How Orbit's GTD task system works
Orbit organizes tasks the Getting Things Done way, across six lists: Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, Someday, and Scheduled. New tasks land in Inbox, you sort them into the right list, and you work from Today. The system's real power is the Waiting list and a 10-minute Friday review of it.
What do the six task lists mean?
Each list answers one question, so a task always has an obvious home.
- Inbox. The catch-all. Anything new lands here first so nothing falls through the cracks. You empty it by sorting, not by ignoring it.
- Today. The short list of what you are actually doing today. Keep it honest and short.
- Next. Things to do soon, but not today. Your on-deck queue.
- Waiting. Things you are waiting on someone else for. This is the list most people lack and the one that saves the most deals.
- Someday. Ideas and maybes. Out of your head, off your plate, but not forgotten.
- Scheduled. Tasks tied to a specific date, which show up on your calendar.
How do I use the GTD system day to day?
The rhythm is simple once it is a habit.
- 1Capture everything to Inbox the moment it appears. Noa, the task-inbox agent, can also turn an email into a task suggestion for you.
- 2Process Inbox to zero once a day. For each item, decide: do it now if under two minutes, or sort it to Today, Next, Waiting, Someday, or Scheduled.
- 3Work from Today. It is your one honest list of what matters right now.
- 4Attach tasks to contacts and deals so a follow-up shows up where the relationship lives, not in a separate app.
- 5Review weekly. Walk every list, especially Waiting, and decide what moves where.
The 10-minute Friday Waiting-For review. Every Friday, open your Waiting list and read each item. Anyone who has gone quiet too long gets a nudge, often a Tess or Wes draft you approve on the spot. This one habit stops deals from dying in silence.
Why the Waiting list is the secret weapon
Most task apps track what you owe other people. They forget what other people owe you. The Waiting list flips that: it is a running record of every ball in someone else's court. A proposal you sent, a reference you asked for, an invoice that should have been paid. Pair it with how to follow up after no response and nothing slips.
Tasks tied to deals also keep your pipeline moving. A deal with no next task is a deal about to stall, which is exactly the problem pipeline management exists to solve.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the GTD task system in Orbit?+
Orbit organizes tasks the Getting Things Done way across six lists: Inbox, Today, Next, Waiting, Someday, and Scheduled. New tasks land in Inbox, you sort them into the right list, and you work from Today. Each list answers one clear question.
What is the Waiting list for?+
The Waiting list tracks everything you are waiting on someone else for: a reply, a signed proposal, a payment. Most task apps forget these. Reviewing your Waiting list, especially every Friday, stops deals from quietly dying while you wait.
How do I do the Friday Waiting-For review?+
Once a week, open your Waiting list and read each item. For anything that has gone quiet too long, send a nudge. Tess or Wes can draft it and you approve on the spot. The whole review takes about ten minutes.
Can I attach tasks to contacts and deals?+
Yes. Tasks can live on a contact or a deal, so a follow-up appears right where the relationship is, not in a separate app. A deal with no next task is a deal about to stall, so this habit keeps your pipeline moving.
Can Orbit create tasks from emails?+
Yes. Noa, the task-inbox agent, can turn an email into a task suggestion. It lands in your Inbox as a card you approve or dismiss, so your task list captures action items without you retyping them.
A task system that catches what others drop
Inbox to Today to Waiting, with a Friday review that saves deals. Free plan, no credit card.
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