Let’s cut straight to it:
If you’re already using a productivity system — great. You don’t need to scrap it. DROP wasn’t built to replace what works. It was built to enhance what doesn’t.
DROP is a framework, not a replacement. It’s the scaffolding that keeps everything upright — no matter what tools, tech, or techniques you’re already using.
So if you’re wondering how to slot it into your world of Notion dashboards, Pomodoro timers, GTD, Eisenhower grids, Trello boards or time-blocked calendars… this one’s for you.
First — What DROP Is (and Isn’t)
DROP = Dump, Review, Offload, Plan.
It’s not:
- A to-do list app
- A rigid routine you must follow
- Another cult of productivity bros shouting “rise and grind”
- A replacement for your project management tool
What it is:
- A flexible, weekly rhythm
- A thinking system to reduce chaos
- A set of behaviours that slot around the tools you already use
- A way to stay in control, even when life gets loud
If your current system isn’t giving you clarity, consistency, or control — DROP will fix that.
And if your current system is working? DROP can make it work better.
The Best Way to Layer DROP On Top of What You Already Use
DROP works best when you treat it as the operating rhythm behind your week.
Here’s how to build it in — without scrapping what you already know and love:
Step 1: DUMP — Clear the Clutter First
If you’re already using a system like GTD or a task manager like Todoist, you’re probably capturing tasks well.
But are you dumping everything?
Most systems don’t encourage a full mental sweep — they encourage task management, not cognitive unloading.
DROP starts here.
Each week, start by brain dumping:
- Tasks
- Ideas
- Stressors
- Loose ends
- Random thoughts
- “Someday” stuff
Do it in:
- A notebook
- Google Tasks
- Notion
- Whatever you already use
The point? Get it out of your head before you start trying to organise anything.
Step 2: REVIEW — Make Sense of the Mess
Most productivity systems don’t include a meaningful review process.
They either skip it entirely or turn it into a 90-minute perfectionist exercise.
With DROP, the weekly review is quick, powerful, and brutally honest:
- What got done?
- What didn’t?
- What derailed you?
- What’s still relevant?
- What needs removing, deferring, or rethinking?
If you’re already reviewing inside a tool like Notion, Asana, or a paper planner — layer the DROP review prompts on top.
Make it the lens through which you view your week.
Step 3: OFFLOAD — The Step Most Systems Skip
Most systems assume everything captured is yours to do.
DROP says: Prove it.
Look at every task and ask:
- Can I delegate this?
- Can I delay this?
- Can I delete it entirely?
- Is this my responsibility or someone else’s mess?
This step alone will halve the stress your system throws at you.
It’s where you stop romanticising busyness and start reclaiming focus.
And again — you don’t need a new tool for this. Just a better way of thinking.
Step 4: PLAN — Build a Week That Actually Works
Whether you use time blocking, Pomodoro, the Rule of 3, daily themes or good old-fashioned sticky notes, planning is only effective if it follows DUMP → REVIEW → OFFLOAD.
Otherwise, you’re scheduling chaos.
DROP’s planning phase asks:
- What matters most this week?
- When are you actually going to do it?
- Where’s the margin?
- What’s non-negotiable?
- What does “done” look like for each item?
Plug that into your existing calendar, planner, or app — and now your week actually works with your brain, not against it.
Examples of How DROP Works With Other Systems
Here’s how DROP blends with some common methods:
🔹 GTD (Getting Things Done)
- Use DROP to filter and focus your GTD lists
- GTD is great for capture — DROP is better for weekly clarity and control
🔹 Pomodoro Technique
- Use DROP to identify what’s worth focused time
- Then use Pomodoro for execution once the week is planned
🔹 Time Blocking
- DROP improves your decision making before you schedule anything
- No more blocks full of “stuff that felt urgent but wasn’t”
🔹 Eisenhower Matrix
- Use DROP’s OFFLOAD step to trim the “urgent but not important” noise
- Then prioritise what’s left using the matrix
🔹 Notion/Trello/ClickUp
- DROP adds structure to your thinking, not your tool
- You can dump, review, offload and plan within those tools if they work for you
DROP doesn’t tell you what tool to use. It tells you how to use your tools more effectively.
The Best Setup? It’s the One That Respects Your Brain
Here’s the game-changer:
Your system isn’t broken because you lack discipline. It’s broken because it wasn’t designed around your reality.
DROP fixes that.
You’re not starting from scratch. You’re upgrading how you think, plan, and prioritise inside the tools and systems you already use.
Whether you’re a paper planner nerd, a digital dashboard junkie, or somewhere in between — DROP flexes to fit.
Bottom Line: Don’t Throw Out What Works — Just Make It Work Better
If your system is:
- Overwhelming
- Complicated
- Beautiful but ineffective
- Keeping you busy but not productive
- Great in theory but failing in practice
DROP will help. It gives you the mental operating system to actually make progress — not just shuffle digital sticky notes for another week.
Buy the book:
Control Your Time or Stay Stuck: You Choose — It’ll show you how to build DROP on top of your current tools — not abandon what works.
Join the DROP System training:
Learn how to embed the weekly DROP rhythm into whatever system you already use — and finally make it work the way it should.
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