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Getting Things Done (GTD)

By: David Allen (2001) Source: "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity"

Core Concept

GTD is a personal productivity methodology that helps manage commitments, information, and action. The core insight: your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. Capture everything externally, then organize and act systematically.

The Five Steps

1. Capture

Collect everything that has your attention into a trusted system. Don't rely on memory.

2. Clarify

Process what you've captured:

  • Is it actionable?
  • What's the next action?
  • What's the desired outcome?

3. Organize

Put things where they belong:

  • Next Actions (by context)
  • Projects (multi-step outcomes)
  • Waiting For (delegated)
  • Someday/Maybe (future ideas)
  • Reference (information)

4. Reflect

Review your system regularly:

  • Daily: Check calendar, review next actions
  • Weekly: Full review of all lists, projects, commitments

5. Engage

Do the work with confidence, knowing your system has captured everything.

The 2-Minute Rule

If an action takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately.

This is one of GTD's most powerful and widely-adopted principles:

  • The overhead of tracking a 2-minute task exceeds doing it
  • Immediate completion clears mental clutter
  • Builds momentum through quick wins
  • Prevents small tasks from accumulating

In Practice

Situation Action
Quick email reply Send now
Simple file rename Do now
Brief clarification Ask now
Small fix Fix now

The Threshold

2 minutes is a guideline, not a strict rule. The principle is:

Planning overhead should not exceed task complexity.

If documenting, categorizing, and scheduling a task takes longer than doing it — just do it.

Applied in WDS Agentic Development

Task Complexity Assessment

Before adding something to the plan, ask:

Question If Yes →
Can I fix this in < 2 minutes? Do it now, log as sub-step
Does it need context I don't have? Add to plan
Does it affect architecture? Add to plan
Is it outside current scope? Level 4 change request

Bug Fixes vs. Features

Bugs (2-minute candidates):

  • Missing condition check
  • Wrong variable name
  • Off-by-one error
  • Missing translation

Features (need planning):

  • New component
  • New state handling
  • Architectural changes
  • Multi-file refactors

Sub-Step Pattern

When a 2-minute fix arises during planned work:

  1. Do the fix immediately
  2. Log it as a sub-step (e.g., 20a-1)
  3. Continue with the main task

This maintains traceability without planning overhead.

Why This Matters for AI Collaboration

Agentic development involves constant micro-decisions:

  • Should I plan this?
  • Should I do this now?
  • Should I defer this?

The 2-minute rule provides a clear heuristic:

IF task_complexity < 2_minutes:
    execute_immediately()
    log_as_substep()
ELSE:
    add_to_plan()

This prevents:

  • Analysis paralysis on trivial tasks
  • Planning overhead exceeding task value
  • Context switching from minor interruptions
  • Accumulated technical debt from deferred tiny fixes

Related Concepts

Inbox Zero

Process everything to zero — don't leave items in limbo.

Next Actions

Define the very next physical action for every project.

Waiting For

Track delegated items so nothing falls through cracks.

Weekly Review

Regular system maintenance keeps it trustworthy.

Source Materials

Book

  • "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen (2001, revised 2015)

Website

Key Articles

  • "The 2-Minute Rule" — David Allen
  • "GTD in 15 minutes" — Various summaries online

WDS Integration Points

WDS Context GTD Application
Agentic Development 2-minute rule for bug fixes, sub-step logging
Agent Dialogs Capture system for ideas (dialog files)
Change Requests Someday/Maybe list for outside-scope items
Progress Logs Review and reflect on completed work
Session Start Protocol Weekly review concept (check reality vs. plan)

Quick Reference

The 2-Minute Rule

If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.

The Core Principle

Planning overhead should not exceed task complexity.

Applied to Development

Quick fixes → Do and log as sub-step Complex changes → Add to plan first

Getting Things Done - Stress-free productivity through systematic capture and action.