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's the difference between a Project and a Flow?
A Project is a large goal that contains multiple Flows. A Flow is a specific stream of sequential work aimed at one outcome.
"Job search" might be a Project if it contains multiple Flows: preparing your portfolio, reaching out to companies, and prepping for interviews. Each of those is a Flow. If you only have one stream of work, skip the Project and put the Flow directly under the Area.
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 four layers (Area → Project → Flow → Action) too complex?
In practice, most tasks only use two or three layers. A standalone task that doesn't belong to any sequence lives directly under an Area. A simple workstream is just Area → Flow → Action. Projects appear only when multiple Flows share a common goal. You won't use all four for every task.
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.
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.