking.

1. Capture Everything

Stop trusting your brain as a storage device.

Every open loop must live in a trusted external system.

2. Manage Actions, Not Priorities

Priorities change. Context changes. Energy changes.

Actions are what actually move things forward.

3. Bottom-Up Clarity

Instead of starting with lofty goals, clear what’s already on your plate.

Higher-level thinking becomes possible only after the runway is clear.

4. Next-Action Thinking

Progress doesn’t come from planning—it comes from identifying the next physical action.

5. Outcome-Focused Thinking

Define what “done” looks like.

Clarity about outcomes reduces mental friction.

GTD as a Decision-Making System

At its core, GTD is a system for answering questions:

• Capture: Is this out of my head?

• Clarify: Is this actionable?

• Organize: Where does this belong?

• Reflect: Can I trust my system?

• Engage: What should I do right now?

Instead of reacting emotionally to tasks, you make clear decisions once—and then trust them.

Clarify: The Most Underrated Step

This is where most systems break.

For every item you capture, you ask:

• Is this actionable?

If yes:

• Do it (if it takes < 2 minutes)

• Delegate it (and track it under Waiting For)

• Defer it (schedule or add to Next Actions)

If no:

• Trash it

• Incubate it (Someday/Maybe)

• File it as reference

One simple question changes everything:

What’s the next action?

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The Weekly Review: Where GTD Comes Alive

Without a weekly review, GTD collapses into another messy to-do list.

The weekly review is a reset ritual.

• Get Clear: empty inboxes, capture loose thoughts

• Get Current: review projects, next actions, calendar

• Get Creative: revisit Someday/Maybe, allow new ideas

This is how you rebuild trust in your system—and with yourself.

Adapting GTD to the Digital World

Tools don’t matter as much as thinking does.

Digital systems help by:

• Externalizing memory

• Adding context (time, energy, location)

• Making reviews easier

But no app can clarify a vague commitment for you.

That part still requires thinking.

What GTD Ultimately Gave Me

GTD didn’t make me superhumanly productive.

It gave me:

• Mental space

• Clear boundaries

• Fewer forgotten commitments

• More intentional workdays

Most importantly, it taught me this:

Productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about worrying less.

When everything is captured, clarified, and trusted, your mind finally gets to do what it does best—think, create, and decide.

How to Apply GTD In Notion

Understanding GTD conceptually is one thing. Living it day to day is another.

The real challenge isn’t knowing what to do—it’s having a system you trust enough to stop thinking about everything all the time. For me, Notion became that system—not because it’s powerful, but because it allowed me to externalize thinking without overcomplicating it.

This is not about building a fancy productivity system in Notion.

It’s about translating the thinking behind GTD into a simple, trustworthy digital system—one you’ll actually use.

The One Rule Before You Start

Your brain is for having ideas, not for storing them.

Notion is your external brain. But it only works if:

• Everything lands in it

• Everything has a place

• You review it regularly

Tools don’t create clarity. Thinking does. Notion only supports it.

The Core GTD Building Blocks in Notion

You only need three databases to start:

1. Inbox (Capture)

2. Projects (Outcomes)

3. Actions (Next physical steps)

Everything else is optional.

1. The Inbox — Your Capture System

This is the most important part of GTD.

Purpose

A frictionless place to dump everything that has your attention.

What Goes Here

• Tasks

• Ideas

• Meeting notes

• Emails to respond to

• Random thoughts

If it’s pulling at your attention, it belongs here.

Notion Setup

Create a database called Inbox with:

• Title: Item

• Property: Captured On (Date – optional)

That’s it.

No categories. No priorities. No thinking.

Capture now. Decide later.

2. Clarify — Turning Noise into Decisions

Your Inbox is useless unless you process it regularly.

For each item, ask:

Is this actionable?

If YES

• What is the next physical action?

• Is it a single action or part of a project?

If NO

• Trash it

• Store it as reference

• Move it to Someday/Maybe

This step happens in your head, not in Notion—but Notion records the decision.

3. Projects Database — Defining Outcomes

A project in GTD is any desired outcome that requires more than one action.

Purpose

To hold clarity, not tasks.

Notion Setup

Create a database called Projects with:

• Title: Project Name

• Status: Active / On Hold / Completed

• Review Date (optional)

Inside Each Project Page

Use this simple structure:

1. Purpose & Principles : Why does this project exist?

2. Definition of Done : What does success look like?

3. Brain Dump : All ideas, notes, thoughts related to the project

4. Next Actions (linked) : Only actions that move the project forward

Projects don’t move. Actions do.

4. Actions Database — Where Work Actually Happens

This is your real to-do list.

Purpose

A list of clear, physical, doable actions.

Notion Setup

Create a database called Actions with:

• Title: Action

• Project (Relation → Projects)

• Status: Next / Waiting For / Done

• Context (Multi-select): Laptop, Home, Calls, Errands, Work

• Energy (Select): Low / Medium / High

• Priority (Select): Low / Medium / High (Optional)

• Duration (Select): <15 min / 15–30 min / 60+ min

GTD works better with context and energy, not importance.

5. Calendar — What Truly Belongs There

Your calendar is sacred.

Only three things go on it:

1. Time-specific actions (appointments)

2. Day-specific actions (events/reminders)

3. Day-specific information

If something could be done that day but doesn’t have to be—keep it in Actions, not the calendar.

6. Waiting For — Delegation Without Forgetting

Any task you delegate is not gone.

It moves to Waiting For.

In Notion

Use the same Actions database:

• Status: Waiting For

• Add who you’re waiting on in the title or a property

Review this list weekly.

7. Someday / Maybe — A Parking Lot for the Future

Not everything needs attention now.

Purpose

To reduce guilt without deleting possibilities.

Notion Setup

You can:

• Use a separate database

• Or tag Projects with Status = Someday

The rule is simple:

If it’s not actionable now, it doesn’t belong in your Actions list.

8. The Weekly Review — The Heart of the System

This is non-negotiable.

Weekly Review Checklist

Get Clear

• Empty Inbox

• Capture loose thoughts

• Process notes and emails

Get Current

• Review Projects and outcomes

• Review Next Actions

• Review Waiting For

• Review Calendar (past & upcoming)

Get Creative

• Review Someday/Maybe

• Add new ideas

Without this review, Notion becomes clutter. With it, Notion becomes trustworthy.

9. Daily Use — How to Actually Work

When it’s time to work, don’t scan everything.

Filter Actions by:

• Context (Where am I?)

• Energy (How do I feel?)

• Time available

Then pick one action and do it.

No re-planning. No guilt.

Final Thoughts

This system won’t make you do more.

It will help you:

• Stop carrying work in your head

• Make clearer commitments

• Trust your task list

When your system is complete and current, your mind can finally relax.

That’s what mind like water looks like in Notion.

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