Getting Things Done on Mac and iPhone: a simple GTD setup
Getting Things Done (GTD) is David Allen's method of capturing everything, deciding what each item means, organising it into lists, reviewing weekly and then working from what's in front of you. A simple GTD setup in Alcove uses quick add and Speak tasks to capture, the Inbox to clarify, lists and tags for projects and contexts, Upcoming and the calendar to plan, and a weekly review.
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a method from David Allen's book of the same name. Its core idea is simple: your head is for having ideas, not holding them. Capture everything, decide what it means, put it where it belongs, review it regularly, and then trust the system enough to focus on the work in front of you.
The method is often taught with powerful apps and elaborate setups. You don't need either. Here's a setup in Alcove that takes about ten minutes and keeps the essentials.
1. Capture: get it out of your head
Capture has to be faster than forgetting.
- On the Mac: press ⌥ Space from any app and type. One sentence can set the day, time, list and tag: "Email Sam about the invoice tomorrow #computer". See adding tasks from any app.
- On iPhone: use quick add, a widget, or Siri.
- Brain dump: say everything at once with Speak tasks.
Anything without a list lands in the Inbox.
2. Clarify: decide what each item is
Go through the Inbox one item at a time and ask: is this actionable?
- No: delete it, or keep it in a note for reference.
- Yes, under two minutes: do it now.
- Yes, longer: write the next physical action ("Call the garage to book a service", not "Car"), then give it a list.
3. Organise: lists, tags and dates
| GTD idea | In Alcove |
|---|---|
| Projects | A list per project, in folders by area (Work, Home) |
| Next actions | Tasks in those lists, phrased as actions |
| Contexts | Tags such as #calls, #computer, #errands, #home |
| Calendar | Tasks with a date and time, and the calendar's hour grid |
| Someday/Maybe | A "Someday" list you hide from your main list |
| Reference | Notes, with checklists, tables and attachments |
| Waiting for | A #waiting tag |
Hide a list from your main list (Overview) when you don't need to see it day to day, such as Someday.
4. Reflect: the weekly review
Once a week, empty the Inbox, look over every list, check what's coming up, and choose what matters. It takes about 20 minutes. Make "Weekly review" a repeating task. See how to plan your week.
5. Engage: work from what's in front of you
On the Mac, the menu bar popup shows today. Open a tag for your current context ("I'm at the computer, what can I do?"), or float a list beside your work. On iPhone, a widget shows today's tasks on the Home Screen, and you can tick them off without opening the app.
When you need more
If you want defer dates that hide tasks until they're relevant, sequential projects or custom perspectives, OmniFocus is the specialist tool. See Alcove vs OmniFocus.
Sources
- Getting Things Done, overview of David Allen's method
Questions people ask
What are the five steps of GTD?
Capture, clarify, organise, reflect and engage. Capture everything into an inbox, clarify what each item is and its next action, organise actions into lists, reflect with a weekly review, and engage by doing the work that fits your context and time.
Do I need OmniFocus to do GTD?
No. OmniFocus is built for GTD and is very powerful, but the method works with any app that has an inbox, lists and a way to review. Alcove covers the essentials with less setup.
How do I do contexts in Alcove?
Use tags, such as #calls, #computer, #errands or #home. Add them as you type a task, then open a tag to see everything you can do in that context.
What's the two-minute rule?
If an action takes less than two minutes, do it as soon as you clarify it, rather than writing it down.