194 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
194 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
# Getting Things Done (GTD)
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**By:** David Allen (2001)
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**Source:** "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity"
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---
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## Core Concept
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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.
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---
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## The Five Steps
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### 1. Capture
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Collect everything that has your attention into a trusted system. Don't rely on memory.
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### 2. Clarify
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Process what you've captured:
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- Is it actionable?
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- What's the next action?
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- What's the desired outcome?
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### 3. Organize
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Put things where they belong:
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- Next Actions (by context)
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- Projects (multi-step outcomes)
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- Waiting For (delegated)
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- Someday/Maybe (future ideas)
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- Reference (information)
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### 4. Reflect
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Review your system regularly:
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- Daily: Check calendar, review next actions
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- Weekly: Full review of all lists, projects, commitments
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### 5. Engage
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Do the work with confidence, knowing your system has captured everything.
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---
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## The 2-Minute Rule
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**If an action takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately.**
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This is one of GTD's most powerful and widely-adopted principles:
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- The overhead of tracking a 2-minute task exceeds doing it
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- Immediate completion clears mental clutter
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- Builds momentum through quick wins
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- Prevents small tasks from accumulating
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### In Practice
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| Situation | Action |
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|-----------|--------|
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| Quick email reply | Send now |
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| Simple file rename | Do now |
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| Brief clarification | Ask now |
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| Small fix | Fix now |
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### The Threshold
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2 minutes is a guideline, not a strict rule. The principle is:
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> **Planning overhead should not exceed task complexity.**
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If documenting, categorizing, and scheduling a task takes longer than doing it — just do it.
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---
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## Applied in WDS Agentic Development
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### Task Complexity Assessment
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Before adding something to the plan, ask:
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| Question | If Yes → |
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|----------|----------|
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| Can I fix this in < 2 minutes? | Do it now, log as sub-step |
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| Does it need context I don't have? | Add to plan |
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| Does it affect architecture? | Add to plan |
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| Is it outside current scope? | Level 4 change request |
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### Bug Fixes vs. Features
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**Bugs (2-minute candidates):**
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- Missing condition check
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- Wrong variable name
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- Off-by-one error
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- Missing translation
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**Features (need planning):**
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- New component
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- New state handling
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- Architectural changes
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- Multi-file refactors
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### Sub-Step Pattern
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When a 2-minute fix arises during planned work:
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1. **Do** the fix immediately
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2. **Log** it as a sub-step (e.g., 20a-1)
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3. **Continue** with the main task
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This maintains traceability without planning overhead.
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---
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## Why This Matters for AI Collaboration
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Agentic development involves constant micro-decisions:
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- Should I plan this?
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- Should I do this now?
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- Should I defer this?
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The 2-minute rule provides a clear heuristic:
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```
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IF task_complexity < 2_minutes:
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execute_immediately()
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log_as_substep()
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ELSE:
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add_to_plan()
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```
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This prevents:
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- Analysis paralysis on trivial tasks
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- Planning overhead exceeding task value
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- Context switching from minor interruptions
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- Accumulated technical debt from deferred tiny fixes
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---
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## Related Concepts
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### Inbox Zero
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Process everything to zero — don't leave items in limbo.
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### Next Actions
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Define the very next physical action for every project.
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### Waiting For
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Track delegated items so nothing falls through cracks.
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### Weekly Review
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Regular system maintenance keeps it trustworthy.
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---
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## Source Materials
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### Book
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- **"Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity"** by David Allen (2001, revised 2015)
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### Website
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- [GettingThingsDone.com](https://gettingthingsdone.com)
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### Key Articles
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- "The 2-Minute Rule" — David Allen
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- "GTD in 15 minutes" — Various summaries online
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---
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## WDS Integration Points
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| WDS Context | GTD Application |
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|-------------|-----------------|
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| **Agentic Development** | 2-minute rule for bug fixes, sub-step logging |
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| **Agent Dialogs** | Capture system for ideas (dialog files) |
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| **Change Requests** | Someday/Maybe list for outside-scope items |
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| **Progress Logs** | Review and reflect on completed work |
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| **Session Start Protocol** | Weekly review concept (check reality vs. plan) |
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---
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## Quick Reference
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### The 2-Minute Rule
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> If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
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### The Core Principle
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> Planning overhead should not exceed task complexity.
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### Applied to Development
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> Quick fixes → Do and log as sub-step
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> Complex changes → Add to plan first
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---
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*Getting Things Done - Stress-free productivity through systematic capture and action.*
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