Where/how do you find is the best way to store your next action and waiting for support materials? Another inbox? A file folder? Sometimes more than just paper, maybe a book or compact flash cards from camera with images to process, or technology item that needs to be installed...all these would be on your waiting for or next action list, but where do you put the physical stuff so that when you are ready to work you can find your support materials?
Next Action & Waiting For Support
- Thread starter Ackoska
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severance1970
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If the action or project started from email, I move that email (or email thread) into a new folder. I have no resistance to creating a new folder for a single email, then archiving the folder after the action or project is finished. I also usually Ctrl-drag (i.e., copy) the email into the Outlook Tasks or Calendar tab and create a new Project, Next Action, or calendar entry. In Outlook, a Task or Event created from an email contains the email's body, so it's often sufficient action support in itself.
Paper gets handled the conventional GTD way: labelled folders in a general reference filing system. The point is to extract the projects, actions, and events into a list manager and calendar, as opposed to using the support material itself as reminders.
As for books and non-paper objects, they just need to be in the context that corresponds to the appropriate action list. A book can stay on the bookshelf for an @Home action.
TesTeq
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There's one exception: physical reminders in the Tickler File. For example you just put a ticket to a theater in an appropriate folder of the Tickler File.
mcogilvie
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Physical stuff goes where it goes. Most people are not going to mix books with SD cards form cameras. If you think you will not remember a location, embed that info,action in the next action: "Remove SD card from camera and upload to Dropbox." The same approach can be used with paper and digital data, but is usually less necessary because you can build the filing system you prefer, and even test several before settling into something that works for you. My digital filing system, for example, is based on a set of top-level folders based on my areas of focus. My paper system,which is much smaller, is alphabetical. Find out what works for you.
Oogiem
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I have lots of things that don't fit into normal office files or folders that are project support material. I have locations in each major context area for that stuff.
So for example, when we used them the marking harness for the ram and the crayon for it were put in the box in the ewe barn. The next action was put rams in for breeding with a marker. The skeins of yarn for the rug I want to weave is in a tote in the shop where the loom is. The next action is design the warp for the pattern rug from handspun. The ear tags, EID reader, label printer, wifi hot spot hardware, needles, syringes, blood collection tubes and LambTracker tablet are in a box by the door on the way out to the corrals. The next action is replace missing tags and take blood samples for DNA testing from yearlings. (I can't leave the hardware out in the cold so that's why it's in the house by the door.)
Some things I have to leave in a specific place in which case my next action references it. For example, the next action "Give Thane his series of custom vaccine shots" has a note attached "vaccine in main refrigerator, use insulin syringe in sheep medicine cabinet".
Books are in a designated section and I have limited space. I don't buy more physical books than will fit in that space to read. I also try not to buy too much from my kindle wish list until I've finished a bunch I already have on my device. The new hard drives for the server upgrade are living in a box beside my inbox right now because it's a waiting for some time to do an orderly shutdown, pull old drives and replace them and restart the automatic backups. That's not ideal but does work. I have a large L shaped desk so I can designate a section of it for that sort of project material. A solution I used in the past was designate a shelf for that sort of office project support material and put them all there. Either works it's what fits in your environment.
severance1970
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My office environment makes a tickler file impractical. I have a cubicle with no file drawers. I have to keep a file tote under my desk for the A-Z system. Fortunately, 98% of the stuff I have to deal with is digital, so the file tote is sufficient. In the case of ticket, I need to file it alphabetically and use the my calendar for the reminder. I loved having a tickler file at a previous job, but the current setup works fine.
@Newbie
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I have some items, for instance some of my old glasses i am wishing to donate, that basically are the action. I have found out where to take them and when to do it, the when just hasn't arrived yet. I have more projects like these (which in part are a result of not being completely done with the setup yet, i know) like a bunch of receipts that need to be digitized and sorted, which is a next action on my @home list. I am thinking about utilizing a separate set of drawers for this kind of temporary project related material that can't be stored in my filing cabinet because it's either not done or simply doesn't fit.
For me it wouldn't feel right to have the receipts stored in the filing cabinet at the moment, because that would suggest that they are 'done' and only reference material at the moment, which they are not.
Thoughts?
For me it wouldn't feel right to have the receipts stored in the filing cabinet at the moment, because that would suggest that they are 'done' and only reference material at the moment, which they are not.
Thoughts?
severance1970
Registered
For unprocessed receipts, a tickler file is a great tool. Get a $10 file tote (like this) to use as a temporary tickler file if you don't want to use your filing cabinet. You can stick the receipts in the file to dump in your in-basket a few days from now, or decide to re-tickle the paperwork until you're truly ready to process it.