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How to do a GTD weekly review

A practical, step-by-step checklist for the habit that keeps Getting Things Done working.

The weekly review is the habit that holds Getting Things Done together. David Allen calls it the critical success factor: capture and next-action lists only work if you trust them, and you only trust them if you keep them current. Skip it for a few weeks and your lists quietly drift out of date, and the old mental clutter comes back.

Set aside 30 to 60 minutes once a week, at the same time each week. Many people pick Friday afternoon, when the week is still fresh in mind and the weekend is clear. Then work through the three phases below in order.

1. Get clear

Collect everything that's piled up during the week and process it to zero.

• Collect loose papers and notes. Receipts, business cards, sticky notes, scribbles: put them all in your inbox.
• Process your inbox to zero. For each item ask: is it actionable? If it takes under two minutes, do it now. Otherwise delegate it, schedule it or add its next action to a list. Not actionable? Trash it, file it as reference or move it to Someday/Maybe.
• Empty your head. Write down anything still on your mind: new projects, things you're waiting on, ideas, worries. If it has your attention, capture it.

2. Get current

Go through every list so it reflects reality.

• Review your next actions. Tick off what's done. Add new actions for anything that's moved on.
• Look back at your calendar for the last two weeks. Capture any follow-ups you missed.
• Look ahead at your calendar for the next few weeks. What needs preparing now?
• Review Waiting For. Follow up on anything overdue. Tick off what's arrived.
• Review every project. Each active project needs at least one next action. A project without one is stalled; decide what moves it forward.
• Review scheduled items (your tickler): is anything coming up that needs work now?
• Check any other checklists: goals, routines and areas of responsibility you haven't looked at recently.

3. Get creative

With everything clear and current, look further ahead.

• Review Someday/Maybe. Activate anything that's now relevant. Delete what no longer interests you.
• Be creative and courageous. Capture any new ideas, however ambitious.

Tips for making it stick

• Make it a recurring appointment in your calendar, or a repeating to-do, and protect it like a meeting.
• Keep it short at first. A 20-minute review every week beats a perfect one every month.
• Stay out of the details. The review is for deciding, not doing. If something takes longer than two minutes, capture its next action and keep moving.
• Watch for stalled projects. They're the most common way a GTD system quietly breaks.

Common questions

How long should a GTD weekly review take?

Usually 30 to 60 minutes. It's longer the first few times and gets quicker as your lists stay current.

What's the best day for a weekly review?

Any day you can protect. Friday afternoon is popular because the week is fresh in mind and it clears the weekend. Others prefer Monday morning to plan the week ahead.

What if I miss a week?

Just do the next one. The weekly review is about getting back to a clear, current system, not keeping a streak.

More guides: GTD contexts explained