ListPro...NAs...Projects...

[tim99]

So I have projects...

Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
Project 4
Project 5

And I have next actions...

Project 1 next action
Project 2 next action
Project 3 next action
Project 4 next action
Project 5 next action

BUT, each project has many action items...

Project 1
action item 1
action item 2
action item 3
action item 4
action item 5
action item 6
action item 7
action item 8

AND, I may really need to do more actionable items than just the "next action" on Project 1 in one sitting...

Project 1 next action
Project 1 next next action
Project 1 next next next action

Oops...looks like a todo list to me...

So my list of next action items to do next in order may look like:

Project 1---------------------------------
action item 1-----------------------------
action item 2-----------------------------
action item 3-----------------------------
--------------Project 2-------------------
--------------action item 1---------------
----------------------------Project 3-----
----------------------------action item 1-
action item 4-----------------------------
--------------action item 2---------------
--------------action item 3---------------
----------------------------action item 2-
action item 5-----------------------------
action item 6-----------------------------
----------------------------action item 3-

So...I have a new to me Pocket PC and have been reading about software that could help me simply organize my "project ordered action item lists" and my "next action lists", in a way that allowes me to: 1) enter each action item only one time, 2) allows me to see a list of ordered action items for each project, 3) allows me to see a list of ordered next actions that may contain more than one next action for each project for me to work on now, 4) and allows me to sort and filter based on customers and projects...

Anyway...I have been doing more reading on how to do this than on GTD or on my projects...I am a mess.

But I think I am getting close.

Right now I am using paper where each sheet of a jr. pad is one action item. The name of the customer, project, and action item are on the sheet of paper. I then made mini folders that are labeled MONDAY, TUESDAY...ETC...NEXT WEEK...NEXT MONTH...FUTURE...because all I am trying to do is sort out what I need to do THIS WEEK BY DAY, and right now I do not mind having a dump of stuff in "NEXT MONTH" and "FUTURE" because in each weekly review I am really only looking for what I need to do this next week by day of the week.

So I loaded ListPro...and after much thought and experiment came up with the following type of list columns:

Context|Customer|Project|Order|Action Item|Priority|DayOfWeek|Date

Context is the @office and @home locations as drop down categories, Customer is drop down categories, Project is drop down categories, Order is the number that an action items for one project need to be done in order, action item is string, Priority is the numbered order that things for each dayofweek need to be done, DayOfWeek is as below, and Date is the date if it is known. I struggle with needing a DueDate and a DoDate...but since DayOfWeek is really the DoDate...right now Date is the DueDate...

My DayOfWeek dropdown list is:

01 Monday
02 Tuesday
03 Wednesday
04 Thursday
05 Friday
06 Saturday
07 Sunday
08 Next Week
09 Future
10 Someday

Hey, maybe I should start a website named 10folders.com. As my "stuff" grows, I can imagine my "DayOfWeek" might grow to "43Folders", or at least include specific months by name...but right now I can combine the "Future" of the DayOfWeek, with a "Date" to string things out to specific dates/and/or/months.

This format allows me to click on "Customer" to see all the stuff I have to do for each customer...or click on "Project" and see a list of my projects. AND, I can FILTER based on say...Context...DayOfWeek...and see all the stuff that in my weekly review I slated for @office and MONDAY.

This puts EVERY action item in ONE flat list in list pro, with the ability to sort and filter. It lets me look at projects and next actions. And it looks like I should be able to do my weekly review by sorting the list by customer and projects and then going down the list and deciding which day of the next week I am going to do specific actions, by simply droping the DayOfWeek drop down.

Do you have any advice for me? Any way I could make this more clear...more simple...more powerful? I realize that there are a dozen people out there who will say...hey yo dude if its working for you thats great...but it is not working for me...it is brand new...I am designing this tool...and you guys are the experts...not me...

Thanks for any input you could provide...

tim99.

 

[tim99]

So...what is wrong with your current paper system?

 

[tim99]

Great question. My current paper system has one action item to each sheet of paper that gets distributed accross my 10Folders system in a way that I lose any connection to an ordered list of Project action items. For me to have one paper list of mondays next actions and one paper list of a specific projects ordered next actions I would have to have each action item written down twice.

 

[tim99]

So...what is wrong with writing these down twice?

 

[tim99]

It is not the writing of them down twice...it is the feeling that I will be writing them down twice every week. Instead I want to input them into a system once in a way that each item can be viewed as part of a project ordered list and as part of a next action item list...and I want to input them into a system whereby after that one item is entered I can move and edit that one item around during my weekly review instead of creating new project and action item lists.

 

[andersons]

So...I have a new to me Pocket PC and have been reading about software that could help me simply organize my "project ordered action item lists" and my "next action lists", in a way that allowes me to: 1) enter each action item only one time, 2) allows me to see a list of ordered action items for each project, 3) allows me to see a list of ordered next actions that may contain more than one next action for each project for me to work on now, 4) and allows me to sort and filter based on customers and projects...

This format allows me to click on "Customer" to see all the stuff I have to do for each customer...or click on "Project" and see a list of my projects. AND, I can FILTER based on say...Context...DayOfWeek...and see all the stuff that in my weekly review I slated for @office and MONDAY.

Do you have any advice for me? Any way I could make this more clear...more simple...more powerful?

I'm assuming that you do want to use the Pocket PC.

Yes, you can get exactly what you want with a lot less maintenance using MyLifeOrganized. It's available for Pocket PC and PC platforms and also syncs with Outlook if you wish. It will do the 4 things you want right now, much more easily. I'll describe the PC version since I don't have a Pocket PC.

MLO is not designed to show you "Monday," "Tuesday," etc. lists per se. Neither is GTD. I'm not sure what function your day-of-week lists have, but I'm guessing it's to prioritize ahead of time to cut down the size of the Next Action lists. MLO will accomplish this in other ways; you won't have to assign an action to a day of the week unless it's really due that day ("hard landscape" or "soft landscape").

First off, enter all your contexts (called "Places" in MLO). Places can include other places.

Then enter your projects with their subordinate actions. Before you enter your projects, see if you can group them into broad categories first. This will make it easier to zoom into one category later for a useful view. For example, say you have several projects for each client, you may want to have a top-level view of each client.

Client A
--> Project 1A
--> Project 2A
Client B
--> Project 1B
--> Project 2B

Or
Client A
--> Order X
----> Project X1

Whatever makes sense.

You can then zoom in just on "Client A" if you wish. Or just on "Project 1A." Whatever level you like (Ctrl-R on the desktop, or use right-click menu).

MLO will show you a lot of properties that can be set for each item. Don't let them scare you. There are a lot of advanced features that aren't necessary, especially at first (such as time-available filters). Just ignore those for now. The most important are

1) "Places" -- choose the place(s) the action can be done. If a project, choose the place where most actions will be done, so that all the subordinate actions will inherit that place.
2) "Complete subtasks in order" -- always check this when appropriate!
3) "Set due date" -- only if the action or project really has a due date. You can also set a lead time so that the item will show up on the ToDo list appropriately before it's actually due, if necessary. Actions with due dates will move higher up the ToDo list as they move closer to being due, which makes sense.
4) "This is a project" -- will color-code projects in the outline view and also show them in a special projects view
5) "Importance for parent" -- if an action MUST be completed, set it to the max. Otherwise decrease the importance from the max accordingly. If Client A is more important than Client B, set Client A importance to the max and bump Client B down a bit. Actions related to Client A will then be at the top of the ToDo list, and actions related to Client B lower down. Be sure to consider how important the item is ONLY in relationship to its parent, NOT to everything else in your constantly-shifting life. The first is an easy decision, the second nigh unto impossible.
6) If you choose what to accomplish each week, then set "This task is a goal for Week." Things you want to accomplish this week will appear highest in the ToDo list. This, along with #5 above, should eliminate the need to assign days to every single action.

#1 is absolutely necessary to set, but often defaults to the correct place by inheritance. #2 and #3 are absolutely necessary but only if they apply. #4 is important for GTD project handling. Given the priority scheduling you have to do now, I think #5 is necessary for you, but may also take the most getting used to. #6 is important only for those who like to set weekly goals.

It takes a lot longer to explain how to do this than to do it. Once you get used to setting these, they can be set in a matter of seconds with keyboard shortcuts. The interface has been really well designed for rapid entry of items. If you use the keyboard interface, you will be able to enter new projects and actions into your outline faster than you can jot them down on a piece of paper -- with no more organizing and linking to have to do in the future.

Here's an example of fast entry. I get off the phone with Client A, thinking of 3 actions I need to add to my system. One should be added to an existing project; the other 2 compose a new project for that client. I hit "Window-Q" to activate MLO from the System Tray. I know I have stuff already related to Client A. I hit Ctrl-F to find "Client A." I hit Ctrl-R to zoom in on everything related to Client A, nothing else. I hit the arrow keys a couple times to navigate to an existing project, Alt-Insert to add a new subordinate action there. Using keyboard commands, I enter another, new project (Insert key) with its 2 subordinate actions (Alt-Insert). In a minute or two -- really about 90 seconds -- I'm done. No need organize the actions more later or link them with projects later. It's done. I just took about 90 seconds to create 4 new items, 3 actions and 1 project, that are already visually AND functionally linked to the projects and client I already had, plus they will show up in the right context-NA list as well.

Now here's where it all pays off. If you hit Alt-T or click the "ToDo" tab, you will see a prioritized list of next actions filtered by context (like the one in your example). (Hit Alt-A to select a different context, if necessary.)

If actions must be completed in order, only the first one will show up on the ToDo list. Once you complete the first one, check it off. As soon as you check it off, the next one will appear automatically. This is a very, very nice thing.

You can still easily switch to the project view (Alt-O) to see the list of all the actions for the project. But you won't need to switch views just to see the next next action, etc. They will appear automatically on the context-filtered ToDo list, but only when you can do them.

If you have 3 actions to do in any order for "Project 1A," so that any of them could be done next in "@Office," then all 3 will appear on you "@Office list." If 2 are less important than the 1st, they will appear lower on the list than the 1st.

If you have 3 actions to do for "Project 1A," in any order but in different contexts, they will all appear but only in their appropriate contexts.

If you complete all the actions for "Project 1A," then "Project 1A" itself will show up on your ToDo (color-coded blue). Then you either 1) check off the project if it is completed, or 2) switch to the view of the project (Alt-O) and add the next action (Alt-Insert) if the project is not yet completed.

 

[TesTeq]

10folders problem.

01 Monday
02 Tuesday
03 Wednesday
04 Thursday
05 Friday
06 Saturday
07 Sunday
08 Next Week
09 Next Month
10 Future

Hey, maybe I should start a website named 10folders.com. As my "stuff" grows, I can imagine my "DayOfWeek" might grow to "43Folders", or at least include specific months by name...but right now I can combine the "Future" of the DayOfWeek, with a "Date" to string things out to specific dates/and/or/months.

The problem with your 10folders system is that the month boundary often happens during a week - for example Oct. 31st is Monday while Nov. 1st is Tuesday. So there is an ambiguity where to put NextAction scheduled for Nov. 1st - in "02 Tuesday" folder or in "09 Next Month" folder.

 

[tim99]

The problem with your 10folders system is that the month boundary often happens during a week...

Ok, my new 10 Folders system:

01 Monday
02 Tuesday
03 Wednesday
04 Thursday
05 Friday
06 Saturday
07 Sunday
08 Next Week
09 Future
10 Someday

 

[tim99]

Yes, you can get exactly what you want with a lot less maintenance using MyLifeOrganized...

Wow an answer from andersons! I really have learned a lot from your posts. Thanks for your efforts here. Based on your posts I have tried both LB and MLO. I believe that MLO is in beta for the Pocket PC and does not sync with the desktop version...however:

My problems with MLO are that if I have a

Customer 100
-Project 12
--Action Item 1
--Action Item 2
--Action Item 3

1. The only thing that I see in the todo list view is "Action Item 1". I do not see the customer and the project, unless I make each action item long enough to include the customer and the project in the action name, and that makes quick inbox entry problematic.

2. I do not see the next next action in the todo list view until I do the next action, so I do not see an actual list of things I have to do today. There are embedded next next and next actions that do not surface until I start drilling on the next actions.

I have been reading on this post a lot, and I do believe based on my reading that that my problems with NA lists and Project lists are common, at least common with new users of GTD. I am not convinced that a slick software solution exists. Maybe there are systems that people have become used to...and have some conficence in...but if the goal is to keep stuff out of our brains, and some people are using software systems where they have to keep project information in their brains...

I can imagine a kind of "frameworks" list manager where you create frames of lists where each frame is a project...and then during the weekly review you drag and drop separate entries of each project frame into an over all ordered list...and you can collapse and expand the frames and lists to show all the next actions...

Project 1
action item 1
action item 2
action item 3
action item 4
action item 5
action item 6
Project 2
action item 1
action item 2
action item 3
Project 3
action item 1
action item 2
action item 3

Project 1---------------------------------
action item 1-----------------------------
action item 2-----------------------------
action item 3-----------------------------
--------------Project 2-------------------
--------------action item 1---------------
----------------------------Project 3-----
----------------------------action item 1-
action item 4-----------------------------
--------------action item 2---------------
--------------action item 3---------------
----------------------------action item 2-
action item 5-----------------------------
action item 6-----------------------------
----------------------------action item 3-

Project 1 - action item 1
Project 1 - action item 2
Project 1 - action item 3
Project 2 - action item 1
Project 3 - action item 1
Project 1 - action item 4
Project 2 - action item 2
Project 2 - action item 3
Project 3 - action item 2
Project 1 - action item 5
Project 1 - action item 6
Project 3 - action item 3

tim99.

 

[andersons]

Wow an answer from andersons! I really have learned a lot from your posts. Thanks for your efforts here. Based on your posts I have tried both LB and MLO. I believe that MLO is in beta for the Pocket PC and does not sync with the desktop version...

Thank you and you're welcome! I recommend MLO because it supports Pocket PC and does do exactly what you want. However, it is still somewhat immature in development. There are a few pesky bugs, and features are still being added. But the developer has been fast and responsive thus far.

I'm not sure about the syncing issue. You could ask at the MLO Group.

LB is more mature in its core functionality. And in my opinion, the core algorithms in LB are superior. But that could be because I haven't quite figured out how to work with the MLO algorithm; I'm not used to it. However, LB is not available for Pocket PC. And MLO has a better, faster interface designed for GTD.

And, BTW, I just noticed that the posts before mine were all yours. Were you having a conversation with yourself there?

My problems with MLO are that if I have a

Customer 100
-Project 12
--Action Item 1
--Action Item 2
--Action Item 3

1. The only thing that I see in the todo list view is "Action Item 1". I do not see the customer and the project, unless I make each action item long enough to include the customer and the project in the action name, and that makes quick inbox entry problematic.

Right. You generally want to name the Action Items so that they are self-explanatory in the ToDo list even without seeing the parent project structure. However, this is true for any implementation of GTD, because GTD separates actions from their projects -- in different lists. The actions therefore have to be self-explanatory on their lists, or else you need an easy way to refer back to the project, or both.

Basically, try to express each Action Item so that when you see it all by itself on the ToDo list, you will know what to do. I consider that this is actually advantageous because it also helps you to be clear and specific with each NA. It helps you to see them as discrete, which can help your productivity. It's a fundamental premise of GTD.

So take a few extra seconds to do this when you enter the action in MLO. You are still going to save a lot of time down the road. So for example, I have

Analyze SA subject data
--> Sync SA opto-midi data
--> Compute fingering data for SA

At first, I would just write

Analyze SA subject data
--> Sync opto-midi data

But since I had a lot of subjects, I would see "Sync opto-midi data" by itself in the ToDo list and wonder what the heck it was. I wouldn't know from looking at it which subject's data I was still analyzing and which was already done. Notice I do use a shorthand abbreviation for my subject (who happens to be me). I recognize the abbreviation when I see it; that's what counts.

The desktop version of MLO, though, does provide an easy way out here even if you don't flesh out your NA enough. It shows the entire path leading to the task in the upper-right part of the screen. This is very nice. For example, I have an action on my ToDo list:

"Email Dave about W4" [on the left side of the screen]

In the upper-right part of the screen, I see the whole project path leading to this action:

Maximize our moneyTake care of taxesW4s are revised
Email Dave about W4

Ideally, I would have written the NA "Email Dave about revising W4s" but MLO helps me out with that anyway. Now I'm clear about what I want to do, right on up to my highest goal this pesky chore supports.

It's also nice for me to frequently see the connections with my highest goals, because sometimes I care about the highest goal a lot ("Maximize our money") but the NAs to get there are unpleasant for me ("Call hospital about overcharges"). Reminding myself why I want to do an action is my best motivator to get it done.

2. I do not see the next next action in the todo list view until I do the next action, so I do not see an actual list of things I have to do today. There are embedded next next and next actions that do not surface until I start drilling on the next actions.

This is by design because of the way we typically want to handle GTD NAs.

I think what you have here is a special case set of NAs here, where the first of a series of NAs MUST be followed by others in the same sitting or period of time. So the first NA unleashes others. The NAs are not independent of each other; they interact. I have encountered 2 cases like this with my own NAs.

GTD was not designed for this special-case type of NA. It assumes that having the first NA on your list is sufficient. It assumes that each NA is discrete and does not interact with subsequent NAs. MLO is designed the same way, to show you just the next action you can do to move a project forward.

However, this case can still be handled. I see 3 ways to handle multi-step actions. The first 2 create independent NAs that work in the basic GTD way. The 3rd handles NAs that are consecutive but not independent. Consider them all, though, because you want to use one of the 2 simpler ways whenever you can.

1) If you know how to do multiple steps, capture the whole multi-step shebang as the NA. When I was a child, "tie shoes" was a project, and I needed reminders for each of what -- 7, 10 action steps? As skill increases, multiple steps can be collapsed into one thing you know how to do.

I recently spent 7 hours on one NA: "Research X health condition for so-and-so." Obviously there were many steps along the way, but I didn't need a list of reminders for every step, just a trigger to get started.

All you need on your ToDo list is a reminder of something you know how to do in one sitting. Or a reminder that will get you started on what you can then figure out how to do in one sitting as you go along. Even if that one sitting is 7 hours and you do 20 actions, if you can do the 20 actions with just one trigger NA reminder, just put the one reminder in your system.

2) If you do need to see reminders for all 3 actions, but don't need to see them all at once, the basic use of MLO described in my previous post will work fine. Do Action 1; check it off; Action 2 will appear immediately; do it; check it off; etc. I recommend that you try this, even if it seems foreign at first, because it is simple. You might find it works out just fine.

3) However, if a) you do need reminders for all 3 action steps, and if b) you must do them in one sitting, and if c) you feel you must see the bigger picture of all of them before you get started, you can do that.

In other words, you need a comprehensive overview of all actions related to a single project before you can start on the first one. This is a perfect application of the outline view of the project in MLO. Set up the actions in the outline like this:

Customer 100
-> Project 12
--> Action Item [1 of 3]
--> Action Item [2 of 3]
--> Action Item [3 of 3]

Now, in ToDo list view you will see

O Action Item [1 of 3]................................. Customer 100Project 12Action Item [1 of 3]
O other NAs

You decide that you want to do Action Item [1 of 3] which is clearly, as shown in the path, supporting Project 12 for Customer 100. But you want to see all 3 Action Items for Project 12. So switch to Outline View (Alt-O) -- that's what it's for, to see that kind of picture. Then zoom into that project in your outline using Ctrl-R. Literally, with those 2 keystrokes you see the list of all 3 actions that you want to see:

--> Action Item [1 of 3]
--> Action Item [2 of 3]
--> Action Item [3 of 3]

Work from this zoomed Outline view until all 3 Action Items are completed. As you check actions off, they will turn light gray and get crossed out. You can see exactly where you are in the sequence. Or you can hide the completed ones, whichever you prefer.

Now switch back to ToDo view (Alt-T) and review your NA reminders again to see what you want to do next.

I often want to work on a bunch of things related to one project, so I work from the outline view during those times in just this way.

In this way, you get everything you want: the ability to concentrate on all the actions for a project by looking at the project view in the outline, plus the ability to see a context-list view of actions that support many different projects, which helps you decide what project to focus on in the first place.

Because the actions are the same data whether in outline or ToDo list views, though, you save yourself some work organizing and reviewing them. Freely switch between outline and ToDo list views as much as you need to. That's exactly what the tool supports.

 

[andersons]

I can imagine a kind of "frameworks" list manager where you create frames of lists where each frame is a project...and then during the weekly review you drag and drop separate entries of each project frame into an over all ordered list...and you can collapse and expand the frames and lists to show all the next actions...

Project 1---------------------------------
action item 1-----------------------------
action item 2-----------------------------
action item 3-----------------------------
--------------Project 2-------------------
--------------action item 1---------------
----------------------------Project 3-----
----------------------------action item 1-
action item 4-----------------------------
--------------action item 2---------------
--------------action item 3---------------
----------------------------action item 2-
action item 5-----------------------------
action item 6-----------------------------
----------------------------action item 3-

It seems what you are describing here, and doing with your 10folders system, is elaborate ahead-of-time scheduling of all your fine-grained Action Items, right?

Now why do you want to do this? Why must P1.4 be done after P2.1 and P3.1? Then why must P2.2 and P2.3 be done after that? Etc. Why must they all be done in this order and why do you have to schedule it all out ahead of time? Why why why?

(Sorry, I have had a LOT of coffee today. But I do want to know.)

 

[tim99]

Why why why?

Before I answer the why...first let me say that the end result of my system is the same as yours and others who use LB and MLO. The end result is an ordered list of next actions.

Next I would like to say that there seems to me to be a real difference between how the software people put data into LB and MLO and how the paper people put data into inboxes. It seems that the software people have these carefully entered outline diagrams of project lists (todo lists...is this GTD?). It seems that paper people have a free-for-all stack of paper where each sheet of paper or each index card is one action item (which in my opinion is closer to GTD).

The software people have the advantage of seeing their projects as sequenced lists, and the paper people have the advantage of being in total control of the order of the stack of paper.

The software people have the disadvantage of having to depend on the software to calculate their priorities...or to hack the input so that the end result list is in the order that they what. The paper people have the disadvantage of never seeing a sequenced list of one projects next actions, unless they write down the data twice.

I want both. I want to see my project lists in order. And I want to control the sequence of the resultant NA list.

tim99.

 

[tim99]

Now why do you want to do this?

I could sit at my desk and work on project one all week because it has to be done Friday, and never get anything done on project two. Then when I start working on project two next week, I realize that I should have called the guys at ABCParts and got them working on a price quote for Widgets last week because I need that price to do my second action item on that project.

So I have a bunch of action items to do at the same context where some action items need to be done now because I will be waiting on other people to provide information. But those action items that I KNOW need to be done now may be for a project that APPEARS to have less priority.

Ok. Ok. Ok. So maybe I can go into the inner workings of LB and MLO and create project sequences and critical paths and float and dependencies...but...wait...GTD is lists and files.

If I know when I do my paper GTD weekly review that a particular action item needs to be done sooner unstead of later I just put that sheet of paper up in the pile. Should not the simplest software solution for GTD have absolutely no Microsoft Project power at all, and instead give me the same ability to order my NA list just as I do during a paper GTD weekly review?

[small font on]Please realize that I am new to GTD and have not used either the paper or the software solutions for more than 8 weeks and I reserve the right to say anthing now that may later be determined to be completly stupid.[small font off]

tim99.

 

[tim99]

Should not the simplest software solution for GTD have absolutely no Microsoft Project power at all...

Or...I believe that a software solution that is designed for people who use GTD, even if it has Microsoft Project abilities deep in the inner workings, should allow drag and drop of the resultant todo list whereby the draging and droping of the action items on the resultant todo list modify those inner Microsoft Project type settings.

I can invision an AGENDA view that is in addition to the todo list view that looks like this:

-----------------------------------
Monday, Septemper 23, 2008
-----------------------------------
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
-----------------------------------
Tuesday, Septemper 24, 2008
-----------------------------------
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
action item
-----------------------------------
Wednesday, Septemper 26, 2008
-----------------------------------
action item
action item
action item
action item
-----------------------------------

This agenda is a combination of the GTD paper stack of NAs and a calendar. I know that LB and MLO show dates out to the right if they have been defined, and I know that items start showing up in LB and MLO a few days before they are due, but why should I have to hack those inputs...when right now with my paper system I already plan my DoDates separate from my DueDates?

tim99.

 

[tim99]

And if the whole point of the weekly review is to plan the action items for this very next week, why is there not a GTD software solution that is exatly that...and agenda view of the very next seven days of action items separated out for each day...without having to explicitly enter a computer date for each item. I want to see the NA list in order...be able to drag and drop the lines for the day separations...be able to drag and drop the next actions from one day to another...be able to drag and drop the final cut line...and be able to turn on and off the NAs that extend out past the week cut line. When one action item is highlighted, I want to press different function keys to see that day only, that project only, a project list only, the todo list in order with all other action items related to the same project highlighted, a list of all action items for only that one project to do now in this context...

I just do not get it.

The software solutions seem to be more interested in doing my THINKING for me than allowing me to see different VIEWS of my data that I already know how to put in order or already am putting in some type of order with a paper system. Two views and lots of priority calculations? Give me more views and less calculating.

tim99.

 

[andersons]

Ahead-of-time scheduling of next actions

Whew! OK, I see that I have not had enough coffee today to keep up with you! ;-)

First issue, the ahead-of-time action scheduling. . .

Before I answer the why...first let me say that the end result of my system is the same as yours and others who use LB and MLO. The end result is an ordered list of next actions.

Yes, of course -- but how we achieve this sequence of actual actions we do is very different. Your method requires much more work! I'm suggesting that you can achieve a sequence of actual actions to do during the day and week that gets just as good results as the sequence you're elaborately planning now -- but with much less work.

I can't see why you need to sequence actions so perfectly unless you have multiple deadlines for multiple projects occurring very close together in time, like every couple hours or so. Otherwise, you really don't need to control the sequence of Next Action reminders so tightly, and I don't see a great benefit that rewards all your hard work ordering them so perfectly. (?)

In fact, there are some big disadvantages to the total ordering control you want:
1) It takes a lot of time and mental energy.
2) All that work could become obsolete with one unexpected change in plans.

Take, for example, a sequence you listed in a previous post:
Project 1 - action item 1
Project 1 - action item 2
Project 1 - action item 3
Project 2 - action item 1
Project 3 - action item 1
Project 1 - action item 4
Project 2 - action item 2
Project 2 - action item 3
Project 3 - action item 2
Project 1 - action item 5
Project 1 - action item 6
Project 3 - action item 3

If you planned to do those 12 actions on Monday, and actually did them, it probably doesn't matter if you do them in that exact order. Taking the time to plan the order in advance shouldn't be necessary unless many of them have deadline times during the day.

LB might show me
Project 1 - action item 1
Project 1 - action item 2
Project 1 - action item 3
something else altogether -- doesn't seem that important but upon reviewing the parent project/deadline -- by golly, it DOES belong up here on the list!
Project 2 - action item 1
Project 2 - action item 2
Project 2 - action item 3
something else altogether -- not sure why this is here but I'll ignore it
Project 1 - action item 4
Project 1 - action item 5
Project 1 - action item 6
Project 3 - action item 1
Project 3 - action item 2
Project 3 - action item 3
...
...
...all the way down to action #100

(This order reflects the idea that some projects are more important than others, and that it's often a good idea to focus on a project for awhile before switching to another. The urgency parameter CAN override that grouping, though, if you need it to.)

And I might not actually do them in this order. I might suddenly remember that P2.1 is more urgent or difficult so I'll do it first. (Usually this is because my world changed a bit and I didn't tell the software.) The software knows a few things about my world and orders my list usefully based on that information; my mind supplies the rest in real time, with all my most current information.

So I'm suggesting using a ToDo list that shows you a useful approximation of your true priorities. Not perfect -- but useful.

The advantages of the Life Balance usefully-ordered list are that
1) it's much less time and effort to maintain than ordering all the actions manually;
2) changes in plans are incorporated much more easily;
3) did I mention much less work?

If the software (LB/MLO) isn't yet giving you a useful order of actions, I think I can help you with that.

But you have to trade a "perfectly" ordered list for a "useful" one.

(Now, I'm going to go set up and program the coffee maker to make a BIG pot for tomorrow morning!)

 

[tim99]

Your method requires much more work! I'm suggesting that you can achieve a sequence of actual actions to do during the day and week that gets just as good results as the sequence you're elaborately planning now -- but with much less work.

Ok. I am sold. You are amazing. I need to loosen up my NA list to be continuous, schedule only my appointments with other people and my due dates, and I need to add context to my action items.

I think I am heading toward getting this.

Thank you for letting me vent my authentic feelings so I could see them in print and get great responses from you.

tim99.