@Projects List or Another System

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

I know that GTD is usually implimented with some sort of list of Projects (like @Projects) and I've done that for years. However, the problem with that approach has also been discussed here--it is difficult to track your next actions by project if there is no way to somehow group them together.

One approach--consider Projects a Contact in Outlook and use the contact organizational system of Outlook to organize projects. Another approach--use an outline-style system to track Tasks (Shadowplan, etc..

What I've taken to doing recently is to make ad hoc categories in Outlook for each project, and then list the Next Actions under them, being sure during my weekly review that at least one of those Next Actions is on one of my @Context lists.

The result is that my Tasks View in Outlook has all my Context Lists at the top (@Calls, @Desk, etc.) and then a whole series of longer descriptions at the bottom, each one a category describing a Project holding a list of items that are not yet really Next Actions and therefore do not yet go on a Context List.

This seems to work pretty well. Is anyone else doing this or has anyone found a better way?

Scot

 

[helenjc]

Scot
Like you I've chopped and changed a bit but have never really been satisfied with the 'contact file for each project' system. Seeing as outlook and now keysuite for palm allows multiple categories for each task I'm now trialling the system you have described and I feel a sense of faith therein.... I needed to see a 'list' of future actions and by just adding the 'context' when it becomes a NEXT action I feel like I'm covered. Shrinking the categories down also helps - then in effect you just have the project list and not the overwhelming grand plan. Shall report back in a week or two and see if it's still working for me..... sure hope it is. I found I was 'ignoring' my projects far more when they were stuck in a separate contacts folder. This way I feel sure that I won't ignore them and I can easily add further 'next actions' as I think of them.
Good luck....
Helen

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Helen,

I also use Key Suite to sync to my Palm device and it is a very nice piece of software for the reason you describe--unlimited Outlook Categories. Plus it is intuitive and fast.

I'll look forward to your reaction to the Project List issue.

Best,
Scot