David Allen believes that modern overwhelm is caused by our brains. Why, you may ask? Because they cannot hold a lot of information at a time.

Imagine you're in the middle of writing your PhD paper. It’s challenging to be productive while having constant thoughts about washing dishes, calling your colleague, or paying bills. Keeping track of everything we have to do in our heads all the time interrupts our focus.

Trying to remember everything eventually leads to an inability to concentrate fully on the work at hand. Your brain continues to work out all the unsolved problems and undone tasks you've stored in it. This creates the so-called *open loops* that your brain constantly reminds you about, whether you want it to or not. This can be distracting and prevent you from focusing effectively.

GTD provides a simple and powerful solution for managing the modern workplace's web of tasks, meetings, and information. Create the so-called *external brain*. By capturing your thoughts and clarifying each item, you can eliminate the stress and anxiety of trying to remember everything. Organizing your outcomes into a structure of lists and regularly reviewing them helps you stay on top of your priorities and make better decisions.

Using GTD, you can be more productive and efficient, as you can focus on the task at hand without being distracted by other open loops. By engaging your tasks, you can pick which action you want to embark on and complete it.

Ultimately, GTD is about creating a system that works for you and lets you stay organized and focused on your goals. By following this five-stage workflow and regularly reviewing your items, you can effectively manage your tasks, meetings, and information. This will provide you with a greater sense of control, flexibility, and peace of mind.