Action List Types

viking

Registered
GTD suggest to create action lists based on location. For example, I may have a list of Things to do at home (on my PC, calls to make at home, house work etc) and out (running errands) and at my work place, although this does not apply to me. Thus, in my case, would I have two action lists?
However, I could also have action lists based on type of work to be done (at home); e.g. Learning and Invest, Calls to Make, Contract work etc.

The software I use can easily be setup to have the same action show up in multiple lists. For example, a Call action could be shown in both a "Call Action List" and a "Home Action List".

What is the recommended strategy? I could have a lot of lists (for the same or different actions).
 

ianfh10

Registered
GTD actually specifically calls for "context" lists for your actions, which is similar to locations but is slightly different conceptually.

Contexts may well be a location, but aren't always. "Home" is certainly a location and a context, but if you work from home and are in your workspace/office, do you want to trudge through all your household type actions like 'replace bulb' or 'hang portrait' before you get to those tasks relevant to the specific context you're in in that moment? In this example you'd have a context like 'home office'.

The "original" set of suggested context lists, like calls, home, office, errands etc is somewhat outdated given the advance in technology in the last several years and boundaries between contexts now overlap somewhat. But the idea remains the same.

For example, I don't have an "office" context list because I can work anywhere I have my laptop. I do however have lists for certain apps I use at work and spend only some of my time in, and I have a list for "documents" which includes anything I need to work on in excel, word, PowerPoint, and a list for any emails I need to send. The contexts here aren't locations, but a particular program I happen to be using for the context I'm in. I do have a "home" list but it doesn't contain anything I can do on my PC, professionally or personally, even though my PC is obviously in my home. And so on and so on.

You need to define the hard edges between your contexts for yourself.

This depends on what works for you. There's no rigidly defined strategy or structure that applies across the board. To paraphrase Allen, you should have as many lists as you need but no more than you can manage. In my example above, it's enough for me that all my writing/basic MS office suite work is in a 'documents' context list, but that doesn't make it 100% right for everyone. It's acceptable to have "excel", "word" "PowerPoint" as separate context lists if you feel that works. GTD is also an evolving process, so feel free to try it out and switch it around if it doesn't work.

A simpler example may be: I'm not a massive fan of DIY and currently rent my place, so it's unnecessary for me to have a "DIY/hardware store" context list. On the rare occasion I'd need to buy nails, it would go on my "errands" list. However, if I was a DIY fanatic and was at the store every week, it's likely the amount of actions I'd have would warrant a "DIY store" context list, which would keep all those items (and thus the 'psychic bandwidth' associated with them) separate from other errands, like "buy cotton candy". The point is your system should be set up in a way so you don't have to worry about cotton candy while in the DIY store but that both are clarified and organised external to your mind in a system you trust to do the legwork of that worry for you.

The switch from using type/category lists to context lists felt very counterintuitive at first but it was seriously transformative when I got that lightbulb moment where I couldn't believe I'd been working any other way before that.
 
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mcogilvie

Registered
GTD suggest to create action lists based on location. For example, I may have a list of Things to do at home (on my PC, calls to make at home, house work etc) and out (running errands) and at my work place, although this does not apply to me. Thus, in my case, would I have two action lists?
However, I could also have action lists based on type of work to be done (at home); e.g. Learning and Invest, Calls to Make, Contract ofwork etc.

The software I use can easily be setup to have the same action show up in multiple lists. For example, a Call action could be shown in both a "Call Action List" and a "Home Action List".

What is the recommended strategy? I could have a lot of lists (for the same or different actions).
The goal is always to put next actions where you will be aware of them and do them. My next action lists, in order, are

Ticklers
Plan/Prep
Computer
Tablet/Phone
Email
Web
Home
Out
Agendas
Waiting Four

The first two are for keeping everything going, and have no location or tool associated. These are the shortest and fastest-moving lists. Computer is for Next actions where a big screen and full-size keyboard are almost essential. However, there are next actions which are easier on a tablet, usually for workflow reasons. Email and Web help to keep other lists short, and tend to have items requiring less time and energy. The other four are obvious. But that’s me- I like short lists and I like variety. I’m capable of concentrating for long periods of time, but not indefinitely. You may be completely different. For me, having the same item appear in multiple contexts just lengthens lists and adds clutter and noise. If an email is long, I move it to Computer, but it is always on only one list at a time.
 

Oogiem

Registered
Thus, in my case, would I have two action lists?
However, I could also have action lists based on type of work to be done (at home); e.g. Learning and Invest, Calls to Make, Contract work etc.
I use a combination of location and tool for my action lists. I have a lot of them. Start with the standard set in the GTD book and then adapt as you learn more.

Just for example here are some of mine

Inside by myself
Little House
Shop
Orchard Pasture
Red Barn
Hay Barn
Back Cedars Pasture
Outside by Myself
Poutside with help
Ombifocus
LibreOffice
Obsidian
Lightroom & Photoshop
Phone
Phone Business Hours
Computer MacAir
Comuter iMac
Computer iPad
Hobbies
LambTracker/AnimalTrakker

And so on,
 

viking

Registered
With so many list
I use a combination of location and tool for my action lists. I have a lot of them. Start with the standard set in the GTD book and then adapt as you learn more.

Just for example here are some of mine

Inside by myself
Little House
Shop
Orchard Pasture
Red Barn
Hay Barn
Back Cedars Pasture
Outside by Myself
Poutside with help
Ombifocus
LibreOffice
Obsidian
Lightroom & Photoshop
Phone
Phone Business Hours
Computer MacAir
Comuter iMac
Computer iPad
Hobbies
LambTracker/AnimalTrakker

And so on,
With so many lists, how do you keep track of what you need to do and when? It takes a lot time to read through the lists and decide what to do today, tomorrow, next week etc.

[That is my biggest dilemma (even with just 2-3 lists)]
 

Oogiem

Registered
With so many lists, how do you keep track of what you need to do and when? It takes a lot time to read through the lists and decide what to do today, tomorrow, next week etc.
um, number 1 I'm a very fast reader. I just timed me reading all of my action lists for the next actions in all projects. Under 2 minutes for all 45 lists with over 85 next actions on them. (A lot of the lists are currently empty, it's winter, not much going on outside) But even in summer I can read my lists in less than 5 minutes.

What list to work on is more a matter of what list *can* I work on. It was very cold this morning, -17 F with the windchill. So clearly the first priority (at least until the sun came up and we saw what the day might be) was to look at lists inside here at the main house. So all of the various computer lists were also available. I do a quick review of all my lists in the morning after I have breakfast and check the weather and read a bit of news. So I have a pretty good idea of what I can or should work on. Today, with the weather and no major outside sheep chores my top tasks were all in the AnimalTrakker/LambTracker context. I'd work on one thing until my brain couldn't handle it then I'd pick something else to work on in the same context. I don't worry about tomorrow, next week or even the next few hours. I've reviewed my calendar, that happens first thing in the morning, so I know anything I have a specific time schedule for. The rest can be on the basis of what I can and feel like doing. I try to stay in an application until I just can't deal with it anymore. SO today I flipped between Obsidian, PyCharm and Android Studion with actions on various projects in all 3. I use the switch when i need a mental break.
 

ianfh10

Registered
With so many list

With so many lists, how do you keep track of what you need to do and when? It takes a lot time to read through the lists and decide what to do today, tomorrow, next week etc.

[That is my biggest dilemma (even with just 2-3 lists)]
You don't need to keep track of what to do when - the lists are doing this for you. If you've pre-defined all your actions into the correct lists, you only need to access the relevant one for the context you're in. If you were at the store, you'd only need to check your "store" list.

Why do you need to look through all your lists when deciding to do something?
 

mcogilvie

Registered
With so many list

With so many lists, how do you keep track of what you need to do and when? It takes a lot time to read through the lists and decide what to do today, tomorrow, next week etc.

[That is my biggest dilemma (even with just 2-3 lists)]
There is a theory that the most effective approach to productivity is to schedule everything. GTD is the the antithesis: scheduled items are a separate category from next actions, which be definition can be done anytime you are in the right context. GTD says to plan as much as you need to, but as little as possible. If you read a next action, and feel more of a need or desire to schedule it than to do it, it may not be a next action. “Conquer Albania” is a project, and “Recruit army” is a subproject, but “Get quote from Rent-a-Mercenary” is a next action.

With digital tools, you can blur the lines a bit. My errands list is going to tell me to go to the grocery store today. Anytime today is fine, and in fact I can put off the trip for a day or two. Now you could argue that the real next action is “Check bread and milk supply” or something similar, but it turns out “Grocery store?” Is enough of a trigger for me.
 
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