No help with prioritizing: Priorities have a subordinate role in Getting Things Done. The system primarily ensures that you don’t forget anything and that you use your free time efficiently. But if you want to make sure that you’re prioritizing tasks correctly, you have to augment GTD with other methods like the Eisenhower Matrix.
No weekly or daily structure: Getting Things Done doesn’t help you optimize weekly or daily planning. The GTD methodology won’t be of much help if you generally have difficulty setting goals, defining next steps and effectively structuring your day. Systems like the ALPEN Method are better for daily planning.
Complex system: You can’t learn Getting Things Done in five minutes and practice it in one afternoon. If you want to use the system effectively, you have to understand it in detail and practice it consistently. All or nothing. For example, the method won’t be as effective if you omit the weekly reviews or don’t learn how to split your to-do lists into context lists.
Too many new habits to learn: When you start using the GTD method, you’re confronted with having to change many habits in a short time. You have to regularly empty your inboxes, make time to review your Project Lists and Waiting For lists and get into the habit of keeping context lists.
This is the main criticism of Getting Things Done: So many readjustments can be overwhelming. If you struggle to establish new habits, you may want to find another organizational technique that better suits your personality.