For example, when I look at my Next Actions list to decide which tasks to tackle, I think of the four criteria spelled out in GTD: context, time, energy, and priority.

If I have six phone calls to make, and they all require the same amount of time and energy, I automatically make the most important one first. Ever since I’ve started using GTD, I’ve stopped procrastinating–it’s been wonderful.

Thanks for all you do. It makes a big difference to so many of us!

To clarify…
I’ve never heard David say that a principle of GTD is “not prioritize.” If you mean assigning ABC/123 priorities–perhaps, but even that can work if someone is willing to have it change as soon as new input comes in. The GTD Horizons of Focus is all about prioritizing, based on what’s got your attention from Runway to your Life Purpose. It’s different than most people are used to prioritizing with old school time management programs, but it’s very much still about making good decisions about your priorities based on your intuitive judgment across all of those horizons in your life.

Cheers.

I review my calendar and next actions lists multiple times a day but this scanning doesn’t take a lot of time. I can quickly look at a list of 20-30 things (e.g. one of my next action contexts) in less than two minutes (actually less … I’ve timed it) and determine whether I want to act on any of them.

The reason I can scan so quickly is not brains (trust me) but a familiarity with my lists that comes from properly defined outcomes and next actions as well as a regular weekly review. The weekly review establishes both that familiarity as well as trust that it’s complete.

From there it’s just scanning to pick ones to work on. At this stage the familiarity and trust makes the question of prioritizing simply go away.

I just “see” my lists and some just stand out. That’s how I prioritize.

It sounds too easy. That’s the problem with GTD … it is that easy.