FAQ
Is OTD a replacement for GTD?
No — it's an evolution. If GTD is working for you as-is, keep using it. OTD addresses specific friction points that arise when tasks run in parallel and some execution is delegated. If you don't have that friction, you don't need the change.
Do I need AI to use OTD?
No. OTD works without any AI tools. The Mode system — Do, Delegate, Await, Review — applies equally to delegating tasks to coworkers, contractors, virtual assistants, or AI. "Delegate" means "someone other than me handles this." It doesn't mean "use AI."
What tools can I use?
OTD is tool-agnostic. You can implement it with a notes app, a spreadsheet, a purpose-built task manager, or paper. The framework defines the structure; you choose what runs it.
What if multiple Flows belong to the same larger goal?
Common situation — "App launch," for example, naturally splits into a Build MVP Flow and a Launch marketing Flow. OTD doesn't add a layer above Flow for this. Instead, prefix the related Flow names with [[keyword]]:
[[App launch]] Build MVP
[[App launch]] Launch marketingUnder alphabetical sort they land next to each other. When the goal is done, you just delete the Flows and the grouping disappears with them — no orphan tags or folders. [[keyword]] is recommended, but any consistent prefix works. If only one Flow serves the goal, skip the prefix.
What if a task takes multiple days?
Break it into daily Actions. Something that feels like one task — "write the report" — is actually different work each day: outlining the structure, writing the first half, writing the second half, revising. Each of those is a concrete, completable Action.
This isn't just a technicality. OTD's feedback loop depends on it: Today is empty → I'm done for the day. If an Action can't be checked off today, Today never empties and the signal breaks.
Isn't this still complex?
In practice, most tasks use only two layers — an Action directly under an Area, or an Action inside a Flow inside an Area. The full Area → Flow → Action chain only appears when the work is a sequence. Standalone Actions skip the Flow. When multiple Flows share a goal, the [[keyword]] prefix groups them without adding a new layer.
How is Today different from a to-do list?
A to-do list is usually a flat collection of things you want to do — sometimes prioritized, sometimes not. It can grow indefinitely and never gives you a clear "done" signal.
Today is a curated daily set of Actions, each completable within the day. It's populated deliberately each morning from your active Flows. When it's empty, you have an objective signal that the day's work is done. That's different from a to-do list, which is never really "done."
What's the difference between Today and my calendar?
Your calendar holds time-bound commitments with specific times: meetings, calls, deadlines, appointments. These happen when they happen.
Today holds flexible Actions you've chosen for the day — no specific time. You fit them around your calendar when you have capacity. Both exist in parallel. Don't mix them.
How many Flows should I have active at once?
There's no fixed number. It depends on how much parallel work you can actually advance in a day. If you have 15 active Flows, 15 Actions will surface in Today — that might be too many. If you have 3, 3 will surface — that might feel too few.
A practical starting point: 5–10 active Flows is manageable for most people. Move anything you're not actively advancing to Someday or Wishlist. Principle 3 is the discipline that keeps this honest — when you reach for a new Flow, decide what's leaving.
What's the difference between Someday and Wishlist?
Someday is deferred commitment: you intend to do this, just not now, and you can say what step 1 would be. Wishlist is uncommitted possibility: you might do this, or you might not — it's an idea you're keeping without obligation.
The discriminator question is operational: "At the moment I activate this, can I say what step 1 is?" Yes → Someday. No → Wishlist.
The split matters because GTD's combined Someday/Maybe blends these into one list, where deferred commitments accumulate guilt and idle possibilities accumulate pressure. Splitting them lets each list do its job: Someday stays small and honest (with a 6-month aging-out threshold), Wishlist stays open and guilt-free (no aging pressure). See Today, Someday & Wishlist.
Do I have to close something every time I start a new Flow?
Yes — that's Principle 3. When you activate a new Flow, pair it with a closing decision: complete an existing Flow, move one to Someday, demote one to Wishlist, or delete one.
This isn't restricting parallel work. OTD is built for parallel Flows — multiple streams advancing simultaneously is the core of the framework. Principle 3 restricts the size of the active set, not the parallelism of it. 5–10 Flows running in parallel is normal. The principle activates at the margin: when you'd grow the set past what you can actually finish.
The reason it's a principle: starting is structurally cheap, closing is structurally expensive. Without forcing a trade, the active set silently bloats until Today becomes uncompleteable. The trade keeps the set inhabitable.
What happens when Today gets disrupted by urgent work?
Capture it, process it, pull it into Today. If it displaces something else, accept that consciously — don't just let Today silently expand. At the end of the day, items that didn't get done either surface again tomorrow or get reassessed.
An empty Today is the goal, not a guarantee. Some days the goal moves. That's fine, as long as you're clear about what moved and why.
I keep skipping Weekly Review. How do I make it stick?
Fix a specific day and time — not "sometime on Sunday." Put it in your calendar like an external commitment.
When life gets in the way, do a partial review rather than none. Processing Inbox, checking stuck Flows, and scanning Someday takes 15 minutes. That's the minimum viable Weekly Review.
The reward is reliable: after a good Weekly Review, your system feels clean and trustworthy. Chase that feeling rather than treating Review as a chore.