GettingNothingDone said:
^^^ oh, and I also like the suggestion from bcmyers that I should just worry about one "label" - the tool needed to do it. Even so, it is still a bit of thinking i have to engage in for each idea that comes into my mind that I jot into my Inbox (i.e., the context label; what, if any, project it should go into; or is it more of a someday/maybe thing? or reference? and how much of my already-sapped time and energy I would need to accomplish it). Is this the kind of stuff most of you do every day or during your weekly review....?
With GTD, there's always a bit of thinking required to clarify your inputs: What is this? If it means something to me, what do I do with it? But you're going to have to do the thinking eventually anyway, and it's better to do it at the front end than wait until something becomes urgent or even a crisis.
If something is actionable, the only "requirement" in GTD is that you add the next action(s) to the appropriate context list(s), and add the project to your projects list if the outcome will require multiple steps. The other stuff you're talking about -- linking the action to the project, adding the time needed to complete the action and the energy it will require -- are nice-to-haves but not certainly not necessary for an effective GTD practice. If you're finding any of those things to be sticking points, try doing without them. My suggestion: just enter the action and link it to a project. When you review your lists, your intuition will tell you whether you have the time and energy needed to accomplish those tasks at that time.
The key is to avoid making your system so burdensome that you resist using it. Then your brain will take back the job of managing your lists, which is the thing GTD aims to avoid in the first place.
There is no exact formula for what is "too burdensome." It differs for every person. Only you will know what's right for you. Trial and error is your friend.
As for when to empty your inboxes and process your stuff, you should do it as often as needed. I do it at least once daily. Don't wait for the weekly review. The point of the weekly review is to catch things that inevitably fall through the cracks due to the pace that real life comes at us on a daily basis.
