One project I have for my Q1 Sabbatical is to overhaul my personal organization system. Over the years, I have used combinations of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” framework, SMART, and a variety of others, but I find myself usually reverting back to scattered physical notebooks and stickies while barely keeping track of my main to-do database (hosted in Notion), which, in theory, is there to make sure nothing drops.

Below is an updated version of my GSD (Get Sh** Done) framework that I’ll be trying in 2025. It includes how to structure your day into three key blocks, how to use three notebooks, and how to do a weekly review process that transfers your best ideas and tasks into a digital system like Notion for long-term tracking.

GSD: The Framework

Three Time Blocks

Previously, I wrote about my two-ish-hour workday, which consists of three-time blocks:

1. Creative Block (up to 90 minutes)
• This is your prime window for deep, original work—such as writing, designing, or problem-solving.
• If you’re in the flow, feel free to keep going. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 90.
2. Proactive Block (up to 60 minutes)
• Focus on tasks before they become urgent: strategic planning, essential to-dos, or anything needing your attention soon.
• Ideally, do this right after your Creative block, to use the momentum you’ve built.
3. Reactive Block (no more than 30 minutes)
• Handle emails, messages, and any quick tasks from others.
• Keep it brief. If something needs more time, add it to your Proactive notebook (see below) and tackle it later.

Physical Notebooks

Morning Pages

This comes from the book, The Artist’s Way, which, in only a few weeks, has become an indelible part of my mornings.

• Purpose: A free-form journal to clear your head first thing in the morning.
• Timing: Use it before your Creative block or as part of it.
• Approach: Write freely for 1–3 pages. Don’t worry about structure. If an amazing idea surfaces, mark it with a star (*) so you can transfer it later.
• Why It Helps: Clears mental clutter so you can be more creative and focused.

Creative / Ideas Notebook

• Purpose: Store creative sparks, concepts, and questions that pop up throughout the day.
• Usage: The major goal of this space is to jot down fresh ideas anytime they appear, then revisit them in your next Creative session. Often, there will be far more ideas and concepts than I can (or want to) address in the next Creative Block, but just getting them down on paper and out of my mind clears a lot of mental space—plus we have a weekly ‘sweep’ that makes sure worthy creative ideas don’t get lost in space.
• Why It Helps: Keeps all creative thoughts in one place, ready for deeper work.

Proactive / Actionable Notebook

• Purpose: Capture tasks you need to do, organized by when you plan to do them:
• Urgent: Must-do soon (within 24 hours).
• This Week: Finish within the week.
• This Month: Next 30 days.
• Next 3-Months: Larger tasks or projects.
• This Year: Long-range goals.
• Why It Helps: It clearly places each task so you don’t have to remember everything in your head.

My GSD in Action: A Daily Flow

1. Morning Pages
• Right when you wake up, grab your Morning Pages notebook.
• Write out your thoughts for a minimum of 3 pages. No editing or filtering—just let it flow.
2. Creative Block
• Duration: Up to 90 minutes (or more if you’re on a roll).
• Task Source: Look in your Creative / Ideas notebook for something you want to focus on.
• Environment: Silence notifications, reduce distractions, and dive in.
• Goal: Use this time for pure creation—writing, designing, brainstorming solutions.
3. Proactive Block
• Duration: Up to 60 minutes.
• Task Source: Check your Proactive / Actionable notebook. Start with Urgent or This Week tasks.
• Method: Work on tasks that really matter—things that move you forward or keep you on track.
• Goal: Make solid progress on important to-dos before they become last-minute emergencies.
4. Reactive Block
• Duration: 15–30 minutes.
• Task Source: Email inbox, texts, calls, or any quick items needing a response.
• Method: Deal with them fast, or add them to the Proactive / Actionable notebook for future attention.
• Goal: Prevent emails and random requests from hijacking your day.

Weekly Processing Day

To keep the system fresh and avoid piles of old notes, pick one day a week—I prefer Sunday afternoon—to review and clear out your notebooks. Set aside at least 60 Minutes, add this time to your calendar and most importantly—be consistent—the system only works if you work it.

Step 1: Review your Creative / Ideas Notebook

• Skim everything you captured this week.
• Ask: “Is this idea worth exploring soon, or is it better for later?”
• Move the best ideas into a digital ‘Ideas Backlog’ or ‘Project Incubator’ in Notion. An example of my personal Idea Hopper is here. Discard ideas that no longer spark interest; a lose goal is that you bring about 1-2% of ideas that start gestating to full life.


“Killing your darlings”, a popular theme in writing, should be applied liberally here. During the week, we want to capture anything that strikes our ‘creative fancy’, which helps expand our capacity for creativity, free association and inspiration; but when we sit down to process all that idea vomit, we must take a critical eye. I personally save all my physical notebooks, so I never feel like a great idea is every truly lost, and perhaps 1% of the time I’ll dig back through years of scrawling to find something that re-stoked my curiosity. Most of the time, you only want to digitally save ideas, themes, creations that you believe will be worthy of further investigation - now or down the the line.

• Extended reading: Killing Your Darlings: Embracing the 1% That Truly Matters

Step 2: Review the Proactive / Actionable Notebook

1. Read through your physical notebook

• Cross off things that are already done, and move anything that (a) hasn’t been done and (b) still needs doing to your tracker

2. Update your digital tracker (I use Notion)
• Transfer relevant ideas and tasks so you can track them over the long term.

• Tag each task with the right priority or due date. Link ideas to projects if needed.
• Review your digital Proactive Tracker, make sure everything in the first 3-4 buckets is still relevant, and re-order based on new information.
3. Start fresh
• Clear old notes from the notebooks (I like to use yellow notebooks and physically rip out the completed pages) so I have a ‘fresh start’ for the coming week.
4. Plan the Upcoming Week
• Update your calendar based on your next week’s “proactive” priorities.
• If any of the cards in your Tracker will require creative deep work, make a note of this - especially if they are high-priority.
5. Reflect & Reward
• Treat yourself for sticking to the review habit—this helps reinforce it.
• If you see repeated patterns or bottlenecks, think about tweaks you could make (like adjusting the length of your blocks or adding a mid-week mini-review).

Why GSD Works

1. Respects Your Brain’s Peak Times
• You tackle creative work first, when your mind is sharp and not bogged down by distractions.
2. Prevents Overflow
• By limiting each block, you keep email and small tasks (Reactive) from flooding your schedule.
3. Keeps It All Organized
• Three notebooks plus Notion make it easy to know where ideas and tasks go.
• The weekly review ensures nothing important slips through the cracks.
4. Boosts Momentum
• Micro-checks and rewards keep you motivated.
• You’ll see progress each day, which builds a sense of accomplishment.
5. Easy to Maintain
• The system is simple: a few blocks each day and one quick weekly review.
• Because it’s not complicated, you’re more likely to stick with it.

With GSD, you can create meaningful work in a shorter period, handle must-do tasks before they get urgent, and limit the drain from emails and busy work. By adding a weekly ‘processing day’—often Sunday—you’ll keep your notebooks fresh and transfer big ideas and tasks to a digital platform like Notion, where they can live and grow over time.

Give it a try for a week or two, and watch your productivity soar—without the stress of an eight-hour marathon day. The goal is simple: do your best work in less time, then have space for the rest of your life.