Sports: projects or areas of focus?

[Fritz58]

Could you please help me formulate the name of the projects. I'm in for sports playing tennis (two times a week) and lifting weights (three times a week). I want to put that on my project list. There's no any particular finish line for these projects. I play tennis to support my cardio system and doing lifts to support and develop my muscles. I hope they are never ending projects

Could they be areas of focus under my Health area of focus? What it the best way to formulate them?

 

[kelstarrising]

Areas of Focus. Key would be that they don't end. Projects have an end in mind within 12-18 months. Areas of Focus don't end until you no longer want to manage or maintain that area.

One of my Areas of Focus is Vibrant Health & Fitness. Various projects at times to support that have been around sporting events I've completed.

Hope that helps!

 

[Fritz58]

So tennis would be an area of focus as well? I can't imagine any particular project. I just come and play tennis, don't need to win any competition or whatever. Just play for my health, two times a week.

 

[TesTeq]

Tennis projects.

So tennis would be an area of focus as well? I can't imagine any particular project.

Win the US Open (or Wimbledon) tournament?
Win the Olympic Games tournament?
Learn 50% reliable backhand volley?
Encourage a friend to regularly play tennis with you?

 

[Fritz58]

TesTeq, don't want or need to win any tournament, just play because I feel great when doing so. Don't need to learn any back or forehands, just love to play, love the feeling. I don't need to accomplish anything here, just be there in time for the next play!

 

[vbampton]

So tennis would be an area of focus as well? I can't imagine any particular project. I just come and play tennis, don't need to win any competition or whatever. Just play for my health, two times a week.

If there's not an end point in mind, then yes, it's an Area of Focus. You don't have a next action, other than the appointments on your calendar. On the other hand, you do want it on your Areas of Focus so you can consider it every so often - are you going often enough, do you want to put any new projects in place, is there anything else you need to do to aid your tennis (i.e. project - need new tennis shoes)?

 

[TesTeq]

Mastery.

TesTeq, don't want or need to win any tournament, just play because I feel great when doing so. Don't need to learn any back or forehands, just love to play, love the feeling. I don't need to accomplish anything here, just be there in time for the next play!

So it is a standalone recurring event in the "fitness" Area of Focus.

When I was able to play tennis I always wanted to do it better and better each time. Not for the sake of winning with somebody but I like to improve my skills.

 

[Fritz58]

Testeq, me too. But my coach knows better then me what to improve and how to do it Victoria, thanks for advice!

 

[Oogiem]

Could they be areas of focus under my Health area of focus? What it the best way to formulate them?

I don't like deeply nested AOF systems and I also don't think it works quite right to have so many AOF that it's hard to manage. If I counted each and every thing that I want to maintain as an AOF I'd have hundreds of them. As it is I have a 2 level system with 7 top level AOF buckets:

Family & Friends
Manage our Farm Sustainably
Personal Development
Computer and Technology
Oil & Gas Issues
Keep a Comfortable House
Work in my Community​

Within each of those larger areas are separate more traditional AOFs. For example:
Under personal development I have these sections:

Maintain an Healthy Lifestyle
Ongoing Learning
Writing
Reading
Knitting
Weaving
Sewing
Quilting
Scrapbooks
Photography
Misc. Art Media
Genealogy​

My projects are within those folders. I personally have a lot of never-ending projects like that and it doesn't' bother me.

I am trying to do a yoga class once a week, weight lifting once a week, bodyweight exercises 2 times a week and an occasional pilates class. So I have projects within my Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle AOF for those items.

One is Attend Yoga and Pilates Classes. The actions within that are repeating ones that are set to start the days that there are classes I can go to.

Another project is Regular Weight Lifting and I set an action that repeats weekly to do a 20 minute workout with weights. I don't have a set day or time so I set it to start at the beginning of the week and be due at the end of the week. That way I see it if I haven't gotten it done this week. I do the same for the bodyweight project.

True, they will never really end but I can't handle having more AOFs to cover every single recurring or never ending project.

 

[Fritz58]

Oogie, thanks! Your post hit the wall!

 

[TesTeq]

My wrists said "NO" to tennis.

Testeq, me too. But my coach knows better then me what to improve and how to do it

I'm jealous. My wrists said "NO" to tennis. No negotiations allowed. :-(

 

[Fritz58]

TesTeq, time cures, try again in a few years!

 

[TesTeq]

My orthopedist suggests not to try.

TesTeq, time cures, try again in a few years!

My orthopedist suggests not to try. I say: "I feel pain when I play tennis." He says: "Don't play." :-(

 

[cwoodgold]

My orthopedist suggests not to try. I say: "I feel pain when I play tennis." He says: "Don't play." :-(

It's up to you to decide whether to take that advice; or to consult other experts who might give different opinions; or to form your own decision. It depends partly on how important it is to you to play tennis. The orthopedist may be an expert on wrists but not an expert on how important (or unimportant) tennis is in your life. I imagine there might be wrist braces and things; a sports injury expert might know about that. You could use the other hand (or switch hands from time to time). Maybe you could play ping pong or soccer instead.

 

[Roger]

...just love to play, love the feeling. I don't need to accomplish anything here...

I personally would tend not to find any value in putting things like this into any part of GTD. But there's probably no compelling reason not to shove it into AoF either.

Cheers,
Roger

 

[Pontussorlin]

Aof is certainly a relevant trigger for sports and exercise.

However, I just realized something about working out. I have a difficult time during certain periods to find the time and actually do any exercise, besides from working to and from work. I have Exercise, or rather get and stay fit as an area of focus. I'm very difficult to get to the actual exercise though.

I just figured out that if I set every workout as a project, then, for example every set is a task for that project. Every workout schedule I have come across is then a project with tasks to cross over.

So I could really see that a workout would be a project. Don't know if it will work, but I have never tried that approach before, so it might work.

 

[cwoodgold]

So I could really see that a workout would be a project. Don't know if it will work, but I have never tried that approach before, so it might work.

I might try that, too. I've divided up my strengthening workout into sections in my mind, and can do the parts at different times; if I write down each part as a separate action, maybe it will seem more doable and get done more often. Thanks for the idea.

 

[goncalomata]

What do you want it for?

Could you please help me formulate the name of the projects. I'm in for sports playing tennis (two times a week) and lifting weights (three times a week). I want to put that on my project list. There's no any particular finish line for these projects. I play tennis to support my cardio system and doing lifts to support and develop my muscles. I hope they are never ending projects

Could they be areas of focus under my Health area of focus? What it the best way to formulate them?

Hello Fritzz. It looks to me you should ask: what do you want the system to do for you in terms of Sports and specially Tennis?

Really, what? Is it to remind you that it is something you like? Would a poster in the wall work as well? Or do you have something like "buying a racket" that you want to accompllish under that so you can play? Or is it a life metric you want to keep that helps you monitoring if you are playing enough times?

All these would have different implementations.

Crowding the system may reduce its clarity and ultimate purpose of guidance.

Goncalo

 

[Pontussorlin]

I might try that, too. I've divided up my strengthening workout into sections in my mind, and can do the parts at different times; if I write down each part as a separate action, maybe it will seem more doable and get done more often. Thanks for the idea.

Sure. And as for the name of the projects, I think that was your original question, the successful outcome would probably be Completed tennis session, or Completed run of 5k, so I would make that the names of the projects.

 

[Tom.9]

As it is I have a 2 level system with 7 top level AOF buckets:

Family & Friends
Manage our Farm Sustainably
Personal Development
Computer and Technology
Oil & Gas Issues
Keep a Comfortable House
Work in my Community​

Within each of those larger areas are separate more traditional AOFs. For example:
Under personal development I have these sections:

Maintain an Healthy Lifestyle
Ongoing Learning
Writing
Reading
Knitting
Weaving
Sewing
Quilting
Scrapbooks
Photography
Misc. Art Media
Genealogy​

My projects are within those folders.

Is there an Outlook solution for this ?

btw thanks Oogiem for the input