---
title: "Contexts vs. Projects: Organizing Your GTD System for Maximum Flow"
description: GTD uses both contexts and projects to organize tasks, but many people confuse the two. Learn the difference and how to set up both for a frictionless workflow.
image: https://blog.toodledo.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2019-01-06-at-10_23_55-AM-2.png
---

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# Contexts vs. Projects: Organizing Your GTD System for Maximum Flow

[Toodledo](https://blog.toodledo.com/author/toodledo)

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![GTD workflow diagram showing the relationship between contexts and projects](https://blog.toodledo.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2019-01-06-at-10_23_55-AM-2.png)

In Getting Things Done, David Allen uses two organizing dimensions that trip up almost every beginner: contexts and projects. They sound similar — both are ways of grouping tasks — but they serve completely different purposes. Understanding the difference is what separates a GTD system that flows from one that feels like overhead.

## What Projects Are

In GTD, a project is any outcome that requires more than one action step. "Buy a new laptop" is a project if it involves researching models, comparing prices, reading reviews, and making the purchase. "Buy milk" is not a project — it's a single action.

Projects in [Toodledo](https://www.toodledo.com) map naturally to folders or parent tasks. Each project contains its component tasks, organized by sequence or priority. The project itself isn't something you "do" — you do its tasks.

The key GTD rule for projects: every active project must have at least one "next action" — a concrete, physical step you can take right now to move it forward. A project with no next action is stalled, and stalled projects create the nagging feeling that things aren't moving.

## What Contexts Are

Contexts answer a different question entirely. Projects answer "what am I trying to accomplish?" Contexts answer "given where I am or what tools I have, what can I do right now?"

Traditional GTD contexts include:

@Computer — tasks requiring a computer  
 @Phone — calls to make  
 @Office — tasks that can only be done at the office  
 @Home — tasks that can only be done at home  
 @Errands — tasks requiring a trip somewhere  
 @Agenda: \[Person\] — topics to discuss with a specific person  
 @Waiting For — things you've delegated or are expecting

The idea is simple: when you're at your computer, you don't want to see tasks that require a phone call. When you're running errands, you don't want to see tasks that need your office computer. Contexts filter your task list to show only what's actionable in your current situation.

## The Confusion

People confuse contexts and projects because both create groupings. But the groupings serve different purposes:

**Project view:** "Show me everything related to the website redesign." Useful for planning, reviewing progress, and ensuring nothing is forgotten within a project.

**Context view:** "Show me everything I can do right now at my computer." Useful for doing — choosing the next task to work on based on your current situation.

A single task belongs to one project AND one context simultaneously. "Draft homepage wireframe" belongs to the Website Redesign project and the @Computer context. When you're planning the project, you see it in the project view. When you're at your computer looking for something to work on, you see it in the context view.

## Setting Up Contexts in Toodledo

Toodledo has a dedicated context field for each task. Set up your contexts to match your actual work situations. Here's a modern context list that works for most knowledge workers:

**@Deep Work** — Tasks requiring sustained concentration. Use this during your focused work blocks.  
**@Communication** — Emails, calls, messages. Batch these together.  
**@Admin** — Paperwork, filing, expenses, scheduling. Low-energy work for low-energy times.  
**@Review** — Documents, proposals, or work from others that need your evaluation.  
**@Out** — Errands and tasks requiring physical presence somewhere.  
**@Agenda: \[Name\]** — Topics for your regular meetings with specific people.  
**@Waiting** — Delegated or pending items.

## Setting Up Projects in Toodledo

Use Toodledo's folders for major projects or life areas (Work, Personal, Side Project), and parent tasks with subtasks for individual projects within those areas.

For example, a "Work" folder might contain parent tasks for "Q4 Marketing Campaign," "Hire New Developer," and "Office Renovation." Each parent task has subtasks representing the project's component actions.

The important thing is that every subtask gets both a folder (project) AND a context. This lets you view your work two ways: by what you're trying to accomplish (project view) and by what you can do right now (context view).

## The Daily Workflow

**Planning mode:** Use project views. During your daily or weekly review, go through each active project and make sure it has a clear next action. Are any projects stalled? Add a next action. Are any overloaded with tasks? Simplify or defer some.

**Doing mode:** Use context views. When it's time to work, switch to context view. You're at your desk with two hours of focus time? Pull up @Deep Work context. You have 15 minutes before a meeting? Pull up @Admin or @Communication. You're heading out for lunch? Check @Out for errands you can combine.

This separation — planning by project, doing by context — is what makes GTD flow. You never waste time deciding what to work on because your context tells you what's available, and your earlier planning ensured the right things are on the list.

## When Contexts Don't Work

Allen designed contexts in an era when location determined capability — you couldn't make calls away from your desk phone, you couldn't email without a computer. Now, with smartphones, you can do most things from anywhere.

If location-based contexts feel pointless, switch to energy-based or mode-based contexts: @Focus (high-energy creative work), @Process (methodical, routine work), @Quick (tasks under 10 minutes), @Collaborative (tasks involving others). The principle is the same — filter by current capability — even if the capability is now "mental state" rather than "physical location."

## The Bottom Line

Projects organize your commitments. Contexts organize your availability. Use projects for planning and review. Use contexts for choosing what to do right now. Every task gets both. The result is a system that answers "what should I work on?" instantly, no matter what your situation is.

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