What could be better than crossing off items on your to-do list as they are completed, giving you a sense of satisfaction at day’s end? And a confirmation that the day’s task was accomplished successfully? It turns out that those who feel like they are making progress in their work are more likely to actually make that progress.
Consequently, there is a plethora of productivity apps and software that promises to streamline both professional and personal tasks. Unfortunately, only the GTD-based apps and programs actually function to reduce your burden.
In any case, what is the GTD technique, and what are the greatest GTD apps for increasing efficiency? The following is a reference for any questions that may arise.
Exactly what does “GTD” entail?
The Getting Things Done (GTD) technique is a time management and productivity framework that may be used to get more done in less time. American productivity expert David Allen created it with the mantra “the mind is for having ideas, not storing them.”
With the help of the GTD method, you can stop stressing over your schedule and to-do list and start getting things done. Instead of spending time constructing a task (or to-do) list, you can get things done by breaking them down into manageable chunks.
You can improve your task management and output by adhering to the GTD methodology’s prescribed sequence of actions. For example:
Taken in
Capture, as its name suggests, entails writing down thoughts and ideas so that you may clear your head and focus on what needs to be done to reach your goals first.
To elucidate
Step two of the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach is clarifying your thoughts and ideas in order to decide what to do next. Therefore, you can always tell the difference between doable and undoable jobs, which is crucial when planning your path to success.
Make a plan
After writing down your ideas and laying out your plans, the following step is to arrange them in a way that makes carrying them out easier. To get things done more efficiently, you need to learn to classify your tasks and set priorities.
Think About It
The Getting Things Done (GTD) productivity approach relies on regular reviews of to-do items to keep the user apprised of what has been accomplished and what remains to be done.
Act upon
The final phase of the GTD process is to actually do what you’ve planned to do. You need to set priorities based on importance and work hard to meet all of your commitments on time.
The Top Time Management Programs
Now that you know what the GTD technique is and how it works, you can take advantage of some of the top GTD apps available to streamline your processes and make the most of your time.
Stop the Panic!
The Chaos Control application is a GTD-inspired personal task manager. Actions are prioritized, allowing you to clear your mind of distractions and concentrate on what really matters. Chaos Control, which is based on the GTD system, has many tools that improve upon it. With the help of contexts, or extra information, your project and its associated activities can be better organized and managed.
Chaos Control also allows you to sync your entries across all of the devices you use it on, in addition to the standard GTD capabilities. In addition, you can set up an automatic export of your calendar events from Chaos Control to either Google Calendar or iCloud Calendar.
Pricing varies from free to $23.59 yearly.
Gain Discipline
nTask
nTask is yet another well-liked application for managing one’s workload in accordance with the GTD productivity methodology. It has everything you need to set up and manage your projects (or tasks) so that you can concentrate on getting things done. nTask’s capacity for group work and task distribution is one of its most appealing features. That way, you can get your team members to collaborate more efficiently.
Team collaboration is enhanced by nTask’s specialized workspaces, which help keep projects structured and provide members control over who has access to what. In addition, there is built-in meeting software for going through the day’s events and making any necessary decisions.
Optional paid plans available ($2.99 monthly).
Access nTask
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Infernal Task
The task management tool Firetask is simple to set up and begin using. It takes David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology and blends it with the fundamental aspects of task management to help you organize your work and tackle it in a way that makes the most sense for you. Firetask’s ability to sort jobs into several categories, such as “actionable,” “delegable,” and “infrequent,” is an appealing feature.
Firetask’s foundation in the GTD approach means you have access to all the great features of that system. This means you may give your projects some background and check in on them from time to time to see where you stand and what’s next. FireTask also has the ability to sync with the cloud, integrate with your phone’s calendar, contacts, and reminder apps, and add links to your tasks and projects.
There are two pricing tiers available, both of which cost $13.99 per month.
Do the Fireworks
The OmniFocus Method
Another well-known GTD-inspired application is OmniFocus. The software’s primary purpose is to bring order out of chaos and direct attention where it is most needed. And all it does to aid you in the same is streamline the process of capturing chores, making it easier to maintain order and get things done. The convenience of capturing work from any location is further enhanced by the compatibility with Apple devices.
With OmniFocus, you can see at a glance what your week will entail by listing all of your upcoming tasks with due dates and tags. In addition, the prioritized list of upcoming chores is displayed by the onboard to-do list, making it easier to stay on top of everything. OmniFocus, like many other cross-platform task managers, includes a sync feature that keeps your projects and tasks in sync as you move between devices.
Pricing is either free (with a 14-day trial) or $9.99 per month.
Install OmniFocus.
SimpleThings
Intuitive and effective, FacileThings is a task manager that incorporates the best features of the GTD productivity method. Like the other GTD-based apps on this list, FacileThings provides a centralized location from which you can manage all of your chores effectively. That way, you’ll always have a record of your next steps and be more likely to follow through on them.
Integration with Evernote, Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and more is supported by FacileThings. As a result, if you already utilize any of these services, you can easily incorporate them into FacileThings. You can monitor your current progress and make adjustments to your workflow as needed thanks to the detailed statistics you receive on all of your activity.
Free for 30 days, then $7/month for a year.
Get Easy
ThingsYou can enhance your efficiency and effectiveness by using one of the aforementioned GTD-based task management solutions (apps/software).
Having said that, we are not implying that any task management and to-do service that is not based on the GTD methodology is ineffective by highlighting how the GTD methodology can show to be effective at keeping up with projects and organizing your chores. Instead, we’re just making the case that GTD-based tools are more effective than note-taking and memory jogging when it comes to achieving your aims.