Work from your context lists. Why would you have reminders for projects? You have a list of projects and the very next action on a context list. when you are at that context look at your list. If you are at your office, you can't possibly vacuum your living room rug. So why would you have some sort of reminder pop up for that task or project? However, anything that has to be done at a certain day or time should go on your calendar. That would be the only time I might have a next action on a list and the item on my calendar. For example, my wife needs something from the store that has to be picked up today. It is an all day appointment because it just has to be done today. If I had a client meeting at 10 it would be on my calendar at 10 today. Even then I don't have reminders set on my calendar app. In fact the only notifications I have set are incoming calls and messages. And please turn off your email notifications. At one point I had an auto response to let people know I check email periodically. If it is urgent please call or text. It cut down on the "urgent" emails I received.
Experiencing Friction with GTD After One Month – Seeking Workflow Optimization Advice
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When you say “reminders” do you mean “actions”? I’m not clear on why you would have a lot of reminders.
I think the key to managing overload ...or when your input exceeds your capacity to process...is to examine what is getting in to your system and what you do with it.
I've set up filters to push things into email folders. For example, I have a filter for anything I'm copied on (cc). While those emails may be important they are rarely critical. I will process them, but after I've tackled those emails directed to me as the primary recepient (To). I've got a separate filter for the emails I blind copy to me (bcc). Lots of those are essentially "waiting fors". They will also get processed but only when I get time like during my weekly review during particularly busy weeks.
Having said that, I still prefer email inputs over almost any other method. Because my system is almost exclusively digital, I set up email delivery for my bills, reports and requests. I find that it is much easier to push these things into the appropriate folders in my digital system (I've set up systems for that inside of Evernote).
Also, don't feel bad when you have low energy. Everyone has to go through those phases (at least I do). when that happens I try to identify low energy tasks. Sometimes a change of location has helped me. When the weather cooperates, I like to leave my home office and work from the patio. Fresh air always rejuvenates me.
In one of my interviews with David Allen we discussed what to do when there is too much to do. You might find it helpful.
youtu.be
Dave
I've set up filters to push things into email folders. For example, I have a filter for anything I'm copied on (cc). While those emails may be important they are rarely critical. I will process them, but after I've tackled those emails directed to me as the primary recepient (To). I've got a separate filter for the emails I blind copy to me (bcc). Lots of those are essentially "waiting fors". They will also get processed but only when I get time like during my weekly review during particularly busy weeks.
Having said that, I still prefer email inputs over almost any other method. Because my system is almost exclusively digital, I set up email delivery for my bills, reports and requests. I find that it is much easier to push these things into the appropriate folders in my digital system (I've set up systems for that inside of Evernote).
Also, don't feel bad when you have low energy. Everyone has to go through those phases (at least I do). when that happens I try to identify low energy tasks. Sometimes a change of location has helped me. When the weather cooperates, I like to leave my home office and work from the patio. Fresh air always rejuvenates me.
In one of my interviews with David Allen we discussed what to do when there is too much to do. You might find it helpful.
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youtu.be
Dave
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience so openly — what you’re going through is extremely common among people who’ve just started implementing GTD more seriously. And it’s a great sign that you’re noticing these tensions; they show you’re engaging at the right level.
One insight from me that might be helpful:
Many new practitioners initially have a hard time fully clicking with what David Allen calls the Three-Fold Nature of Work — especially the part about consciously allocating time to “define work” (organizing, clarifying, reviewing), and not just “doing” work or “doing work as it shows up.”
For years, most of us have been conditioned to stay almost exclusively in “doing mode,” reacting to tasks as they appear, even if that doing wasn’t actually moving us meaningfully toward any desired outcomes. As your collection muscle strengthens (which it clearly has!), your system surfaces everything — and it’s normal to feel temporarily overwhelmed. It’s not that GTD is creating more work — it’s just exposing all the work that was always there but previously hidden in mental clutter.
A few thoughts on your specific struggles:
• Collect > Process Imbalance:
This is often a sign that it’s time to shift energy upwards — to strengthen the clarifying and organizing habits even more. Sometimes it’s not about processing everything daily, but about building a sustainable rhythm: maybe an emergency mini-clarifying pass at day’s end, plus deeper processing during a Weekly Review. Also, it’s okay to admit that some “captured” items are no longer relevant or can be deferred/sidelined.
• Energy Drain and Low Motivation:
It helps to keep a “Low Energy” context list — easy wins you can tackle when you’re fatigued (e.g., “browse ideas for vacation” or “clear 5 emails”). Also, recognize that real rest is as legitimate an action as any task. Planning for meaningful recovery is absolutely part of GTD.
• Externally Assigned Tasks and Resentment:
When a new request comes in, treating it as just another input to clarify objectively (“What is this? What’s the next action?”) can create a bit of emotional distance. It’s not about the person, it’s about the item. And if it truly doesn’t belong to you, GTD also gives you tools to renegotiate commitments. « Getting rid of the monkey on your shoulders »
• Handling Urgent Fire Drills:
Fire drills are part of life. Ideally, you capture them too — but in truly urgent situations, it’s okay to act first and record later. GTD is flexible, not rigid. After the storm, it’s important to realign by re-trusting your lists and your Weekly Review.
Bottom line: you’re not doing GTD wrong — you’re facing the natural growing pains that come with building real self-management capacity. Stick with it, and it’ll pay off.
Happy to dive deeper into any of these if it would help!
Stefan Godo
GTD Connect
1. once you learn a skill (in this case Capturing) you tend to overdo it. because it is is easy... Just remember when you learned to bike.
2. if you do not have a "goal", everything feels like an opportunity. Which you do not want to miss. FOMO kicks in.
Solution:
1. short term: (over)using Someday/Maybe (will make Clarifying easier on many items) - obviously an extremely overfilled S/M list if not reviewed with some reasonable frequence might creep in and again "require attention"
2. long term: Get to know your higher horizons - which is an iterative process:
a) ask yourself which input channel/Inbox brings you what "stuff" (whit what frequency) that really required ACTION on your side (you learn your current preferences actual commitments
b) write down/draw your areas of focus/longer term goals/vision - there are good questions in the relevant chapters of the book(s)
(this will help you filter/eliminate excessive capturing)
3. Technical:
check whether there is any duplicity in your capturing (most frequently people are doing screenshots of "important, "not to forget" stuff, even if those are in other inboxes as well)