Getting Things Done works because it externalizes thinking. But its full implementation often collapses under its own complexity.
The simplified version keeps the essence and removes the excess.
Capture everything. Every task, idea, obligation goes into a trusted inbox.
Clarify what each item is. Is it actionable? Is it reference? Is it trash?
Organize into simple lists: next actions, projects, waiting, someday.
Review weekly. This step keeps the system alive.
Then do the work.
No elaborate contexts. No forty lists. No obsession with tooling.
The goal is clarity, not control.
Simple systems survive. Complex ones don’t.