conceptual question re: project support material vs. actions

[Anonymous]

I just downloaded the trial version and I'm attempting to set up a workflow system that's actually workable.

I have several very long term projects that involve a great deal of individual action steps in each of the projects - a 52-lesson "self improvement" study, developing an investment processes requiring that 35+ separate articles and studies be read and analyzed, etc.

I currently set the actions up as @Read/Review-1 year (70 entries), @Read/Review-investments-A (35 entries), etc. Would anyone have a suggestion regarding how best to set up these projects that would be in keeping with the GTD idea - actually reflects the next action - while still reflecting that there are tons of documents yet to be "actioned" in the projects?

MJ

 

[CoachMike]

Don't confuse the two

Don't confuse projects and action steps. David clearly defines a project as anything that takes more than one action step to complete. When you define your projects, define them based on that criteria. Then when you define the actions necessary to complete the projects, assign them to the proper project.

My project list includes:

Database redesign
Training managers
Phone number lockdown

I have the following action steps:

Create scripts to apply constraints (assigned to Database Redesign)
Create scripts for user security (assigned to Database Redesign)
Send email invitation to meeting (assigned to Training managers)
Set up meeting with department managers (assigned to Phone number lockdown)
Write code to lockdown phone numbers (assigned to Phone number lockdown)

This enables me to view my projects in one view and the tasks associated with them in another view. It works.

 

[TheHead]

I've also participated in a 52 week improvement program, and here's how I handled it: I scheduled (calendar) a weekly "study night", for 2 hours on the same day each week. During that time, I would do the reading and associated actions for the improvement program. I never formally recorded next actions, just picked up where I left off the week before-- and didn't put too much pressure on myself to complete each weekly lesson (wasn't critical to complete it in 52 weeks). And I recorded the project name on my Proj list, just to remind me that the completion of the plan was an outcome on my radar.

BTW-- the plan I followed was the Jim Rohn One Year Success Plan (jimrohn.com). Is that by any chance what you're studying?

 

[Anonymous]

1 yr plan

As a matter of fact, it is the Jim Rohn stuff. But to show you the dysfunctionality that I'm trying to overcome, I bought the plan about a year ago and have just received the 51st week's work. I thought that I would I would wait a couple of weeks before I started last year and here I am a year later still procrastinating!!!

Thanks for the GTD tips.

MJ