Getting Started with GTD in Done Bear

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a productivity methodology created by David Allen. The core idea is simple: get everything out of your head and into a trusted system, then decide what to do with each item.

Done Bear is built around GTD. Here's how to use it.

Step 1: Dump everything into your Inbox

Your Inbox is the starting point. Every task, idea, or reminder goes here first. Don't organize yet — just capture.

Open Done Bear, hit the add button, and type whatever is on your mind. "Buy groceries." "Reply to Sarah." "Research new hosting provider." Everything.

The goal is to clear your head. If it's taking up mental space, it belongs in your Inbox.

Step 2: Sort your Inbox

Once you've captured everything, go through your Inbox one item at a time. For each task, decide:

• Today — Will you do this today? Move it to Today.
• Upcoming — Does it have a specific date? Schedule it.
• Anytime — No deadline, but you want to do it eventually? Move it to Anytime.
• Someday — Not sure you'll ever do it? That's fine. Move it to Someday.

Don't overthink it. The beauty of GTD is that you can always re-sort later.

Step 3: Work your Today list

This is where focus happens. Your Today view shows only what you've committed to finishing today. No distractions, no overwhelming backlog — just today's work.

When you finish a task, check it off. When you finish your list, you're done for the day.

The five views

Done Bear's five views map directly to GTD:

• Inbox — Everything goes here first. Process it, then move it.
• Today — What you'll actually finish today.
• Upcoming — Scheduled tasks with specific dates.
• Anytime — Tasks with no deadline. Do them whenever.
• Someday — Ideas for another day. No pressure.

Tips for success

1. Capture immediately. Don't let tasks live in your head. The moment something comes up, add it to your Inbox.
2. Process daily. Spend a few minutes each morning sorting your Inbox. This keeps the system working.
3. Keep Today small. If your Today list has 20 items, you're setting yourself up to fail. Pick 3-5 tasks you'll actually finish.
4. Use Someday freely. Someday isn't where tasks go to die — it's where ideas wait until the time is right.
5. Trust the system. GTD only works if you trust it. Put everything in Done Bear, and stop trying to remember things.

Why Done Bear?

Most task managers bolt on GTD features as an afterthought. Done Bear is built around GTD from the ground up. The five views aren't optional — they're the core of the app.

Combined with local-first sync (your tasks live on your device, no loading spinners), Done Bear gives you a fast, reliable system you can trust.

Ready to try it? Get started for free.