---
title: "GTD Primer: Getting Things Done in plain markdown"
source: https://fieldbw.com/docs/tr-2/gtd-primer
---

# GTD Primer: Getting Things Done in plain markdown

## What is GTD?

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a productivity method created by David Allen. The core idea is simple: your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. By capturing everything into a trusted system and processing it with clear rules, you free up mental space to actually think and do.

GTD is not about doing more. It's about a clear head and knowing what to do next.

## The five steps

GTD breaks down into five stages. TR-2 supports all of them — using plain markdown files, no database, no opinions about how you sync.

### 1. Capture

Get everything out of your head and into the system. Tasks, ideas, commitments, reminders — anything that has your attention. Don't judge or organise yet.

In TR-2: <kbd>⌘⇧I</kbd> from anywhere opens the quick-capture sheet. The captured line is appended to `inbox.md` at the vault root. An AI agent with filesystem access can append to the same file on your behalf.

### 2. Clarify

Process what you've captured, one item at a time. For each item, ask:

- **Is it actionable?** If not, delete the line, file it under a reference project, or tag it `@someday`.
- **What's the next action?** Define a concrete, physical next step. Not "plan the project" but "draft the outline in Google Docs."
- **Is it a project?** If it takes more than one action to complete, it's its own `.md` file. Create one and add the next action.

In TR-2: open `inbox.md`, drag items to the right project, or use the bulk-action bar to move several at once.

### 3. Organise

Put things where they belong:

- **Today** — anything you've committed to *today*. Tag a task `@today` or give it a `due:YYYY-MM-DD` on or before today. The **Today** view collects both.
- **Next actions** — concrete things you can act on. Tag `@next`. The **Next** view aggregates these across all projects.
- **Scheduled** — actions waiting on a date. Give the task a `due:` in the future; it appears in **Scheduled** until the day arrives.
- **Someday** — anything you might do but aren't committed to. Tag `@someday`. Excluded from Today and Scheduled; visible in **Someday**.
- **Projects** — multi-step outcomes. Each project is a markdown file in an area folder.

A task line carries its own state. You don't move it between buckets; you change the tokens. The lists are derived from the files.

```markdown
- [ ] Ship the new homepage @today #marketing due:2026-05-25
- [ ] Reply to vendor RFP @next
- [ ] Pick a vacation destination @someday
```

### 4. Reflect

Review regularly so the system stays trustworthy.

- **Daily** — clear the inbox. Run through **Today**. Glance at **Next**.
- **Weekly** — walk every project file. Re-evaluate `@next` tasks. Move stale items to `@someday` or delete them. Check the `## Done` sections to see what shipped.

TR-2 doesn't enforce a review cadence. The artefacts make review cheap: the files are plain text and `git log` (if you use it) is your activity log.

### 5. Engage

Pick something and do it.

In TR-2:
- Open **Today** — your committed list for the day.
- Or open **Next** — pick one based on the time and energy you have.
- Or open a specific project and work from its task list.

Mark tasks in progress with `[*]` and done with `[x]` as you go. Both human edits and AI edits land in the same files.

## How TR-2 differs from classic GTD

GTD predates plain-text task systems by 20 years. A few choices TR-2 makes:

- **No contexts beyond tags.** Classic GTD uses `@phone`, `@errands`, `@office`. TR-2 treats every `#tag` as a context — make `#calls` if you want it, or don't. The Tag views are first-class.
- **One project per file.** A project is whatever lives in a single `.md` file. This makes scope tangible and `git` history readable.
- **Folders are areas.** GTD distinguishes "projects" (multi-step outcomes) from "areas of responsibility" (ongoing). In TR-2: folders are areas; files inside them are projects.
- **`done:` is the audit trail.** Each completed task gets a `done:YYYY-MM-DD` stamp. The Done view sorts by it; `git blame` corroborates it.

## A starter vault

Three folders covering the usual GTD scopes:

```
~/Tasks/
  inbox.md
  Work/
    current-quarter.md
    follow-ups.md
  Personal/
    house.md
    health.md
  Someday/
    travel.md
    learning.md
```

The "Someday" folder is just convention — anything tagged `@someday` shows up in the Someday view regardless of where it lives. Use whatever folder structure your brain prefers.

## See also

- [Getting Started](/docs/tr-2/getting-started) — install + set up the vault.
- [Vault Format](/docs/tr-2/vault-format) — the file format underpinning all of this.
- [AI Workflows](/docs/tr-2/ai-workflows) — let an agent participate in the loop.