Due dates for projects

[manynothings]

Hello,

I have some trouble handling due dates for an entire project. I know due dates should be avoided in GTD, but sometimes it's completely necessary. Most of the time, I set a due date on the final outcome with the subtasks to complete the project are not set. There have been some occassions when I notice the project due date coming in view and I realize I still have plenty of subtasks to do. Basically, my project's completion cannot by fulfilled. From my perspective, this is all stemming from the fact that my subtasks have no due dates, but I don't know how to set them. I have considered using the worst case scenario (the longest time it'll take to finish a subtask), and then working backwards based on depedencies, but this is too tedious. And once I add another subtask, I need to redo this process. Impossible.

How do you guys solve this?

Thanks,

manynothings

 

[Gardener]

It sounds to me like you're doing full-tilt project planning in GTD, and I feel that that's not what GTD is for. In the situation you describe, of a large project with many subtasks (subprojects?) and a deadline, I would have a project plan outside my active GTD project/task lists. I would probably also have a project for tracking the progress of that project. Then my GTD lists would only contain the tasks that I should work on now or in the near future.

So the big project is, say, Marry the Empress of Grand Fenwick

That project has a long, extensive project plan in some project planning format--NOT in the active GTD project/task lists.

One of your subprojects is to get an invitation to the Grand Fenwick Anniversary Ball, which happens every June.

It becomes clear that you need to make friends with Grand Fenwick's ambassado to the United States no later than November of the previous year. To make friends with him, you have to meet him.

So you have a sub-subproject of "research Grand Fenwick ambassador's social contacts". You put THAT in your active GTD lists.

And also in your GTD lists is a repeating task for reviewing and updating the main Marry... project. By doing that, you are regularly reminded that that November deadline is coming up and you and the ambassador are not friends yet.

 

[mcogilvie]

Hello,

I have some trouble handling due dates for an entire project. I know due dates should be avoided in GTD, but sometimes it's completely necessary. Most of the time, I set a due date on the final outcome with the subtasks to complete the project are not set. There have been some occassions when I notice the project due date coming in view and I realize I still have plenty of subtasks to do. Basically, my project's completion cannot by fulfilled. From my perspective, this is all stemming from the fact that my subtasks have no due dates, but I don't know how to set them. I have considered using the worst case scenario (the longest time it'll take to finish a subtask), and then working backwards based on depedencies, but this is too tedious. And once I add another subtask, I need to redo this process. Impossible.

How do you guys solve this?

Thanks,

manynothings

Let me point out that this issue actually has nothing to do with GTD. If GTD did not exist, you would still have this problem. What happens when you miss a project deadline? Is it a real external deadline, something dreamed up by a sadistic boss. or some date you thought you could get it all done by but can’t? Unless it’s a hard deadline, it can be re-negotiated.

You don’t say what list tool you are using, but some are better than others. Ultimately, meeting deadlines is often a matter of experience and some caution with time estimates. In any case, the weekly review is your opportunity to look at your progress every week and reflect on where you are now, and where you are headed.

There is usually no silver bullet which will magically find the missing pieces of your ”project plan” and assign every element a realistic deadline which takes into account the other work you need or want to do. You might want to review the Natural Planning Model as a lightweight iterative process that can keep most projects on track.

Feel free to give us more information, and maybe we can give better advice.

 

[gtdstudente]

Hello,

I have some trouble handling due dates for an entire project. I know due dates should be avoided in GTD, but sometimes it's completely necessary. Most of the time, I set a due date on the final outcome with the subtasks to complete the project are not set. There have been some occassions when I notice the project due date coming in view and I realize I still have plenty of subtasks to do. Basically, my project's completion cannot by fulfilled. From my perspective, this is all stemming from the fact that my subtasks have no due dates, but I don't know how to set them. I have considered using the worst case scenario (the longest time it'll take to finish a subtask), and then working backwards based on depedencies, but this is too tedious. And once I add another subtask, I need to redo this process. Impossible.

How do you guys solve this?

Thanks,

manynothings

To possibly add to what has already been well expressed would be Projects Lists for my four Areas-of-Focus, two Intrinsic and two Extrinsic, which means for me four 'master' Projects Lists and four accompanying critical Project Support folders. Why so critical? Each Project has, at minimum, a Mind-Map via Natural Planning Model on plain copier paper in its appropriate Project Support Folder, even if it 'only' means one Next Action, which at minimum in addition to Project 'Title' and what 'completion/outcome' looks/feels like (including, if necessary, a non-negotiable deadline date) could simply be "Review" as the Next Action. What is so critical about that? Simply, the Cost-Benefit ratio, meaning that Support Mind-Map initial "write-up" can take 10, 20, 30, 40 seconds etc. with plenty of paper space capacity for future 'additions,' i.e., Sub-Project(s)/Next Action(s) in order to clearly/objectively know what excesses/deficiencies are existing in sabotaging and, as such, need to be 'slain' for the Projects' Outcome(s)/Completion(s). If interested, one side, of the landscape copier paper, is for Brainstorming while the other up-side down (for easy) for more concrete Organization with the Purpose (one of my four Areas-of-Focus) and Project's Outcome/Completion on the upper right-side with the first Next Action beginning on the lowest left landscape corner. Ps. This humble post reply was inspired by your question, the other post replies, and David Allen's most recent newsletter. To all, thank you! Pps. If anything expressed in unclear then please express and will do my humble best to clarify, thank you.