A few advanced newly questions

[Solyanov2011]

1. Is @Errands the same as @Shop? Should I use it as a shopping list?

2. When at a shop on occasion (at a petrol station i.e.) I can always buy some stuff needed to move my projects. But I constantly forget to check my shopping list. Any ideas how to remind yourself to check the list?

 

[DenaDahilig]

lots of options

Hello, Solyanov!

You can be as general or specific as you wish. You can have @errand as a catch-all category or be more detailed like @hardware store, @market, @downtown. You'll change them around as you find what works for you and what doesn't.

I have the same problem that I'll find myself someplace and either a) I don't realize there are other things I need that I can get there or b) I realize it, but I don't have my list! Frustrating.

For groceries, for example, I keep a list on my desk that I or anyone in my family can add to as things run out. Often I'll take a photo of the list so I have it with me when I'm out. Because I keep everything as an "out" category, I review all of my outs daily to see what I have time to do considering where I'll be that day. It lets things be flexible. And I try not to beat myself up too much about not picking something up when I had the chance. It's the cost of that flexibility, I guess.

Let us know what works for you as you go along!

Dena

 

[Suelin23]

I have an errands list and a grocery list, and they are both on my iPhone so they're with me always.

 

[Cpu_Modern]

Any ideas how to remind yourself to check the list?

This is the REVIEW habit, one of the 5 stages of workflow. Those have to become second nature to you! For instance, you wouldn't expect to have a reminder with you on what to do if you are thirsty. You just get something to drink, no need for a sticky. The same with the workflow: CAPTURE, PROCESS, ORGANIZE, DO, REVIEW. You just learn to apply them all the time. That's what doing GTD means foremost. At the beginning you have to force yourself a bit.

 

[North]

1. Is @Errands the same as @Shop? Should I use it as a shopping list?

You mean using each item in the shopping list as a next action? I'd find that confusing unless they're very few. Instead have a single item in the action list and write the actual shopping list elsewhere, and perhaps have a reminder to check the shopping list at the end of the action item. E.g: "shop at Walmart (see shopping list)". (Assuming you're ready to actually shop, and don't need to fix the car or whatever first, then that would become the next action, and "shop at Walmart" a project I suppose.)

(What context to use is basically optional, nothing wrong with either errands or shop, just do what works. Perhaps it's easier to have more subdivisions if the context list is long, to get a better overview.)

2. When at a shop on occasion (at a petrol station i.e.) I can always buy some stuff needed to move my projects. But I constantly forget to check my shopping list. Any ideas how to remind yourself to check the list?

See above, checking the action list in this case will remind you of the shopping list. If you don't remember to check the action list it's trickier I guess, but that's a basic GTD-action you just have to brainwash yourself to automate. Just write reminders wherever you look often.

 

[vbampton]

1. Is @Errands the same as @Shop? Should I use it as a shopping list?

2. When at a shop on occasion (at a petrol station i.e.) I can always buy some stuff needed to move my projects. But I constantly forget to check my shopping list. Any ideas how to remind yourself to check the list?

An @Shop list works fine if you don't have too many items per shop on there. For example, you might have a separate @groceries list. If you're doing up a house, you might have a separate @diystore list, but if you only need to stop by a DIY store for an odd item, it could go on the @Shop list with DIY at the beginning of the task name.

How are you managing your lists? If you're digital, some apps (OmniFocus on iPhone, for one) will alert you when you get to certain locations, to help remind you to look. If you're paper, a sign on your dashboard saying "check lists" might help!

 

[Oogiem]

Shopping Lists are separate

I use a separate app and structure for shopping lists. But whenever I have an item that I really need to get I add Stop at :insert store name: see list in :app: and the context is the town where the store is.

So for example I have on my list right now

Go to Hobby Lobby see list in SplashShopper with a context of Delta & GJ. Next time I am in those towns I'll see it on my list to stop and when I am in the store I know to check my separate list of stuff to buy.

 

[egallagher2k]

My lists are on Astrid and I use an app called locale that knows where I am and notifies me of the appropriate list. That way my shopping lists are _Target/Walmart, _Grocery store, _Liquor store, etc. When I'm in the area, the list comes alive and then I decide if I want to shop or not.

 

[karrie]

two lists for me

I tried different things, but ended up with two lists. they are on the "memo pad" of my blackberry. One is for local grocery stores/Walmart and the other is a "Springfield" list which is a larger town I attend a meeting in once a month and try to hit Sams, a natural foods market and any other errands or stops.

I populate both lists on the fly whenever I think of something.

 

[karrie]

last night while reorganizing my craft room I found 3 "refills" of something that I bought that I didn't actually own the original...typed in all the info about it in my "Springfield" list under a heading of Hobby Lobby.

I love GTD, but if you are a beginner, as someone said, it takes a bit of force to get the habit ingrained. Don't get discouraged, the beginning work is worth it!

 

[cwoodgold]

I treat shopping list items as Next Actions. Each one is an Action. I don't see why having a lot of them would cause any problems. I write them on paper.

You could keep something wrapped around your wallet, as a reminder. Possibly
even keep your shopping list wrapped around your wallet, or have it sticking
out of your wallet or something, so that when you get out your wallet to pay
for one thing it will remind you to check your list.

You could, from time to time, visualize yourself being in a place such as a
petrol station and checking your list, or visualize a giant shopping
list blocking everybody's way in the middle of the petrol station, or something;
this might help you remember when you're actually there.

Artsinaction, you could consider keeping the family shopping list on the
inside of the front door, or near there, to make it easier to remember to
take with you when you leave the house. (Ours is on the fridge though.)
Or have the list actually on top of your backpack or coat or whatever
you usually bring with you, whenever you're home. Either you could
move it there when you put your coat away -- it could be where your
coat goes -- or other family members could move it there any time they
think of it when you're home. Or have the main list in your coat
pocket, and a secondary list for when you're not home, and people
have to move the items to the main list.
Just ideas, which might not be worth the trouble.

 

[DenaDahilig]

Good stuff!

Artsinaction, you could consider keeping the family shopping list on the
inside of the front door, or near there, to make it easier to remember to
take with you when you leave the house. (Ours is on the fridge though.)
Or have the list actually on top of your backpack or coat or whatever
you usually bring with you, whenever you're home. Either you could
move it there when you put your coat away -- it could be where your
coat goes -- or other family members could move it there any time they
think of it when you're home. Or have the main list in your coat
pocket, and a secondary list for when you're not home, and people
have to move the items to the main list.
Just ideas, which might not be worth the trouble.

Thanks for the suggestions! I love posting things at the front door. "Take Your Bag" "Close the Garage Door" or "Don't Forget Your Brain".

My discipline is definitely getting better and better. Part of my problem is that we live in an area that is relatively new to me, so I can be somewhere and have extra time but not realize that I'm right around the corner from the dry cleaners or the greeting card store or wherever else might be on my list. But that's improving, too.

I had to laugh when I thought about putting my list with my coat... we're in Southern California and my coat leaves the closet for less than a week a year, unless we're traveling! My poor little lists would have withered away!

Thanks for taking the time to respond, cwoodgold!

Dena

 

[cwoodgold]

I thought of saying "purse" but I wasn't sure whether you were in the category
of people that would apply to. (It's still winter here in Ottawa, Canada.)

Cathy

 

[DenaDahilig]

Hahahaha!

I thought of saying "purse" but I wasn't sure whether you were in the category of people that would apply to.

Again, I'm in California, so there are several "categories" that carry purses here.

And I guess coat sellers do pretty well in Ottawa, Canada this time of year!

But this conversation reminds me of a forum post a while ago from David Allen where he asked how people handled coupons. How could they remind themselves that they had a coupon, within the system? I don't recall any game-changing solutions that worked for me, though. What's worked for you?

Dena

 

[cwoodgold]

LOL, Dena!

But this conversation reminds me of a forum post a while ago from David Allen where he asked how people handled coupons. How could they remind themselves that they had a coupon, within the system? I don't recall any game-changing solutions that worked for me, though. What's worked for you?

The main thing is to have a system that allows you to NOT think about the
coupon most of the time, but to think of it when you need to take action:
just before leaving home (to bring it), and at the cash register.

My shopping list is more-or-less sorted by shop. I list the coupon on
it as if it were one of the things I was going to buy there. I also
visualize myself at the cash register of that
particular store, pulling out a huge coupon or something.
And if I think of it while I'm in the store, I put the coupon
in the grocery cart or hold it in my hand or make it stick up
out of my wallet or something, so I'll automatically see it when
I get to the cash register.

Most coupons I just don't use -- they're usually not worth my time and effort.

 

[DenaDahilig]

yep, yep

Most coupons I just don't use -- they're usually not worth my time and effort.

Ditto. I do like your idea of putting the coupon as an item on your shopping list for that store... that's kind of brilliant. I'm usually of much sounder mind when I'm assembling my lists early in the day than I am while I'm running out the door to do errands. So, great idea!

Dena