Troubleshooting your Getting Things Done (GTD) approach - the Clarify stage

It's at the Clarify (also Reflect) stage that most people end up tripping in their Getting Things Done (GTD) journey.

In the Clarify stage, the key processing questions are –

1. Is this an actionable item?

2. What is the immediate next physical, visible action on this item?

According to Peter Drucker, “In knowledge work . . . the task is not given; it has to be determined”.

Much of what comes on our plate is ambiguous. That makes the Clarify stage cognitively demanding.

This is where the mental wrestling happens. Your brain hates it and will try its best to sabotage the process.

Here are some tips to plant a solid clarifying habit -

• Clarifying tasks at the front end does not come intuitively.

You have to consciously train yourself till you master the skill. Get the daily clarifying reps in.

• Don’t Clarify when you Capture or immediately before you start to Engage/do.

Isolating this stage makes it easier to sustain as a habit. Do it in chunks of time when you are at good energy levels and in a conducive environment.

• Keep pen and paper handy. This is a thinking process.

• Celebrate immediately after you clarify a task.

As simple as throwing up your arms and saying ‘Yes!’. The resulting positive emotions help in developing a clarifying habit. You don’t need to celebrate anymore once clarifying becomes a habit.

Getting better and faster at Clarifying is a high leverage skill that pays off across the areas of your life.