Glossary
Find definitions for terms and phrases used throughout Nirvana and Getting Things Done®.
A
Action
A concrete, specific task that can be completed in one sitting. In GTD®, actions are the fundamental unit of work.
Area
A sphere of activity or responsibility that groups related projects and actions together (like "Work", "Home", "Health").
C
Context
The situation, location, or tools needed to complete an action (like "@Computer", "@Phone", "@Errands").
D
Due Date
The absolute deadline by which something must be completed.
F
Focus
Nirvana's special list that highlights the most important items you want to concentrate on right now.
G
Getting Things Done® (GTD®)
The productivity methodology created by David Allen that Nirvana is built around.
I
Inbox
The collection point for all new items before they're processed and organized.
L
Later
An optional list that sits between Next and Someday for items you plan to do but not immediately.
Logbook
Where completed items go for your records and review.
N
Next
The list of actions you've committed to doing soon and can work on immediately.
P
Project
Any outcome requiring more than one action step to complete.
R
Reference
Information you want to keep but don't need to act on.
Recurring Task
A task that automatically repeats on a schedule (Nirvana Pro feature).
S
Scheduled
Items with specific start dates—when you plan to begin working on them.
Someday
Items you might want to do eventually but aren't committed to doing soon.
T
Tags
Labels you can apply to items to categorize them by context, priority, energy level, or other attributes.
W
Waiting
Items you've delegated or are waiting for someone else to complete before you can proceed.
Weekly Review
A regular review session to keep your system current and complete.
If you don't see a term defined here, try searching the help documentation or contact our support team for assistance.