Getting Things Done: David Allen in depth

• A. To prioritize all current projects by urgency
• B. To collect every open loop or commitment into trusted external containers so the mind does not have to hold them ✓
• C. To schedule every task onto a calendar with specific deadlines
• D. To review completed work at the end of each week

Why: Capture is about moving incomplete items out of your head and into trusted external systems, freeing mental energy from trying to remember them. Prioritizing, scheduling, and reviewing happen in later steps of the workflow.

• A. Staying calm and emotionless during high-pressure situations
• B. Drinking enough water to maintain focus and energy throughout the day
• C. A mental state where the mind responds to situations appropriately, reflecting what is in front of it without holding onto unresolved tension ✓
• D. A technique for meditating while reviewing your task lists

Why: Allen draws on martial arts concepts to describe a mind that responds fluidly to what occurs, like still water reflecting its surroundings. This is achieved when open loops are captured and organized, so the mind is not preoccupied with unfinished commitments.

• A. A completed project that has been archived
• B. Any unfinished commitment, idea, or item that the mind is tracking as something still to be dealt with ✓
• C. A recurring weekly meeting on the calendar
• D. A software bug that has not yet been fixed

Why: Open loops are any incomplete items that occupy mental attention, such as promises, ideas, or pending tasks. Allen argues that these create stress and reduce focus until they are captured and resolved or organized.

• A. Because it impresses colleagues and managers
• B. Because the mind will only let go of unfinished items if it trusts they are recorded and will be reviewed reliably ✓
• C. Because software tools are always more accurate than memory
• D. Because trusted systems eliminate the need to make any decisions

Why: Allen's central insight is that the mind keeps tracking open loops unless it has confidence they are captured somewhere reliable. Without trust in the system, people continue to hold items mentally, which undermines focus and the Mind Like Water state.

• A. Productivity comes from working longer hours with fewer breaks
• B. Stress and lost productivity largely stem from unmanaged commitments, and a clear system for capturing and organizing them restores control ✓
• C. Success depends mainly on having the highest level of talent or intelligence
• D. Effective people eliminate all their responsibilities to focus on one goal

Why: GTD is built on the premise that unmanaged commitments create mental clutter and stress, and that a systematic approach to capturing, clarifying, and organizing them allows people to engage with their work with clarity and control.

• A. To immediately decide what action each item requires
• B. To collect everything that has our attention into trusted inboxes so the mind can be cleared ✓
• C. To organize tasks by project and priority
• D. To schedule all commitments on a calendar

Why: Allen's capture step is about getting every open loop out of your head and into external collection points you trust, so your mind is free to focus rather than hold unfinished commitments.

• A. Only the physical desk tray
• B. A single master notebook used for everything
• C. Any collection point you check regularly and believe will capture items reliably, such as a notebook, voice recorder, or app ✓
• D. Your email inbox alone

Why: A trusted inbox is any capture tool you consistently use and believe in. Allen emphasizes that trust matters more than the specific tool, and that you should have several capture points for different contexts.

• A. Trivial items are usually the most urgent
• B. Any unprocessed commitment, however small, occupies mental space and undermines trust in the system ✓
• C. It increases the total number of projects you can track
• D. Small items are required for accurate weekly reviews only

Why: Allen argues that unrecorded small commitments still nag at the mind as open loops. Capturing them, even minor ones, lets you release them mentally and keeps the whole system credible.

• A. Once a month during the weekly review
• B. Only when they become visibly full
• C. Regularly, typically daily, so that inboxes are kept empty and processed in a consistent rhythm ✓
• D. Only at the end of each project

Why: Allen recommends processing inboxes regularly, ideally daily, to keep them empty. This maintains trust, because you know the inboxes are current and nothing is waiting unexamined.

• A. Fewer tools reduce the chance of forgetting to capture something, because the mind must trust that everything lands in a known place ✓
• B. Multiple inboxes are forbidden under GTD rules
• C. Each capture point must be used for a single project only
• D. Digital tools are always superior to paper for capture

Why: Allen's concern is that if capture is scattered across too many places, you cannot trust that you have captured everything. A limited set of reliable collection points makes it easier to believe the system is complete.

• A. Who is responsible for this item?
• B. Is it actionable? ✓
• C. How urgent is this item?
• D. Which project does this belong to?

Why: Allen's clarify step begins by asking whether an item is actionable. If it is not, you either trash it, incubate it (someday/maybe), or file it as reference. Only actionable items move on to the next question of what the next action is.

• A. Schedule it for later in the week
• B. Delegate it to someone else
• C. Add it to a someday/maybe list
• D. Do it immediately ✓

Why: The Two-Minute Rule says that if an action takes less than two minutes, you should do it right away. The overhead of tracking, scheduling, or revisiting a tiny task usually exceeds the time it would take to just finish it.

• A. Call the plumber to schedule a repair
• B. Reply to the email from your manager
• C. A newsletter about gardening tips you may read someday ✓
• D. Draft the budget proposal for Friday

Why: A gardening newsletter requires no action right now, so it is non-actionable. It could be trashed, filed as reference, or placed on a someday/maybe list. The other three items each require a concrete next step.

• A. A project is always urgent, while a next action is optional
• B. A project is any outcome requiring more than one action, while a next action is the single physical step needed to move it forward ✓
• C. A project is stored in your calendar, while a next action is stored in your notebook
• D. A project is personal, while a next action is work-related

Why: Allen defines a project as any desired outcome that takes more than one action step to complete. The next action is the specific, concrete, visible step that moves that project forward. Clarifying means identifying both.

• A. Because abstract thoughts cannot be written down
• B. Because it makes the task easier to start without ambiguity or hesitation ✓
• C. Because managers require all tasks to be physical
• D. Because mental tasks are not counted as productive work

Why: A vague item like 'work on taxes' stalls because it is unclear where to begin. Defining the next action as something concrete, such as 'gather last year's receipts from the desk drawer,' removes ambiguity and lowers the barrier to starting.

• A. The final outcome you want to achieve for a larger goal
• B. The single most concrete, physical, visible step you can take next to move something forward ✓
• C. A long-term aspiration you plan to pursue over several years
• D. Any task you have already completed during the day

Why: Allen defines a next action as the specific, physical, visible activity required to move an item forward. Making it concrete prevents procrastination because you always know exactly what to do next.

• A. Any single task that takes more than thirty minutes
• B. A collection of unrelated tasks grouped by due date
• C. Any desired outcome that requires more than one action step to complete ✓
• D. A recurring weekly routine such as paying bills

Why: In GTD, a project is any outcome you want to achieve that requires more than one action step. Tracking projects separately ensures each one has at least one defined next action so it does not stall.

• A. The emotional mood you are in when you start working
• B. Locations, tools, or conditions required to perform a next action, such as @Phone or @Computer ✓
• C. The historical background notes attached to a project
• D. Priority levels ranked from A to C

Why: Contexts are categories that group next actions by where you are, what tools you need, or who you are with. Filtering by context lets you see only the actions you can actually do in your current situation.

• A. To track items you have delegated or are waiting on others to deliver ✓
• B. To store ideas you may pursue someday in the distant future
• C. To record every meeting you have attended during the week
• D. To list tasks you have decided not to complete

Why: The Waiting For list captures commitments others owe you, so you can follow up at the right time and avoid holding the outcome in your head. It keeps delegated items visible without cluttering your next actions list.

• A. It lets you see all your projects in alphabetical order
• B. It shows you only the actions you can actually take given your current location and available tools ✓
• C. It eliminates the need to define a next action for each project
• D. It automatically assigns deadlines to every task

Why: Context-based lists let you choose actions that fit your current circumstances, such as calls when you have your phone or errands when you are out. This makes your daily choices faster and more practical.

• A. To celebrate completed projects and reward yourself for productivity
• B. To get your system current, clear, and trustworthy by reviewing all open loops, projects, and next actions ✓
• C. To delegate all remaining tasks to team members for the coming week
• D. To schedule every hour of the upcoming week in a detailed calendar

Why: Allen describes the Weekly Review as the critical practice that keeps the GTD system current and trustworthy. It involves collecting loose items, processing inboxes, reviewing projects and next actions, and looking ahead, so that you can trust your system enough to stop holding everything in your head.

• A. Emptying your physical and mental inboxes
• B. Reviewing your calendar for the past and upcoming weeks
• C. Reviewing your Someday/Maybe list
• D. Writing a detailed performance evaluation for your manager ✓

Why: The Weekly Review focuses on clearing inboxes, reviewing calendars, projects, next actions, and the Someday/Maybe list. Writing a performance evaluation for a manager is not part of the GTD review process, making it the correct answer as the item that does not belong.

• A. Because items on it must be completed before any new projects can begin
• B. So you can decide whether any deferred ideas have become active and should be moved into your current system ✓
• C. Because the list automatically deletes items after one week
• D. To count how many ideas you have so you can reduce the number to zero

Why: The Someday/Maybe list holds ideas you may want to pursue later. The Weekly Review gives you a regular opportunity to check whether any of these have become relevant, so you can activate them or let them remain deferred, keeping your commitments aligned with your current priorities.

• A. Because the review is required by most corporate productivity policies
• B. Because without regular review, your system becomes outdated and you lose trust in it, causing your mind to keep trying to hold everything ✓
• C. Because it is the only time you are allowed to check email
• D. Because the review resets your computer and removes old files

Why: Allen emphasizes that trust in the system is essential. If the system is not kept current through weekly reviews, people stop trusting it, and their minds return to the stressful work of remembering open commitments, undermining the whole GTD approach.

• A. Delete the project immediately to keep the list short
• B. Ignore it until the project's deadline arrives
• C. Define the next physical, visible action needed to move the project forward ✓
• D. Move it permanently to the Someday/Maybe list without further thought

Why: GTD requires every active project to have at least one defined next action. During the review, identifying projects lacking a next action and specifying the concrete next step keeps projects moving and ensures nothing stalls because its next step is unclear.

• A. Urgency, importance, cost, and ease
• B. Context, time available, energy available, and priority
• C. Deadline, budget, team, and location
• D. Impact, effort, risk, and reward

Why: Allen's engaging criteria are context (where you are and what tools you have), time available, energy available, and priority. Choosing among these lets you act on the best option without over-analyzing.

• A. Spend no more than two minutes deciding on any task
• B. If an action takes less than two minutes, do it immediately rather than tracking it
• C. Review your task list at least twice a minute
• D. Schedule two minutes of planning before each meeting

Why: The two-minute rule says that if a task can be completed in under two minutes, you should do it right away. Tracking and scheduling a quick task often takes more effort than simply doing it.

• A. Runway (the next six months)
• B. Ground (current daily actions)
• C. Horizon 5 (purpose and principles)
• D. Horizon 2 (areas of focus)

Why: In Allen's model, the horizons range from ground (current actions) up to horizon 5, which covers life purpose and principles. Horizon 5 sits at the top and informs the goals beneath it.

• A. Priorities are always wrong and should be ignored
• B. Priorities change constantly and rigid ranking ignores context, time, and energy
• C. Ranking tasks takes too long for a busy person to do
• D. Only managers, not individuals, should set priorities

Why: Allen notes that priorities shift frequently, and a fixed ranking alone can overlook the practical realities of where you are, how much time you have, and how much energy you can bring to the task.

• A. To assign blame for missed deadlines
• B. To get your system current and clear so you can trust your choices about what to do
• C. To eliminate all future tasks from your lists
• D. To set your salary and career goals for the year

Why: The weekly review keeps your lists, projects, and next actions up to date. This trust in your system is what allows you to make confident decisions about what to do in the moment without second-guessing.

• A. To celebrate completed projects and reward yourself for productivity
• B. To update and recalibrate your system so that your lists and calendar remain trustworthy and current ✓
• C. To delete all open tasks and start fresh each week
• D. To assign tasks to team members and delegate responsibilities

Why: The weekly review is the mechanism that keeps the GTD system trustworthy. By reviewing all projects, next actions, waiting-for items, and someday/maybe lists, you clear mental clutter and ensure your system reflects reality. Without it, the system decays and you lose confidence in it.

• A. Because trusted systems are required by most employers
• B. Because if you don't trust the system, your mind will keep holding onto open loops and cannot fully let go of them ✓
• C. Because trusted systems automatically complete tasks for you
• D. Because trust is needed to share your system with colleagues

Why: Allen's core premise is that the mind is for having ideas, not holding them. If you doubt your system captures everything reliably, your brain continues to rehearse commitments as a reminder, consuming attention. Trust allows you to release that mental load.

• A. Habits are unnecessary once the initial setup is complete
• B. Habits such as regularly capturing inputs, processing them, and conducting reviews keep the system functional over time ✓
• C. Habits should be replaced by reminders from software
• D. Habits matter only for people who work in offices

Why: A GTD system is only as good as the consistent behaviors that feed it. Sustained habits of capture, clarifying, organizing, reflecting, and engaging make the system work day after day, rather than relying on a one-time setup.

• A. Add it to a 'someday/maybe' list for later review
• B. Delegate it to someone else immediately
• C. Do it immediately rather than tracking it ✓
• D. Schedule it for the following week

Why: The two-minute rule states that if an action takes less than two minutes, it is more efficient to complete it right away than to record, prioritize, and track it. This keeps the system lean and prevents trivial tasks from clogging your lists.

• A. Sophisticated tools are always more expensive and therefore less desirable
• B. Tools are secondary to the mindset and process, and overly complex tools can become a distraction that undermines consistency ✓
• C. Simple tools are the only ones compatible with GTD
• D. Allen believes that digital tools should never be used under any circumstances

Why: Allen stresses that the methodology matters more than the tool. Overly complicated software can create its own maintenance burden and distract from the core practices of capturing, clarifying, and reviewing, so the tool should serve the process rather than replace it.