GTD Workflow for Personal Productivity: Explained

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Hello my Lovelies.

Last week I shared 8 Intentional Tips and I hope you have found them useful.

It’s so ironic because shortly after publishing that post, I felt unwell. It was probably fatigue plus the crazy weather in Melbourne. So for a few days, I was feeling low and I didn’t have any motivation to do anything.

My daily schedule was practically useless because I only did the absolute bare minimum. Food, dishes, and laundry. That was it. I am incredibly lucky because when this happens, my family always has my back. R always steps up and the kids are sweet enough to give me the space I needed to recharge.

This is what I mentioned in my *Weekly Spread post. Not all weeks are great. This is my realisation since implementing the intentional lifestyle one week at a time. There are weeks where we would feel amazing but some weeks will test us in many ways.

I think it is just a fact of life and it is up to us how to handle those trying weeks. I have my fair share of these “low’ weeks since I was young and I have built resilience over time.

In the last five years though, I have discovered that Workflow and Systems are two combinations that can help us face whatever curve balls life throws at us.

This is what I am going to share today and my hope is for you to find a workflow and system that will work for you too.

So stay awhile. let’s hang out.

DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links (marked with asterisks), at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Workflow and Systems

WORKFLOW is the way that a particular type of work is organized or the order of stages in a particular work process. (Source: Cambridge Dictionary)

SYSTEM is a set of connected things or devices that operate together. (Source: Cambridge Dictionary)

I can’t even remember exactly when it started, but I have always been into productivity and self-development (I guess you might have noticed it by my posts). I love it because feeling organised and productive has so many benefits. I could go on and on about it but let’s be intentional and save it for another post.

When we talk about productivity, Workflow and Systems are really important because they can be great strategies to help us work efficiently and effectively. This applies in a personal and professional environment.

It took me a while to have a personal Workflow and Systems in place that makes sense to me. I appreciate the fact that this is not going to work for everyone. However, when you found the right workflow and systems that fit your personality you are going to be an efficient and effective individual.

The image below is my personal workflow, inspired by the Getting Things Done *** by David Allen. The original workflow is in the book and the below image is something I created based on the GTD (Getting Things Done) principles.

GTD Key Process

I mentioned in this post, Getting Things Done saves my Sanity that I use the key process for GTD in my personal system.

The GTD key Process consists of three steps.

Capture – Write it down
Organise – Categorize
Map it – Make a Plan

Honestly using these three steps would really go a long way. This in itself can be a good system already.

Inspired by this Key Process I created my own personal workflow. This is slightly different from the workflow of Getting Things Done*** but ultimately it incorporates the idea in original the Workflow in the book.

This is how it is has worked for me and it might not work for everyone but am sure as long as you get the idea of each step and combine them the way that will make sense to you, then you would already have a workflow of your own.

WORK FLOW

1. Capture

I use my phone app if I have to quickly take note of something. However, using the good old pen and paper gives that extra hand to calm the mental chaos when I am feeling overwhelmed.

Capture in GTD means getting our thoughts and ideas out of our heads. Mind sweep, Brain dump, and Rapid log are the three ways we can “capture”.

Suggestion for you.

To do Brain Dump, set aside time to sit down, and clear your mind. The idea is to get everything out of your head. At this moment, all you are going to do is literally write down (take note if you are using a digital app) everything that you have in mind at that moment.

No Further thinking, just write them down. It can be an idea, a task, any kind of thought, feelings, and people. Don’t think about what you are going to do next or how you are going to do it. You will have time to do this later. For now, the main purpose is to just get them out of your head.

Externalizing those thoughts and ideas (and everything else that’s in your head) is like doing the first step in dealing with them. They say that sometimes, the hardest part is taking that first step. So by brain dumping, you are essentially taking the first step.

In my experience, often there would be a task or project that intimidates me because it seems to be hard to do. The thing is this is often important so I have to do it.

So what I would usually do it write it down. Once something is written down, for whatever reason, it becomes easier to break it into smaller chunks. Then suddenly a big task or projects is not as intimidating as it was before doing brain dump.

Mind sweep is another way of getting everything out of our heads but slightly different from Brain dump in a way that it is done as we go.

This is simply taking a note or writing down as soon as an idea or thought pops up in our head. I really like this because this helps me remember everything I need to remember. Well not really, I actually forget the ideas/thoughts after writing them. And that is ok. When I go through my list I remember them.

Suggestion for you.

If you prefer analog, have a notebook or notepad handy all the time. When something pops in your head write it down. If you prefer digital, do the same thing. When something potentially meaningful pops up in your head. Take note of it.

This is pretty cool because it saves you time in the long run. It also frees your mind from having to think about those ideas/thoughts. Once you have externalize that thought or idea, you can pretty much go on with your day. You are free to temporarily forget about it. You know you would come back to it later on when you go through your list.

I use Notion on my phone and it has been absolutely amazing to have this app. Since I have my phone handy, every time an idea pops up in my head, take note of it.

Rapid Log is from The Bullet Journal Method*** ( which you can also purchase at Booktopia if you are in Australia).

The third way to Capture is by doing a Rapid Log. When we do Rapid Log we capture our thoughts in the form of a list where we use keys or symbols. We use keys to easily organise our thoughts as we go. If you are a techy type person and good old pen and paper is not your style, this can also be done digitally. More information here.

2. Organise

Every single week I create a Weekly Spread in my Bullet Journal so that I can see at a glance what is happening in a particular week. By doing this, it is easy to go back to previous weeks’ events or notes if I need to refer to them in the future.

When I was not so serious yet in applying the GTD method in my life, I think I was already doing a good job at making lists. The thing is I didn’t have a proper workflow then, so the lists just grew, but I really didn’t make time to regularly go through them. So, it kept growing but not maintained. It was not effective. It only overwhelmed me.

Now, that I am fully committed to this method, I go through my lists as often as possible. I go through it daily but if I can’t, I make sure I go through my lists weekly during Weekly Review.

When we go through our lists, it is extremely important to ask ourselves, What is it? Is it a Task, a Project, or Reference? If it doesn’t fall in any of them and it doesn’t mean anything anymore then delete it. Time to let go.

Task requires only one action step to be completed. The project requires 2 or more action steps to get accomplished. Reference is something we need to refer to in the future.

3. Plan

Having a Quarterly Plan is one way to get things done effectively. Achieving goals is more doable because this timeframe is not too short and not too long.

Would you like to know more about Quarterly Goal Setting? I have a post about Quarterly Goal Setting. You may check it out when you finish reading this post.

How to Create a Personal Workflow

Now that I have explained the three steps of the Key Process, let me show you the process of my personal Workflow.

The 6 steps below are the exact way I get things done. Not a perfect process but I surely accomplished so much since implementing this. Just letting you know. I don’t always get everything done and it is perfectly OK. Somehow in the process, there is an element where when things are falling off balance, something has to drop. (temporarily)