Getting Things Done (GTD) in 7 Easy and Simple Steps

Are you overwhelmed with work every day? Are you busy every day but don’t seem to achieve what you want in life? Do you know how to get things done productively and effectively? The most important thing is to spend a little bit of time to plan ahead. Here are the 7 simple and easy steps to get things done every day:


1. Advance planning: The best time to do planning is in the evening. Find out the things that you need to do in the following day, personal as well as work-related.

2. Prioritize the list: From the list of the things to be done, identify a few items that are really important and you must do them. You allocate a time frame in which you will be productive to complete the tasks.

3. Do it first thing in the morning: Morning is the best time to do the most important tasks of the day; you are full of energy and your mind is fresh. The most important tasks are most likely to be tough as well, so it is best to tackle first.

4. One task at a time: Be focus on the task at hand to get the job done right. You do it with full concentration as it is stressful to do more than one thing at a time

5. Take a deserving break: Upon completion of a task, be smart to take a short break and enjoy a cup of coffee to clear the clutter in your mind and reward yourself for a job done well. In a way you go slow to get things done more effectively

6. Do less: You may have time to get more things done but please follow Pareto’s Principle about the 80/20 rule; just concentrate your time and energy on 20% of the tasks which produce 80% of the results. It is also to simplify your life, so you don’t do too much to get stressed.

7. Reflection: In the evening you ponder about what you have done for the day. Congratulate yourself because you are a self-starter; you take prompt action to accomplished those things that you have decided to do. In short, there is no procrastination. You will be glad to do the same every day because you feel good about yourself that you are really getting things done. You will plan ahead more effectively by concentrating on the 20% of the right things to do to produce 80% of the output.


Planning ahead is the only way to get the most important things done promptly, smoothly, and achieve the desired results. This is a good habit that will last you a lifetime.