How to Start Using GTD Without Getting Overwhelmed

The gist: Starting GTD with ADHD is easier when you don't try to implement everything at once. Here's which concepts to begin with.

The Getting Things Done system can be incredibly helpful for ADHD, but most people never get that far because they're overwhelmed by the complexity.

We’ve talked before about how the number of parts in the system can scare people off before they even try it, or make it hard for a beginner to maintain.

The solution?

Don’t start with the whole system.

My “GTD journey” started with just one component of it: the inboxes.

Then it evolved very slowly from there.

Once I was using a GTD inbox regularly, I tried to process it regularly. Then I added quick capture tools to make it easier to add to.

After that came things like the projects, waiting for, and maybe/someday lists.

I’ve been “working the GTD system” for years now, and still don’t use every single component (after all, things like the 43-folder tickler file system are a bit outdated).

But I use the parts that work for me, that help me keep my life together. And they’ve been some of the most helpful ADHD productivity tools I’ve ever found.

So I want to help anyone overwhelmed by the GTD system get started with it.

In this post, we’ll go over the most important components and mindsets to start with, along for some tips for starting out.

Most important GTD concepts for ADHDers

Before we get into the actual structure of your GTD system, let’s talk about the mindset and habits that will support it.

There’s a lot of useful advice in the book about how you approach thinking, planning, and productivity. The most well-known might be David Allen’s quote, “If it’s on your mind, your mind isn’t clear.”

And yes, I love that one too.

But there are others that are less quote-worthy and more actionable, so I want to highlight those.

The capture habit

The first mindset I want to highlight is that capturing things to your inboxes is a habit, a lifestyle. You won’t automatically start remembering to do it as soon as you have a system set up. It’s something you need to build to.

It takes time to get to the point where you automatically take out your phone to make a note whenever you have an idea, remember something you need to do, or receive a paper that needs to be followed up on.

The beginning of building the habit will be the hardest.

But once you start experiencing the results of a capture habit, the ease and convenience of having everything you need to remember waiting for you in an inbox, you get extremely motivated to keep doing it.

Now I’m constantly thinking about how to make it easier and more seamless to capture thoughts, ideas, and reminders. And I spend a lot of time building those systems, because I’ve experienced how much it pays off.

Next-action thinking

Getting Things Done’s concept and explanation of “next-action thinking” can also be incredibly helpful for ADHDers.

The executive dysfunction that comes with ADHD means we can have trouble breaking down bigger tasks into smaller steps, prioritizing tasks and subtasks, as well as sequencing, or putting them in the right order.

Knowing when and how to turn on “next-action thinking mode” can help with all of those things.

To use one of my favorite examples, I used to put huge tasks like “replace driver’s license” on my to-do list and then wonder why they felt overwhelming. But focusing on next-action thinking helped me realize that replacing my license was a project, not a task. 

And that the next action would be researching how to replace it, followed by other subtasks like gather required materials, make an appointment at the DMV, and go to the DMV.

Prioritizing by different contexts

The final aspect of GTD that I think is most helpful for ADHDers—whether or not you use the rest of the system—is sorting tasks by different contexts and prioritizing by different elements.

When traditional or more popular productivity systems talk about prioritizing, they usually only talk about urgency and importance/impact.

But for most of us, that’s still a pretty shallow understanding of the “stakes” of the task at hand.

Getting Things Done talks about prioritizing your tasks by whatever factors (known as contexts) work for you. For example, some of the suggested contexts are:

• Sorting them by energy required (a great intro to managing your energy)
• Sorting tasks by place (office, kitchen, bedroom, shopping center)
• Sorting them by people involved (roommate, coworkers, etc.)
• Sorting them by which device or tools you need for them

Basically, the thoroughness of GTD as a productivity system means that it has actionable, customizable tools for a lot of the exact things ADHDers struggle with most.

Now that you know which GTD concepts are most helpful, here's how to actually start using them.

Tips for using GTD when you have ADHD

Tip #1: start small

First of all, start small.

Don’t try to adopt every part of the system at once. 

Instead, start with one component of the system, like an inbox or a weekly review. Let yourself get used to that new habit or system before you add any more.

Eventually, you can layer other components on top of your existing ones based on what areas of productivity you need the most help with.

Maybe you’ll build up to the full system one day, or maybe you’ll find that you only need a few of them to solve your most pressing productivity problems.

Tip #2: know your pain points

Speaking of your most pressing productivity problems, getting started is easier if you know what those problems are.

Can you identify any trends in why things on your mental to-do list don’t get done? If so, you can adjust your GTD journey to prioritize components that help with those things.

For example, if you tend to totally forget about things you need to do, a capture habit can be a helpful start. Keeping active events, projects, and actions lists will be useful, too.

On the other hand, if you’re consistently overwhelmed by the number of things you’ve captured, maybe you need to work on your processing system or review habit.

And if you notice you frequently plan too much to realistically get done, using energy-based planning contexts and time estimates can help.

Once you know which pains you’re trying to solve, it gets easier to customize your workflow effectively and prioritize what adjustments to make.

Tip #3: use the tools that work for you

GTD is tool-agnostic, which is one of the reasons it's stood the test of time.

The best GTD system is the one you'll actually use.

That means you can use whatever tools you already have and are comfortable with. Notion, Todoist, pen and paper, a bullet journal, Apple Reminders...it doesn't matter.

Don't let yourself get stuck researching the "perfect" GTD app or spend weeks building an elaborate system. Pick something you already know how to use, set up the basics, and start capturing.

You can always switch tools later if you need to.

Tip #4: remember to review

Here's the thing about GTD: the system only works if you regularly review it.

For ADHDers, this review habit is both the hardest part to maintain AND the most valuable.

Without regular reviews, your system becomes a graveyard of outdated tasks and forgotten projects. With reviews, it becomes a trusted external brain that actually reduces your mental load.

Start as small as you need to, even 10 minutes of reviewing your next actions is better than nothing. 

Schedule it like an appointment, make it fun or cozy, or use body doubling to help yourself get it done.

You don't have to do the full weekly review that David Allen describes. Start with what you can maintain, and build from there.

Tip #5: personalize everything

The GTD book gives you a framework, but you can (and should) adjust it to fit your brain, your life, and your specific challenges.

Maybe you change the two-minute rule to five minutes because you need more time to switch between tasks. Or you organize your projects visually with mind maps instead of text lists because that works better for your brain.

The goal isn't to follow GTD perfectly. The goal is to have a system that helps you get things done with less stress and mental clutter.

If a component of GTD isn't serving you, change it or skip it. You're allowed.

Tip #6: ditch the perfectionism

You don't need a perfect system before you start.

Pick one component that would help with your biggest pain point, set it up in whatever tool you already have, and use it imperfectly.

Your GTD system will evolve as you figure out what works for your brain. That's how it's supposed to work.

Your GTD starting point

The GTD system I use now isn't the one I started with—it evolved as I learned what I actually needed. Yours will too. You can start small and build something that actually works for your brain.

And if you liked this post, you'll also love:

• Is the GTD System ADHD-Friendly? My Take After 10 Years of Using It.
• Bullet Journaling for ADHD: Tame the Mental Chaos
• Gentle Goal-Setting: Set Goals Without Burnout Or Shame