My GTD System: How I Use OmniFocus, Apple Notes, OneNote, and Pen & Paper Without Going Crazy

I've been struggling with productivity systems for a while. I had too many tools, too much duplication, and no clear rules about where things should go. Tasks would end up in Apple Notes. Reference material would clutter OmniFocus. My paper notebooks were full of to-do lists I'd never look at again.

So I sat down and designed a system that actually works. The core principle is dead simple: every tool has exactly one job. If something has two homes, it has no home.

Here's what I use, and exactly how I use it.

The Four Tools, Four Jobs

OmniFocus — The Command Center (All Tasks & Commitments)

Every single thing I need to do lives in OmniFocus. Every project, every next action, every deadline, every "waiting for." It's my single source of truth for commitments. If it's not in OmniFocus, it doesn't exist as a task.

I use tag-based perspectives to filter tasks by context — Calls (when I have my phone), Mac (when I'm at my desk), Errands (when I'm out), Morning (tasks best done early), and Under 10 min (quick wins when I have small pockets of time).

The key rule: nothing else holds tasks. Not Apple Notes. Not OneNote. Not a random sticky note. OmniFocus is the only system I trust for commitments.

Pen & Paper — The Thinking Pad

This was the hardest one to figure out. I love writing by hand — it helps me think through problems, plan my day, and commit to my priorities. But paper is terrible for storing things. You can't search it, filter it, or set reminders on it.

So I gave paper a specific job: thinking, not storing.

Every morning, I open OmniFocus, check my Forecast and Morning perspective, then grab my notebook and handwrite my "Today 5" — the 3 to 5 tasks I'm committing to that day. I star the single most important one. The physical act of writing makes me more intentional about my choices.

I also use paper for brainstorming, mind-mapping, and working through complex problems. But here's the non-negotiable rule: nothing stays only on paper. Before I close my notebook for the day, I sweep it — any uncaptured tasks go into OmniFocus, any useful diagrams get photographed and filed in OneNote.

Paper is the view. OmniFocus is the database.

Apple Notes — The Scratchpad (Quick Capture & Active Writing)

I'm more comfortable writing in Apple Notes than anywhere else. It's fast, it syncs to my phone, and there's zero friction. So I use it for things I need to write right now — meeting notes, quick drafts, scratch calculations, lists I'm actively working on.

But Apple Notes is terrible for long-term organization. So I keep it ruthlessly simple with just three folders:

  • Inbox — Everything lands here first. Processed daily.
  • Active — Notes I'm using this week. Maximum 15 notes at any time.
  • Quick Ref — Frequently needed info like addresses, account details, etc.

The critical rule: Apple Notes is for NOW, not LATER. If I'll need something in a month, it moves to OneNote. During my weekly review, I sweep Apple Notes and promote anything worth keeping into the right OneNote notebook.

OneNote — The Filing Cabinet (Project Support & Long-Term Archive)

OneNote's notebook-section-page structure is perfect for organized long-term storage. This is where information goes to be found again. I organize it by area of life:

  • Work — Project research, processes, meeting archives
  • Personal — Health records, home maintenance, travel plans
  • Finance — Investment notes, tax records, insurance documents
  • Learning — Book notes, course notes, technical references
  • Archive — Completed projects (moved here, never deleted)

The rule here: never put tasks in OneNote. If I discover an action item while reviewing my notes, it goes straight into OmniFocus. OneNote is reference only.

My Daily Routine (15 Minutes Total)

Morning Planning (7 minutes)

I open OmniFocus Forecast to check what's due. I scan my Morning perspective. Then I grab my notebook and handwrite my Today 5 — the tasks I'm committing to. The notebook goes next to my keyboard.

During the Day

I work from my paper list. When new things come up, I capture immediately: OmniFocus Quick Entry (Ctrl+Option+Space on Mac) for tasks, Apple Notes for thoughts and notes. I don't stop to organize — just capture and get back to work.

Evening Shutdown (5 minutes)

This is the most important habit in the entire system:

  1. Scan my paper notebook — any uncaptured tasks go into OmniFocus Inbox.
  2. Process OmniFocus Inbox to zero — every item gets a project, a tag, and a date.
  3. Quick check of Apple Notes Inbox — move anything actionable to OmniFocus.
  4. Glance at tomorrow's Forecast. Done.

The Weekly Review (30 Minutes, Every Sunday)

The weekly review is what keeps the whole system alive. Without it, tools fill with stale tasks, Apple Notes piles up, and I lose trust in the system.

Part 1 — Get Clear (10 min): Sweep my paper notebook for the week. Process OmniFocus Inbox to zero. Sweep Apple Notes — move keepers to OneNote, delete the rest.

Part 2 — Get Current (10 min): Review every active project in OmniFocus. Check Someday/Maybe projects. Follow up on Waiting For items. Review my calendar for the next two weeks.

Part 3 — Get Creative (10 min): Grab my notebook and think on paper. What went well? What's the most important thing for next week? Capture new ideas into OmniFocus. Flag 3 tasks for Monday morning.

Where Does Everything Go? A Quick Decision Tree

When something enters my mind, I ask one question:

Is it something I need to DO? — OmniFocus. Always. No exceptions.

Is it a quick thought or draft? — Apple Notes Inbox.

Do I need to think through a complex problem? — Paper. Open notebook, write freely.

Is it reference I'll need later? — OneNote, filed in the right notebook and section.

Did I write something useful on paper? — Photo it into OneNote if it's a diagram. Extract tasks into OmniFocus. Otherwise, the paper did its job — move on.

The 5 Rules That Make It All Work

  1. One task system. Period. OmniFocus is the only place tasks live.
  2. Paper is for thinking, not storing. Anything actionable gets transferred to OmniFocus before I close my notebook.
  3. Apple Notes is for NOW. OneNote is for LATER. Need it this week? Apple Notes. Need it in a month? OneNote.
  4. Capture within 2 minutes. When something enters my mind, it goes into the right tool within 2 minutes.
  5. The daily shutdown and weekly review are non-negotiable. These two habits are the engine. Without them, the whole system decays.

Getting Started

If you want to try something similar, don't adopt the whole system at once. Start with just two habits: the morning paper list pulled from your task manager, and a 5-minute evening shutdown. Do those for one week until they feel natural. Then add the weekly review. Then start organizing your notes. Build the habits before you build the structure.

The system isn't about the tools. It's about the rules. The tools are just containers — the rules are what keep everything in the right container.

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