| name | obsidian-gtd-lite |
| description | Run a lightweight GTD-style task system inside an Obsidian vault. Use when triaging inbox items, cleaning outdated task systems, clarifying tasks into daily notes/projects/waiting-for/watchlist, or maintaining an execution-first Obsidian workflow for a founder/operator. Especially useful when migrating from a heavier Notion or GTD setup into a simpler Obsidian flow. |
Obsidian GTD Lite
Keep the system lightweight and execution-first.
Core structure
Use these buckets:
00 - Inbox/Inbox.md for raw capture
- daily note for execution
- project notes under
01 - Projects/
02 - Areas/Admin/Waiting For.md for delegated / follow-up items
02 - Areas/Admin/Watchlist.md for maybe-later items
03 - Resources/Weekly Review.md for weekly cleanup
Treat the daily note as the main control tower.
Daily note model
Prefer this structure in the daily note:
Q1: DO NOW
Q2: SCHEDULE
Q3: BATCH
Q4: DEFER
Today's Focus (Top 3)
Completed
Use Q1 for urgent/important execution, Q2 for important but not immediate work, Q3 for grouped admin, and Q4 for low-priority or later work.
Workflow
1. Capture
When the user drops messy tasks, ideas, reminders, or follow-ups:
- capture them first
- do not over-structure too early
- if no immediate clarification is needed, place them in Inbox or the current daily note
2. Clarify
For each item, decide one destination only:
- daily note → actionable now / this week
- project note → part of a defined initiative
- Waiting For → delegated or pending from another person
- Watchlist → not actionable now, but worth revisiting
- Calendar → truly date-specific commitments
Avoid duplicating the same task across multiple notes unless the user explicitly wants redundancy.
3. Execute
Use the daily note for active work.
When reorganizing tasks:
- keep the list short enough to act on
- elevate only the most important items into Q1 / Top 3
- move stale but still relevant items into Q2, Waiting For, or Watchlist
4. Review weekly
During weekly review:
- empty Inbox
- prune outdated tasks
- resurface waiting/follow-up items
- review active projects
- refresh the next daily note / next week priorities
Editing rules
- Prefer small, surgical edits over big rewrites
- Preserve existing vault conventions unless the user asks to change them
- Do not create a complex GTD taxonomy unless it clearly helps
- Favor practical wording over productivity jargon
- If the old system is bloated, simplify instead of preserving every view
Good default simplification
When adapting a heavy GTD flow, keep:
- Inbox
- Daily note
- Projects
- Waiting For
- Watchlist
- Weekly Review
De-emphasize:
- too many linked views
- excessive filtering logic
- textbook GTD purity if it slows execution
Reference
Read references/obsidian-structure.md when you need the exact suggested file structure or templates.