Contexts: how it looks like when you use paper?

B

Borisoff

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The question's for those who use paper systme. As I know If you use a paper planner you have one page for each @ context. How do you choose a next action if the situation allows you to choose from multiple contexts? For example, while you in the office, you should open @Office, @Call, @Computer context pages and choose the next action to act on. For me it seems very inconvinient to jump between different pages while choosing. Or maybe you copy all next actions out on a separate list and then make a choice. But that takes time... Please let me know, I'm curious :)

Regards,

Eugene.
 
Yes, you flip between pages. In practice, what usually happens is I'll identify which context I want to be in -- based on things like amount of time available, energy level, etc. -- and then work through that context list. If I know I have two or three hours, I'll look at the @Write and @Edit lists. If I only have half an hour or so, it's the @Email and @Phone lists.

It takes longer to describe than it does to actually do.

Katherine
 
Yep, flipping here.

I'll also flip through the relevant contexts. However, since I work at an office, even if something might be a call for work, I'll add it to the @Work category rather than the @Calls category. Likewise with a lot of computer stuff. I also keep general @Calls and @Computer categories for things I can do either at work or home if I get a few minutes for a personal task, or if I need to take a mental break for refocusing.

I find it really doesn't take long, especially as I usually only check my other contexts only 2-3 times a day for a quick scan.
 
Borisoff;45345 said:
Or maybe you copy all next actions out on a separate list and then make a choice. But that takes time...
Click to expand...

I guess that when you do that you are already flipping between the contexts, only much slower.
 
Don't forget the rest of the decision-making process

Hi Eugene,

Borisoff;45345 said:
How do you choose a next action if the situation allows you to choose from multiple contexts? For example, while you in the office, you should open @Office, @Call, @Computer context pages and choose the next action to act on. For me it seems very inconvinient to jump between different pages while choosing. Or maybe you copy all next actions out on a separate list and then make a choice. But that takes time...
Click to expand...

Don't forget that choosing a next action doesn't just depend on where you are: it's also about how much time you've got, how much energy you've got, and so on. So if you've got 15 minutes before your next meeting, you'll want something quick, so you'll probably go to the @Calls list. Similarly, if you're at the end of a long day dealing with cranky customers, you might want to deal with some simple, routine emails, or get some filing done, so you'll only consider the @Email list or the @Office list. And when you've got a big block of time, you probably don't want to waste that on making half a dozen small calls when you could be digging into a big document you have to write, so you'll look at the @Computer list.

There's also the fact that, once you get going, and once you do the right daily reviewing and weekly reviewing, you're probably half-aware already of what you've got on your lists, so the choice almost makes itself.

Does that make sense? Or am I wiffling?
 
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