Difference: Reference vs. Support Items

[mnygren]

Hello everybody. I am new here. Can someone can explain the difference between reference items and project support items? They seem similar. I currently have reference material for all of my projects. This should be support material? Instead, it looks like reference items are just suppose to be a lot of random lists, files, etc. Is this correct?

 

[Gardener]

To me, project support material is associated with a specific project or projects, while reference is stuff that you may or may not want in the future. But the same thing might be one or the other, depending on the situation.

So let's say that at some point I found a list of tomatoes known to be suitable for dryfarming. If I just found it, said, "Yay!" and put it away in case I want it someday, I'd say it's reference.

On the other hand, if I planned, as a project, to plant a big bed of dryfarm tomatoes, and I went hunting on the web to make a list, and I used the list while hunting for tomato seeds or vendors of tomato plants, then I would regard that list as project support material. The diagram of how I plan to plant the tomatoes would also be project support material, as would any shopping lists, and the schedule for raising tomato seedlings, and so on.

As another example, a recipe is project support material if it's the thing I'm gong to cook for that party on Friday. It's reference if I just think it might come in handy someday. The notes that I took after making it, editing the recipe for a better version next time, are also reference.

If I imagine the difference in a visual way, I see reference as the file cabinet and bookshelves, while project support material is the stuff I pulled out of the file cabinet and put in a folder, along with the stuff that I just now wrote or sketched, because I'm going to use that stuff to guide an active project.

 

[mcogilvie]

Project support material is associated with one or more of your projects, while reference material is considered by you to be more broadly useful, interesting, et cetera. Let me give a current example of mine: I want to invite someone to give a talk. A colleague has set up a Google doc to track the schedule. So I put a copy of the link in project support for the visit I’m trying to arrange. I also put a copy in reference in case I need it for something else. I don’t have to have two copies but I find it convenient. Notice I haven’t told you anything about how I store or arrange the information for either use. In my case it’s all digital, but for some else it could be all paper, or a mix. It is completely possible, even common, for information to move from reference to project support, and then back to reference when the project is completed.

 

[RomanS]

In addition to what has already been written: Support material is more action-oriented than reference material.

 

[ivanjay205]

I think that project support material also has an "expiration date" in which time it is no longer relevant. Reference material stays.

Now I think how to store each could be an interesting topic as they are distinct. I keep my project support material in Apple Notes and once a year I go through and delete old items.

I keep reference in either google drive (personal) or box folders (work) and they stay indefinitely.

 

[gtdstudente]

Hello everybody. I am new here. Can someone can explain the difference between reference items and project support items? They seem similar. I currently have reference material for all of my projects. This should be support material? Instead, it looks like reference items are just suppose to be a lot of random lists, files, etc. Is this correct?

mnygren, Support can also be for NEXT ACTIONS as well as for PROJECTS . . . if Project Support has its own file(s), then Action Support can have its own file . . . this can be tricky, and as such, patience with oneself is a remedy in managing the trickiness in avoiding making NEXT ACTION list(s) cluttered and unattractive? Any Tips-&-Tricks clarifications in navigating this concerned are most welcomed. Thank you!

 

[cfoley]

mnygren, Support can also be for NEXT ACTIONS as well as for PROJECTS . . . if Project Support has its own file(s), then Action Support can have its own file . . . this can be tricky, and as such, patience with oneself is a remedy in managing the trickiness especially in avoiding making NEXT ACTION list(s) cluttered and unattractive? Any Tips-&-Tricks clarifications in navigating this concerned are most welcomed. Thank you!

I have one folder that I use for both action support and project support.

If any project has more than a couple of items, then it gets its own dedicated folder.

 

[Gardener]

mnygren, Support can also be for NEXT ACTIONS as well as for PROJECTS . . . if Project Support has its own file(s), then Action Support can have its own file . . . this can be tricky, and as such, patience with oneself is a remedy in managing the trickiness especially in avoiding making NEXT ACTION list(s) cluttered and unattractive? Any Tips-&-Tricks clarifications in navigating this concerned are most welcomed. Thank you!

I don't really see any reason for actions to be regarded as separate from a project, in the context of storing support material. Do you have an example?

 

[bishblaize]

I don't really see any reason for actions to be regarded as separate from a project, in the context of storing support material. Do you have an example?

I use links rather than moving around files to connect Projects with Support Materials, so sometimes I'll link the Support Material to the NA rather than the Project.

For example, when I email someone, I link the sent email to the @WF. That way I can get back to the email without searching for it during my review. But once I get a reply, I don't need to see my original sent email anymore. By linking it to the NA, the link just disappears when I tick off the WF as done. If I link it to the Project, then it stays there in my list of links for as long as the Project is live, which eventually can lead to a build-up of old unneeded links that just get in the way.

 

[Gardener]

I use links rather than moving around files to connect Projects with Support Materials, so sometimes I'll link the Support Material to the NA rather than the Project

Oh, yes, totally. I should have been clearer. I was thinking of physical support material--paper folders for a project as distinguished from paper folders for actions, and why any distinction? But in the paper world there probably are scenarios. (I guess, say, if an action is "get Fido's vaccinations", then Fido's medical records change from Reference to Support For Action to Reference again.)

 

[Oogiem]

Can someone can explain the difference between reference items and project support items?

For me they are pieces of the whole. Project suport is material and references I am using for a particular project, but my projects move in and out of active state so when a project goes inactive it and all its material goes into reference. Similarly, I have reference material, things I collect, review, link and gather that may turn into projects or are parts of stuff that is documented in my someday/maybe lists. I my not be actively working on them but they are available to me. I also have basic refernece material, things I don't want to forget or that I need to acces on an irregular basis.

Don't get hung up on the terms, just worry abut how it is helping or hindering your progress on your chosen projects and catalog, store and access the stuff you need to do those proejcts in a way that makes sense to you.

 

[mnygren]

I have one folder that I use for both action support and project support.

If any project has more than a couple of items, then it gets its own dedicated folder.

I like this idea. It is easy to overcomplicate things by making multiple folders for projects. They are supposed to be temporary so this seems effective as it would also be motivation to keep those files to a minimum and keep everything else into reference.

 

[mnygren]

To me, project support material is associated with a specific project or projects, while reference is stuff that you may or may not want in the future. But the same thing might be one or the other, depending on the situation.

So let's say that at some point I found a list of tomatoes known to be suitable for dryfarming. If I just found it, said, "Yay!" and put it away in case I want it someday, I'd say it's reference.

On the other hand, if I planned, as a project, to plant a big bed of dryfarm tomatoes, and I went hunting on the web to make a list, and I used the list while hunting for tomato seeds or vendors of tomato plants, then I would regard that list as project support material. The diagram of how I plan to plant the tomatoes would also be project support material, as would any shopping lists, and the schedule for raising tomato seedlings, and so on.

As another example, a recipe is project support material if it's the thing I'm gong to cook for that party on Friday. It's reference if I just think it might come in handy someday. The notes that I took after making it, editing the recipe for a better version next time, are also reference.

If I imagine the difference in a visual way, I see reference as the file cabinet and bookshelves, while project support material is the stuff I pulled out of the file cabinet and put in a folder, along with the stuff that I just now wrote or sketched, because I'm going to use that stuff to guide an active project.

This is a good explanation. The funny thing is, I am a minimalist and never thought that I needed to keep anything that was not going to be used for a project. I do have an "archive" folder of all the stuff I collected over the years that must be sorted. I was actually converting this material into projects. I may just rename this to "reference" and take stuff out that is relevant to a project. I have been treating my support material/reference/archive folders almost like an inbox. This must be reevaluated. I am thinking of keeping my reference material grouped by area of focus, similer to how I have my projects grouped. I will take out reference material and add it to project support material, if this makes any since. Thanks!

 

[René Lie]

To me, action/project support material is more close at hand than reference material. As I am mostly digital this doesn't make a very big difference, but in my paper based material, the action and project support material resides in one of my stacking trays, and reference material in the storage closet. Whenever an action or project is done, I decide whether or not the support material goes into reference.

 

[OliverG]

If you have NO ACTION associated with it, so if it does NOT belong to an active project -> reference.
If it is material, that you are using in a current project -> project support

It might be brown to black belt from here:
If it is material associated with "just an action that has no project" -> action support
If it is material associated with a "waiting for" (that has no project?) -> waiting support

 

[mcogilvie]

If you have NO ACTION associated with it, so if it does NOT belong to an active project -> reference.
If it is material, that you are using in a current project -> project support

It might be brown to black belt from here:
If it is material associated with "just an action that has no project" -> action support
If it is material associated with a "waiting for" (that has no project?) -> waiting support

I'm not sure what you mean by "action support" or "waiting support". Could you explain, please?

 

[schmeggahead]

I'm not sure what you mean by "action support" or "waiting support". Could you explain, please?

When davidco sold the plastic labeled folders, it came with an orange Action Support folder and a brown Waiting For Support folder.

If I have an action that has something associated with it, I toss it into the Action Support folder (e.g. I'm in the middle of planing Myst, and my notes from the game are in Action Support.) and if I have an item associated with a waiting for, I toss it into the Waiting For Support folder (e.g. I just tossed out notes on helping a friend cut the cable, which he doesn't want to do now, so I pulled it out of the folder and put in in the trash).

I love those folders. They make it easy for me to work on the patio if I want.
Clayton.

Audi named their EV line "e-tron" which in French is "turd" - @thibautsaily@mastodon.social

 

[mcogilvie]

When davidco sold the plastic labeled folders, it came with an orange Action Support folder and a brown Waiting For Support folder.

If I have an action that has something associated with it, I toss it into the Action Support folder (e.g. I'm in the middle of planing Myst, and my notes from the game are in Action Support.) and if I have an item associated with a waiting for, I toss it into the Waiting For Support folder (e.g. I just tossed out notes on helping a friend cut the cable, which he doesn't want to do now, so I pulled it out of the folder and put in in the trash).

I love those folders. They make it easy for me to work on the patio if I want.
Clayton.

Audi named their EV line "e-tron" which in French is "turd" - @thibautsaily@mastodon.social

OMG, I have them sitting in front of me to my right. It never occurred to me that someone would reference them as canonical GTD, especially because they are extinct in the wild.

 

[OliverG]

I'm not sure what you mean by "action support" or "waiting support". Could you explain, please?

Well,

A WAITING item is just a line in your Task list. Waiting support would me material that corresponts to that task, may it be digital or real/paper.
Say, I need by daughter to tell me how much she made from her job in which month in 2022 to fill a form by the health insurance. (Example not fictional )
So I send my daughter that request, I have a waiting item and in my waiting support I have the paper form.
So if the waiting is resolved I know - ah I need to check there to find the form.
I have no project here as after the waiting is fulfilled I have just one step left.

Same would be if I have my own form to fill out. Task in system, form in "task support" (with all the other items for single tasks).

Now, if ONE of those were a project, I'd find the forms in 'project support'.
ALL these "support" filder reser to ONGOING tsks/witings/projects.

Reference material has no action, waiting or (active) project attached.