Tori Uncensored

For ages, my friend had been talking about this new productivity framework he’d discovered Getting Things Done (GTD). He was deep into the book, figuring out how to apply it, and kept nudging me to give it a go. Eventually, I dove in, and for a while, we were exploring it together, bouncing ideas back and forth, trying to make sense of the system.

But, like many others, we quickly hit a wall. GTD was a lot—structured, detailed, and at times, overwhelming. Looking back, I realise that most people don’t implement it perfectly the first time around. It’s the kind of system you ease into overtime, picking up bits here and there until, almost without noticing, you find yourself applying it in a way that actually works for you.

What I Struggled With in GTD Initially

It wasn’t that GTD wasn’t effective it just didn’t fit how I worked at the time. Here’s what I struggled with:

✔ Decision Fatigue – Having to decide upfront what needed to be done felt overwhelming, especially without a clear sense of priority.

✔ The Two-Minute Rule Felt Impractical – Since I hadn’t fully grasped the concept of next actionable steps, almost everything felt like it took longer than two minutes, making quick wins difficult.

✔ Delegation Wasn’t an Option – GTD encourages assigning tasks, but as a solo worker, I didn’t have a team to delegate to, making that part of the framework feel irrelevant.

✔ Struggling to Apply It to My Workflow – Without understanding how GTD could work in a single-person setup, it felt like I was forcing a system designed for larger teams onto my own process.

Instead of feeling organised, I felt trapped inside the system, constantly tweaking my lists but never really making progress.

The One Concept That Stuck with Me

It took time, but the one concept that truly changed how I approached productivity was looking at everything through the lens of ‘What’s the next actionable step?’ Instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything that needed to be done, I shifted my focus to moving forward one action at a time and that’s when I finally started seeing real progress.

This simple mindset shift cut through the clutter rather than trying to manage everything at once, I started breaking tasks down into smaller, manageable steps, focusing only on what could be done now.

Why I Revisited GTD Later

Years later, after experimenting with different productivity methods, I found myself returning to GTD but this time, on my own terms.

✔ My work demands had shifted, making structure more important.

✔ My energy levels fluctuated due to chronic fatigue, meaning I needed a flexible system.

✔ I had already reshaped how I viewed time through 168 Hours, and I now needed a task management system that complemented it.

That’s when GTD finally clicked not because I followed it rigidly, but because I adapted it to work with how I naturally structured my time.

Final Thoughts: Productivity Systems Need Personalisation

The biggest lesson from my early GTD experience? No system works straight out of the box—it needs to be tailored to fit how you work, think, and manage tasks.

✔ Productivity isn’t about following a framework perfectly—it’s about making a framework fit your life.

✔ Sometimes, a method doesn’t work right away—but that doesn’t mean it won’t work later with adjustments.

✔ Learning from what doesn’t work is just as important as finding what does.

In upcoming posts, I’ll explore how I made GTD work for me—breaking down the key principles, how I tailored the system to fit my workflow, and how I’ve integrated both daily structure and long-term focus for a more sustainable approach.”

💬 Have you ever tried a productivity system that didn’t click at first? What lessons did you take from the experience? Let’s chat in the comments!