Getting Things Done with OpenTodo
Contexts as labels, lists as saved views and a weekly review, so the GTD method runs on your own server.
Last reviewed
Getting Things Done, the method David Allen described, is simple at heart: capture everything, decide what each thing means, keep reminders in trusted lists, and review them. Any tool with an inbox, contexts and lists can carry it. Here is how the parts map onto OpenTodo.
Capture into the Inbox
Everything starts in the Inbox. Use quick add from any view, email to task, or the share sheet on your phone (capture). Don’t organise while capturing; just get it out of your head.
Clarify and organise
Go through the Inbox and ask of each item: is it actionable? If not, delete it or move it to someday. If it is, what is the very next physical action?
- Contexts become labels:
@home,@computer,@phone,@errand. - Waiting for is a label too:
@waiting, with a due date for when you will chase it. - Projects are projects, and each needs at least one next action.
- Someday / maybe is a label you check during the review, tagged
@someday, with no date. See labels and filters.
Engage with context lists
Your next-action lists are saved views. A few that work well:
@phone & !@waiting & openfor a few minutes between meetings@errand & openwhen you are out@computer & (p1 | p2)for focused work
Pin them to the sidebar; their counts update live, even offline. The filter language has more examples.
Review weekly
GTD falls apart without the weekly review. Follow the weekly review guide and use its template.
Get started
Import the GTD setup template. It creates the labels, a project with next actions, waiting-for and someday sections, and a repeating task to check every project for a next action.