GTD就是Getting Things Done的缩写，翻译过来就是“把事情做完”，GTD的核心理念概括就是必须记录下来要做的事，然后整理安排并使自己一一去执行。GTD的五个核心原则是：收集、整理、组织、回顾、执行。
主要原则在于一个人需要通过记录的方式把头脑中的各种任务移出来，通过这样的方式，头脑可以不用塞满各种需要完成的事情，而集中精力在正在完成的事情，是一种消灭压力的高效工作方法。
GTD is based on storing, tracking and retrieving the information related to the things that need to get done. Mental blocks we encounter are caused by insufficient 'front-end' planning. This means thinking in advance, generating a series of actions which can later be undertaken without further planning. The mind's "reminder system" is inefficient and seldom reminds us of what we need to do at the time and place when we can do it. Consequently, the "next actions" stored by context in the "trusted system" act as an external support which ensures that we are presented with the right reminders at the right time. As GTD relies on external reminders, it can be seen as an application of the theories of distributed cognition or the extended mind.