Concept
Desired Outcome
A desired outcome is a one-sentence description of what a project looks like when it is finished, written clearly enough that anyone could tell whether it is done.
David Allen's Getting Things Done treats any result that needs more than one action as a project. Every project needs two answers: what does done look like, and what is the next action? The desired outcome answers the first. Most lists hold labels like "passport" or "mum's birthday". They name the topic but not where you are going. A label keeps nagging because your mind can't tell when it is allowed to let go. Writing the finished state, such as "New passport received and filed", changes three things. You know when to cross it off. You can see the steps between here and there, which makes the next action easier to name. And you can spot fake projects: if the sentence describes something one phone call finishes, it belongs on the actions list. The outcome sets the destination, and the next action keeps it moving.
A real-life example
Maya's project list says "Dentist." It has sat there for four months. She rewrites it as "New dentist chosen and first check-up booked." Suddenly the steps appear: get two recommendations, check which dentists take her insurance, and call for a slot. The fog lifts, and so does the next action. Tonight she will text her colleague Sam and ask for the name of his dentist. One sentence turned a guilty word into a plan.
How to use it
- 1Take one vague project label and rewrite it as a finished-state sentence in the past tense, such as "Kitchen tap fixed and no longer dripping."
- 2Test it: could a friend glance at your life and say whether this is done? If not, sharpen the sentence until they could.
- 3Write one next action under it, and reread the outcome during your weekly review so it stays accurate.