Review

The weekly review is the heartbeat of GTD. David Allen calls it non-negotiable. Without it, your system drifts. Tasks go stale. "Waiting for" items never get chased. You stop trusting the list. The Review view surfaces what needs attention so you can get current—and stay creative.

Why the weekly review matters

GTD works when you trust your system. Trust comes from knowing it's current. The weekly review is when you:

• Get inbox to zero – Process everything. No "I'll deal with it later."
• Review projects – Does each project have a next action? What's stuck?
• Review waiting-for – Chase follow-ups. Reschedule or close.
• Look ahead – What's due? What's coming? Adjust the plan.
• Get creative – With the decks clear, you can think about what could be, not just what's screaming.

What the Review view shows

• Overdue – Tasks past their due date. Reschedule or do.
• Due soon – Tasks due in the next few days. Plan.
• Waiting for – Tasks blocked on someone else. Chase or follow up.
• Need to chase – Waiting-for items that are overdue. Time to nudge.
• Stuck projects – Projects with blocked or stale items. Needs attention.
• Surfaced today – Items that need your attention right now.

Weekly review flow

1. Open Review.
2. Go through each section. For each task: update status, reschedule, delegate, or archive.
3. Process inbox to zero – Classify and Clarify everything.
4. Review projects – Does each have a next action? What's the status?
5. Look ahead – Open Forecast. What's coming? Adjust.
6. Adjust priorities – What changed? What matters more now?

Schedule it

Pick a time. Friday afternoon. Sunday evening. Monday morning. Put it on the calendar. Treat it like a meeting. The weekly review is the habit that keeps the system alive.