Tracking a Project's next action(s)

[Brenaud10]

I have been wrestling with this for sometime and I cannot locate information giving me a clear direction on how to handle tracking next actions of a project if I follow the GTD methodology. For example, if my project is to buy a new bicycle and one of my first actions is: "research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc." and this action is listed in the respective contexts of my next actions list how to I correlate it back to the project. Mind you, there are other next actions for other things in my contexts lists as well.

Appreciate any guidance, and I understand there may be a simple solution, I am fixated at the moment on how to keep this organized and clear. I know there are app solutions that can easily do this, e.g. Omnifocus, things, Todoist; however, my process is paper and pen at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mcogilvie]

The problem of connecting and correlating next actions, projects and project support is a perennial topic in these forums. David Allen’s answer is that a weekly review will help keep the connections fresh. Also, good phrasing of the next action (“R&D Bikes”) will tell you the associated project (“New Bike Purchased”).

Personally, I struggle with this issue. Although there are apps that promise to connect everything, the overhead is high. To be fair to David Allen, none of this is a flaw in GTD, but an issue everyone has: you have projects, and next actions on projects, and you need to track both, and their relation.

 

[Ben Biedenkopf]

I use Omnifocus. This works best for me. I own a little Headstone shop with 3 Employees. I manage over 100 assignment
simultaneously. Every Assignment is a project with a next action. for example "order Granite slate for tombstone abcd #orders "
When I do my weekly review I flip thru my assignments and see if every project has its next action and the status. This is fabulous

 

[RomanS]

In Microsoft To Do you can hashtag both: use #bike in the project and next action description.

[Edit: Please excuse me, I realized too late that this is about a paper-based system.]

 

[bishblaize]

The short answer is that this is a downside inherent with using a paper system. When I first started looking into digital systems in the mid-2000s, this was the number 1 reason I used to read about why people were switching.

I guess you could do something like use a simple referencing system - at the end of each project put "today's-date-A" or "today's-date-B", then put the same reference number next to each Next Action that you create. That feels like a lot of effort but its an option.

 

[cfoley]

One thing I have experimented with is to include the motivation in the action. For example:

"Research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc. so I can buy a new bike."

I find that the "so I can" part helps me to correlate it with the project but also helps motivate me. You can reference things on your higher horizons too, if that helps.

"Research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc. so I can get fit riding to work."

The downside, of course, is verbosity.

 

[derekereinhard]

I have been using GTD with the Bullet Journal (yes, a paper journal) for years. I have individual context pages and, with each next action on any context page, I add the page number where the project details are (which also includes all info generated by the Natural Planning Method).

 

[schmeggahead]

however, my process is paper and pen at the moment.

My system is a hybrid of paper and electronic.

I have a paper based project list consisting of a list page and individual (what I call) control sheets. On the control sheet, I put a hashtag in the upper right hand corner of the control sheet under the date stamp.

I use this hashtag in my next action system which is electronic. However, if I had a next action list managed on paper, I could just as easily add the hashtag to the end of the description or as a second line in the written list.

how to I correlate it back to the project

My first question is what is the desired outcome of being able to track this particular next action back to a project?

Here's my desired outcome connecting: I would like a shortcut during the weekly review to know if a project has no available next actions that have not been completed. Since my next action system supports hashtags, I can view the available next actions for that hashtag. If I had a paper system, I would have the same desired outcome. To realize that out come, I would scan my next actions for incomplete items with a project hashtag. It would be effective for my desired outcome.

What is your desired outcome (description of benefit to be obtained by explicitly specifying this relationship)?

Observation
When my system is lacking in some way, I apply the clarifying questions to the gap: What is it? What's the desired outcome. It's rather meta meta using GTD concepts to perfect a GTD system. I find it effective. I even have a someday/maybe list of items to address about my GTD system (less that a written page; you see, my someday/maybe is completely paper based. My high level horizons are also. I find it conducive to review.)

Here's to the joy of paper.
Clayton.

If only there was a infinitely expandable, always on system that requires no batteries, was infinitely configurable and inexpensive. There is: it's paper and pen. - paraphrase of David Allen.

 

[TesTeq]

The short answer is that this is a downside inherent with using a paper system.

@bishblaize My short answer is: NO! It's just a problem of poorly deigned paper systems. To support the orthogonality between Next Action-Project link and Next Action-Context link you must have system with removable pages. Each page is to a Project and you write down here this Project's Next Actions. Then you group the pages by the Contexts of Next Actions. There is a catch: this sytem works if each Project has one Next Action only. @mcogilvie

 

[mcogilvie]

@bishblaize My short answer is: NO! It's just a problem of poorly deigned paper systems. To support the orthogonality between Next Action-Project link and Next Action-Context link you must have system with removable pages. Each page is to a Project and you write down here this Project's Next Actions. Then you group the pages by the Contexts of Next Actions. There is a catch: this sytem works if each Project has one Next Action only. @mcogilvie

Then there is the old pig-pog method, which can also be used with paper. Something like this:

Conquer Albania > Recruit mercenaries
or
Recruit mercenaries (Conquer Albania)

with future actions in the note field if digital. You can have more than one thread of next actions going for a project, even something like
Recruit mercenaries > order recruiting posters (Conquer Albania).
The question is always what is fast and useful enough to do consistently enough.

 

[Peter Van Harmelen]

The problem of connecting and correlating next actions, projects and project support is a perennial topic in these forums. David Allen’s answer is that a weekly review will help keep the connections fresh. Also, good phrasing of the next action (“R&D Bikes”) will tell you the associated project (“New Bike Purchased”).

Personally, I struggle with this issue. Although there are apps that promise to connect everything, the overhead is high. To be fair to David Allen, none of this is a flaw in GTD, but an issue everyone has: you have projects, and next actions on projects, and you need to track both, and their relation.

Just curious, @mcogilvie, in your Things3 setup, do you connect actions to projects or do you follow the GTD suggested setup in the guide? I have played around with Things 3 and the GTD recommended setup does provide a very simple, clean system.

 

[mcogilvie]

Just curious, @mcogilvie, in your Things3 setup, do you connect actions to projects or do you follow the GTD suggested setup in the guide? I have played around with Things 3 and the GTD recommended setup does provide a very simple, clean system.

I’ve done it both ways, and they both work. Each way introduces a bit of friction, because you either connect next actions to projects as part of organizing (when created) or as part of reviewing (why am I doing this?). Right now I am testing a hybrid system which might be good for someone like me with a single primary context (anywhere) and only a few others. I may uncover a fatal flaw soon but it seems to be doing ok.

 

[OliverG]

I read many tech and tool, solutions here.
As far as I know ther are two callic approches here.

a) The "linking back" is done in the weekly review.
As you review both projects and next steps you will either find something you have already done and define the next step OR you will see thge project and realize you have not seen any related steps in your lists and define one.

b) I call thus the "keyword trick" - works with digital system only but in ALL types and with ALL tools

So you put
"research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc."
in your list, say 'online'
but either in the form:
"research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc. / bike"

or
"research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc. ..bike"

Also you put bike or ..bike in the project.

Now if you search "..bike" or "bike" you will see all related tasks. OK, you do need to memorize or check what keyword you wanna use.

..bike because this sequence will never occur by chance, you can also use ## ir $$ or whatever never natzurally occurs in your world.
of course you could also use pbike, bikep or similar. (Atrificial world that does not exist.)

 

[gtdstudente]

I have been wrestling with this for sometime and I cannot locate information giving me a clear direction on how to handle tracking next actions of a project if I follow the GTD methodology. For example, if my project is to buy a new bicycle and one of my first actions is: "research the available features, e.g. suspension, saddle type, etc." and this action is listed in the respective contexts of my next actions list how to I correlate it back to the project. Mind you, there are other next actions for other things in my contexts lists as well.

Appreciate any guidance, and I understand there may be a simple solution, I am fixated at the moment on how to keep this organized and clear. I know there are app solutions that can easily do this, e.g. Omnifocus, things, Todoist; however, my process is paper and pen at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

In using my personally suitable four Area's of Focus [only expressing UTILITY in this Post reply], Bicycle intuitively falls under UTILITY where such general Props ['Tools,' 'Decorations, etc.' . . . Bicycle: Lock, Helmet] and Provisions ['Supplies,' Bicycle Chain Cleaner/Solvent] 'naturally' flow from and to UTILITY in itself and its four Horizon's / Project parameters: A = Accuracy/Awareness (Includes Research), R = Persons, P = Props, V = Provisions. Ps. @context [Authentically Non-Deliberative] Next Actions have Six Operatives Columns on Paper in Landscape: E M P T Y, F I L L, Find-I T, Find-O U T/H O W [under Context @xO* [Online] Bicycle], F I X, F U S S ['Fuss' usually refers to finishing something and/or developing a new-habit, a new-skill (Riding a Bicycle, Bicycle-Safety [with what I sadly see on the xA [All, NE, NW, SE, SW] road in the Northeast, I do a lot of cringing, when seeing many bicyclist hazardous riding habits and crying and praying when passing any 'Ghost Bikes'] ), etc.]. If this reply seems too simplistic or complex for every reality in 'Compassing/Navigating Life' then please, by all means, feel free to reject or reply for further clarification(s). Ps. Understand many might find this subjective GTD system as futile . . . no problem . . . all good . . . make GTD your own . . . thank you. *x = Outside of home

 

[Sarahsuccess]

@bishblaize My short answer is: NO! It's just a problem of poorly deigned paper systems. To support the orthogonality between Next Action-Project link and Next Action-Context link you must have system with removable pages. Each page is to a Project and you write down here this Project's Next Actions. Then you group the pages by the Contexts of Next Actions. There is a catch: this sytem works if each Project has one Next Action only. @mcogilvie

This idea initially sounds great to me, but now I have a question. How would you view and consider all your next actions in a given context if they are each on a different piece of paper? (In the “Do” phase of Gtd)

 

[Gardener]

@bishblaize My short answer is: NO! It's just a problem of poorly deigned paper systems. To support the orthogonality between Next Action-Project link and Next Action-Context link you must have system with removable pages. Each page is to a Project and you write down here this Project's Next Actions. Then you group the pages by the Contexts of Next Actions. There is a catch: this sytem works if each Project has one Next Action only. @mcogilvie

Huh. Interesting. Instead of notebook pages, this could be done with a little card-file, couldn't it? With tabs for each context. When you're in a context, you could pull out all of its cards and spread them out on the desk, push them around, arrange and group them however comes to mind. It would add an interesting tactile element to the system.

I'm suddenly tempted to buy a card file.

 

[TesTeq]

This idea initially sounds great to me, but now I have a question. How would you view and consider all your next actions in a given context if they are each on a different piece of paper? (In the “Do” phase of Gtd)

@Sarahsuccess There are no Context Lists in this system. You group Project cards according to their Next Action contexts. So there are Context Bundles that you browse in a given Context to choose the Next Action to do.

Huh. Interesting. Instead of notebook pages, this could be done with a little card-file, couldn't it? With tabs for each context. When you're in a context, you could pull out all of its cards and spread them out on the desk, push them around, arrange and group them however comes to mind. It would add an interesting tactile element to the system.

I'm suddenly tempted to buy a card file.

@Gardener There's one more idea to use in this system: use colors of the Project cards for Areas of Focus!

 

[dtj]

I'm an OmniFocus user and would love to figure out a way of creating perspectives in a way that gets Kanban-esque in form, just for the tracking NA's. I'll have to put a little more thought into the tags to key off of. I have: @shortlist = input queue, @on_deck = next up. Then i'd probably add like @active, @waiting_on, and key off the completed flag for @done.

 

[gtdstudente]

@Sarahsuccess There are no Context Lists in this system. You group Project cards according to their Next Action contexts. So there are Context Bundles that you browse in a given Context to choose the Next Action to do.

@Gardener There's one more idea to use in this system: use colors of the Project cards for Areas of Focus!

Yes . . . Color Coded for Files, Folders, Clipboards, Pens, etc. for Area's of Focus 'eliminates'/'removes' so much 'Thinking' and, as such, conserves a lot of cognitive Energy reservoir and making mental shifting so much easier!

When is comes to Agenda/Persons Red for the Protagonists/Collaborators list and Orange for those whose Ask/Chose/Insisted/Requested to be on the Antagonists/Sabotager list . . . as an Italian Proverb has it; "distance is the best defense"?

 

[Botany_Bill]

Thanks for posting this. I also use a paper system and recently decided what my context lists are (most of my work is @computer and I do few errands or phone calls. This is for my job, btw. I keep my personal separate and haven't tackled that yet). Plus, I can make calls anytime and prefer to follow up on that call with a NA for the given topic/project than move on to another call that will break my flow.

So my spiral bound book is divided into sections by NA contexts plus waiting for, agendas, someday/maybe, and a projects list. My capture tool(s) are separate. I also track email things within Outlook, although I planned to write each in my notebook so I have 1 tracking device, but I don't seem to want to take the time.

I find I rarely go into my book. I scan it weekly, which seems far too infrequent. I end up doing actions that have some urgency before I can capture and enter them on a list. This does not give me a sense of calm.

What I've gained so far from GTD is Waiting For and Agenda lists as well as moving items directly to my calendar that have clear due dates. What I've lost over my previous system is the ability to scan a single list to see what's undone and to do what I feel needs doing at that time. I feel uneasy about this.

I'm tempted to go back to a single list but with 3 to 4 columns: project, action, due date, and context. This would be a hybrid of my old continuous list, which worked for the most part and new things I've gained from GTD. I'm hoping this will relieve my inner tension.