Is GTD Overkill? My Journey Back to a Simpler System

I used to be a devout follower of the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology. My life was a meticulously organized collection of contexts, projects, and next actions. I had a trusted system, and for a while, it felt like I had achieved productivity nirvana. But honestly, over time, a strange feeling crept in. I was spending more time organizing my work than actually doing it. The system designed to create clarity was starting to feel like a cage.

The turning point when process becomes procrastination

The moment of truth came on a Tuesday afternoon. I missed an important deadline not because I was busy, but because the task was buried in a complex project list, waiting for its turn in my weekly review. I realized my commitment to the GTD process had become a very sophisticated form of procrastination. The weekly review, which once felt empowering, now felt like an hour of administrative work I dreaded all week. I was managing the system, but the system wasn\'t truly managing my work anymore. It was just too much.

Stripping it all back to what actually works

I didn\'t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The core principles of GTD are brilliant. The problem, for me, was the rigid implementation. So, I decided to conduct an experiment and build my own, radically simpler system based on the parts of GTD I genuinely loved.

The \'good enough\' capture habit

I kept the most important habit: capture everything. Any idea, task, or reminder that enters my head goes straight into a single digital inbox. The difference? I stopped obsessively processing it multiple times a day. I let it sit there until I have a natural break, and I don\'t force it into a dozen different categories.

My simple triage: today, this week, someday

Instead of complex contexts like @computer, @home, or @calls, I simplified my lists into three basic buckets: \'Today\', \'This Week\', and \'Someday/Maybe\'. This simple change was revolutionary. It removed a massive layer of administrative friction and allowed me to focus on time horizons, which I find far more intuitive for planning my actual life and work.

The 15-minute daily reset

The formal weekly review is gone. I replaced it with a 15-minute \'daily shutdown\' at the end of each workday. During this time, I process my inbox, review my \'Today\' list, and pick 1-3 priorities for tomorrow. It’s a lightweight, consistent check-in that keeps me on track without the baggage of a heavy, formal review process.

The surprising freedom of a simpler system

The result of this simplification has been profound. I feel less anxious, more in control, and I\'m genuinely getting more meaningful work done. My focus has shifted from maintaining a system to making progress. It turns out that for me, GTD wasn\'t the goal—it was just one possible path. By giving myself permission to break the rules and adapt the principles, I found a system that truly serves me. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is less.