Getting Things Done (GTD) for Software Developers

Getting Things Done by David Allen remains one of the most influential productivity systems. While designed for general knowledge work, GTD adapts well to software development with some modifications. The core principle—capturing everything and organizing it for action—is universally valuable.

Capture Everything

The first GTD principle is capturing every commitment, idea, and task in a trusted system outside your head. For developers, this includes not just tasks but also technical ideas, bugs to investigate, refactoring opportunities, and learning goals. If it is on your mind, get it into your system.

The Next Action Principle

Every project needs a clear next physical action. "Improve performance" is not actionable; "Profile the checkout page load time" is. This principle cuts through vague todos that sit undone because you are not sure how to start. Always define the very next step.

Context-Based Lists

GTD organizes tasks by context—where you need to be or what tools you need. For developers: @coding, @review, @meetings, @learning. When you sit down to code, you see only coding tasks. This prevents the mental load of filtering through irrelevant items.

The Weekly Review

GTD's weekly review—processing inboxes, reviewing projects, updating lists—is essential. Without review, your system becomes stale and untrustworthy. Schedule this time and protect it. Fifty-two weekly reviews per year might seem like a lot, but the clarity they provide is worth far more.

Projects vs Tasks

In GTD, a project is any outcome requiring more than one action step. Most features are projects, not tasks. Breaking them into discrete actions with clear next steps makes progress visible and prevents overwhelm. Your project list is a commitment inventory.