HOW GTD METHOD CAN HELP STUDENTS FOR LEARNING?

Have you ever missed some important dates like the last date for an assignment or something very crucial?

The answer is a big YES!!

Our mind is filled up with so many thoughts and things at every other moment that we tend to forget various things.

But, if something important is forgotten then it has great repercussions waiting for your way.

Student life is so stressful that you need to stay in sync with various things at the same moment. This will hamper your productivity to a great extent.

But, is there a way to overcome this issue?

Well, you have landed at the apt page!!

There is one top-notch method known as Getting Things Done (GTD) to handle clutter in your brain and start acting upon the things.

You must be wondering, I don’t have any idea about this thing. Whether it will work? Is it even effective?

Just take a deep breath and stick to this blog till the end. I assure you that by the end of this blog, your queries will be answered and you will be filled with a new sense of motivation for GTD.

What is GTD?

Getting Things Done is one of the most innovative time management techniques that was created by David Allen in 2001.

The basic idea behind this technique is that you have various tasks to do in a day. All these tasks keep on coming to your mind but, you can’t execute all of them in a single go.

The brain is not a place to store the ideas, it is a place to execute the ideas that come to your head.

GTD is based on the method to take all the ideas coming from your brain to an external system so, you can process them with actionable steps.

It will give you room to focus on the right things at the right times. Therefore, you don't waste much time thinking about those things but spend time processing them.

For example, you have the idea of completing an assignment, submitting the project, learning a lesson, etc. in your head.

If you don’t act upon these things and declutter your brain then you won’t be able to accomplish all the things in the stipulated time frame.

This is where GTD will assist you to a great extent!!

How to implement GTD?

GTD follows a five step-approach that you can easily apply in your routine to be more productive and organized. Let’s have a look at how you can implement these five steps in your daily routine.

Step 1: Capture

The very first step in GTD comes to capture your ideas. There are dozens of things that keep on striking to your mind and you can’t remember everything.

So, you just need a simple pen and paper and write everything that comes to your mind. You need not worry about the order of things.

For example, the things can be your assignment due date, exams, classes, etc.

If these ideas stay cluttered in your memory then you can’t focus on the things that you are presently doing.

Moreover, you keep on thinking about the thoughts coming to your mind which will make you less productive. So, with the help of GTD declutter the things in your brain on a piece of paper.

Step 2: Clarify

Once you have captured all the ideas, it’s time to clarify the ideas that you collected on the sheet of paper.

You can take the time at the end of the day to clarify the input ideas.

In this phase, you need to get a clear vision about every task that what to want to achieve by completing this task.

If you encounter big tasks like learning a chapter of history, then break that entire chapter into small chunks of at most 25 minutes.

This will help you easily accomplish the small goals and you will feel more accomplished and productive at the end of the day.

In addition to that, you can also follow 2-minute rules to clarify your tasks. When you are reading the task, if it is doable in less than 2 minutes then don't wait and do that task at a particular time.

Step 3: Organize

Now, here comes the crucial time to segregate those unorganized ideas into organized lists so you can act upon them.

If you are using this technique for the very first time, then you can make organizing your tasks into 3 lists namely: Areas, Miscellaneous, and Projects.

In the areas list, you will add all those tasks that always matter like your hobbies, health, fitness, etc.

Whereas, in the project list, add those tasks that have a deadline to act upon. For example your assignment date, practical date, some extra-curricular quiz activity, etc.

You can put all other tasks in the miscellaneous list. These are the tasks that require single action or can be performed someday.

You need to perform this activity every day to move your task from an unorganized form to this list.

Once you have put these tasks in the list, label each task with their priority value. You can go for high-priority tasks in the first place.

Try to accomplish your priority goals as much as you can.

Step 4: Review

Reviewing is a great opportunity in GTD that doesn't let anything left from the decided list.

After every week, review your list and see what tasks you were able to accomplish and which are still pending.

You can pick any fixed time of your week to review the tasks. After reviewing, see which tasks are still up for next week. Put them for the next week and see how far you have come in a week.

You can even break your assignment into small achievable tasks. This will help you complete your assignments earlier than the due dates with more precision and accuracy.

Step 5: Engage

Now, you are all set to engage yourself in the work as maintained in GTD.

When you prepare the lists you have a proper priority set for the tasks. And now, you need not worry about thinking what or what not needs to be done.

Take out the high-priority task and devote your uninterrupted focus towards it.

As soon as you accomplish one task, look for another task of urgency.

In this way, you are not wasting much time in thinking but rather you are spending much time in completing the tasks.

Benefits of GTD

You have gone through the overall implementation of the GTD. But, the core question is why you will use it?

Are there any benefits if you use this method?

Well, there is a bundle of benefits with GTD!!

Once you start using this time management method, there is no going back. Let's put a little light on some of the essential benefits of this method.

1. Less stress

When you use GTD then you have a designated set of frameworks to accomplish the tasks. This will lower your stress of doing all the things in time.

2. More clarity

GTD offers more clarity about the type and the priority of the tasks. You precisely know which task needs to be completed before others.

3. Offers flexibility

You have the entire flexibility in your hand to choose the amount of attention required for a particular task.

Conclusion

GTD is an amazing technique that has ‘n’ number of benefits in-store for you.

If you want to achieve something in your life and use every bit of your time with proper focus, then no other technique can assist you better than GTD.

You will start feeling satisfied as soon as you start using it in your routine.

Do write us in the comment section what are your views regarding it.