4 Ways to Set Up GTD

Posted: 10 years, 7 months ago

GTD-setup

There are several different ways to set up a GTD system that works for you. Since the whole premise behind GTD is that its a very fluid and very personal system, there are almost infinaite possibilities. There are, however, 4 main structures or forms of GTD systems. Let's start with the most basic:

1. A Notebook.

We all have a notebook, right? And some of us like to write more than type. A lot of us, actually. There are pages upon pages of people using simple notebooks, or Moleskin notebooks to implement their GTD systems. Here are some of my favorite posts for using a simple notebook to set up your GTD system:

My Moleskin GTD System. I love this one because he's all about low/no waste!
Levenger & Using a Proper Notebook. This one is probably my favorite because it features my favorite store of all time -- Levenger and their super luxurious Circa notebooks. I'm an office supply geek and these are the holy grail.
Simplified Moleskin GTD Hacks. This one simplifies the GTD system and breaks it down piece by piece.

2. Index Cards

Yep, the same 3x5 cards. I've done it this way, too. But not for long. I ended up carrying around too many cards and couldn't write small enough. And I can't throw anything away so that didn't help :). Here are some great posts if 3x5 cards sound like they would be up your alley:

Simple Index Card GTD System. This system uses 7 different colors of index cards.
D*I*Y Planner. This system includes user designed templates to keep things neat and planner like for those who like things pretty. I have tons of these downloaded that I printed on cardstock. They have forms for all sorts of activities, not just GTD, too.
The Hipster PDA. I'm pretty sure I tried this one first but got lured into the templates from the D*I*Y Planner. Either way, this is an easy, cheap, analog way to get started.

3. Online Notebooks.

I prefer Evernote and I've shared my review of the book GTD for Evernote. If you are looking for using Evernote for all your GTD needs, GTD for Evernote will tell you how to do it all for the bargain price of $5.

4. Specialized GTD Applications.

I've found that with the dictation abilities of my iPhone, that a computer based program is easier to deal with than I anticipated.

DoIt.Im is my personal recommended favorite. Click here to read all about DoIt.Im.
Five Best GTD Applications. This article from LifeHacker shows 5 of the best applications across ALL platforms.
Three GTD Apps for the iPhone. I like this article because they show screen shots of how various tasks are handled on the smaller iPhone screen. Nice for usability purposes.
A List of Multi-Platform Apps. Work on more than one device? This article has you covered.
An Official GTD App? Not yet, but they are working on it.

Have you been inspired to GTD?

Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on Google+.