Hand off the upkeep, keep the decisions

Getting Things Done works when someone keeps it current. This starter kit lets an AI agent do the upkeep, with Grok Bot as the default, using a method written from David Allen's book.

Daniel Hatke
October 23, 2026 · Updated October 29, 2026

I was overwhelmed in admin and minutiae, and I was constantly forgetting things. My mind wasn't working well because of all the to-dos hanging out rent free.

To-do apps never stuck. I knew Getting Things Done was right for me, but keeping GTD current was its own admin task, and admin is what I'm not good at. So I offloaded that upkeep to a bot. I always aimed to have an executive assistant, and now I can get close without much cost.

If you already run GTD, you know what a trusted list costs: processing inputs, chasing what others owe you, preparing the weekly review. The Bot carries more of that, so your review time goes to judgment. If you never had the time or discipline to run GTD, or you're just bad at it like me, the Bot does the filing. You answer short questions and make the calls.

The goal is a clear head

I get the pull of optimization. When your commitments are out of your head and somewhere you trust, life gets better, and tuning the system can be useful. The trap is when tending the system turns into a hobby or another burden, and the lists become a second job.

In an interview with Tim Ferriss, David Allen talks about doing magic as a kid, and about how meditation and martial arts later fed his interest in what gives a person a clear head. He told Fast Company the work drew him because it made room for creativity and freedom, including the freedom to relax. In a 2019 essay, he warns that digital tools can demand too much labor of their own. He wasn't writing about AI agents, and he hasn't endorsed this kit. But if clerical work is what keeps your head full, reliable help with it serves the same purpose.

Written from the book

A prompt that says "act like a GTD coach" gets you vibes. The kit's method file comes from an audit of the 2015 revised edition of Getting Things Done, written in original wording, with each rule pointing to its section.

Delegating isn't waiting yet. If you say "Priya should collect the venue quotes," nothing goes on Waiting For. Your next action is to ask her or approve a drafted message. It becomes Waiting For once the request goes out.

Allen's in-the-moment choice runs on context, time available, energy available, and priority. Priority is your call. The other three change, so the Bot asks about this moment instead of reusing yesterday's answer.

Some rules are mine, not Allen's, such as approval before anything leaves the record. The method file labels those as Edge Operator policy. The kit doesn't replace reading the book.

What the handoff looks like

This is a hypothetical example of how the method treats an item, not captured Bot output.

You say, "Sam said he'd send the revised budget by Thursday." That's Sam's promise, so it goes on Waiting For with his date and your message as evidence. It doesn't become your deadline. The Bot proposes a Friday follow-up and leaves it unset until you accept. If the budget is still missing at your weekly review, it suggests adding it to Sam's agenda.

The promise waits in the record for your review instead of in a chat scroll.

Set it up

I built this around Grok Bot, and it's what I recommend if you're juggling several businesses, work, and life. If you don't have one yet, start with xAI's getting-started guide. You don't need a shared Bot template; the ZIP carries the method and setup.

Download eo-gtd-starter-kit-0.3.0.zip. Open a conversation with your Grok Bot, attach the ZIP as one file without extracting it, and send this message:

Set up the Edge Operator GTD Starter Kit 0.3.0 from the attached archive. Read BOOTSTRAP.md inside it and follow that setup procedure with me.

You'll answer four questions: your name, your timezone, what the record covers and leaves out, and whether the folder the Bot proposes is right. The Bot then reports what it set up. The kit guides explain that report and the fallback if the Bot can't open the archive.

Prefer Notion? Duplicate the Edge Operator GTD Notion template and follow the Notion setup guide. It applies the same method with Notion holding your tasks. Pick one home, Notion or the file kit, and don't run both.

Using another agent

If you work in Claude Cowork, Dot, Muse, or another agent, give it the same ZIP with the message below. The method is written in plain Markdown so another agent can translate the Grok-specific install steps, though I haven't tested every platform and treat this path as best effort.

Set up the Edge Operator GTD Starter Kit 0.3.0 from the attached archive. Read BOOTSTRAP.md inside it and follow that setup procedure with me. This kit targets Grok Bot, so map Grok-specific terms (skills, skill library, routines, Bots, memory) to this platform's native persistent instructions, pointers, and later scheduling. If an optional host feature like a skill library is unavailable, use the kit's file route, report the gap, and continue. Stop immediately on any failed package, path, guard, write, readback, or access check—never improvise around a failed check or weaken any approval rule or GTD method rule. Set up the file record only if you can satisfy BACKEND.md, including exclusive writer.guard directory creation and safe writes. If you cannot keep a verified persistent record, stop and name the missing capability; if you have writable Notion access, offer the Edge Operator GTD Notion kit instead. Do not keep tasks in chat, invent substitute storage, start schedules during setup, or install tools to emulate Grok. Ask only for required choices, then read back the record and report what is saved versus unavailable.

What setup doesn't do

Setup doesn't connect your email or calendar or start a schedule. Each is a separate step with its own yes, and routines start paused until you enable them. Once connected, an account may technically allow more than you approved, including sending. Staying inside an approved read and asking before any send or calendar change are rules the kit gives the Bot, not technical locks.

On Grok Bot, Bots on one account share the same computer, files, and logins. The kit keeps to its own folder by instruction. If you need real separation between work and personal, use separate accounts, and keep employer data out of anything your employer hasn't approved.

Less upkeep, not zero

This isn't a human assistant. You pay for the Bot, spend time on setup and permissions, and review what it proposes.

I didn't want a better productivity hobby. I wanted my open loops out of my head without taking on another clerical job, so there's room to think, build, and live.

Start with the quick-start guide. Pick three real loose ends, save and clarify them, then read them back later from the record. The guide also walks through connecting email and calendar and agreeing on a routine.