Basic GTD: Horizontal and vertical focus

Horizontal focus is the key to a relaxed control over your daily activities. It is about clearly defining the outcomes you want—your projects—and the next actions required to achieve them, and creating reminders on a trusted system that you review regularly.

For this control to make sense you need a higher perspective. It is called vertical focus, and it provides you the necessary vision to identify solutions and define the right tasks, to make decisions and to face critical issues such as why this project is being done.

Both control and perspective are needed to effectively manage your commitments.

The Natural Planning is a way to apply vertical focus to each of your projects. The Six-level Model is another form of vertical focus oriented to the hierarchy of levels where your priorities are settled.