EN and GTD - when no tags used, how to know what is due today (next action)?

G

getede

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Hi all,

Coming from the Carl Pullein Apprach (Working with EN and Todoist, focusing on Today, This Week and next Week). New to GTD. But the Carl Pullein Approach is a simplified GTD (as he argues that context is not that important anymore as in the past).

Stacey talks about not using tags for GTD.

Instead of having a notebook with one note per next action, she recommends only having a next actions list per context - see here:
Lists_Notebooks_List_withNumbers+(1).jpg


This makes sense to me as it is faster and having less notes overall (while linking to the proper target notes as can be seen).

Scenario: Having 5 context = 5x next action lists with 200 tasks in total. 5 of them are due today, so NOW / NEXT ACTION and 20 of them due THIS WEEK.

So far, I put the tasks I am doing today on top of the Next Actions list of each context - for better visibility.

Plus, I have 2 simple tags: NEXT and THIS WEEK.

However, if she recommends no tags at all, how do I know with just 1 click / search what is due today / now / next?

One could argue: Since you are doing only 1 context at a time like @work, just go to your Next Actions: At Work note and look at the very top tasks that are separated from the rest for the visibility - which are my tasks for today.

When thinking about work context only, true.

However, when it comes to my other contexts, I can be more flexible, hence when I am at home, I could tackle 3 tasks, each from a different context.

I know how to tag those and create a saved search - so with 1 click, I get my overview.

But imagine I do not use tags at all, how would be a Stacey like solution here?
 
GTD is context based. Anything that must be done today should be on your calendar. Call Jim about X would be on your @Phone list. Call Jim tomorrow about X would be on your calendar as an all day event. Call Jim at 2pm tomorrow would be time specific on your calendar.
 
I 100% agree with @fooddude as things changes it is difficult to fix a list of stuff of core items per week month and so on and try to stick to it.
It does n't mean that you don't have to plan or anticipate.

My practice of GTD is to do like he explained except that as I need to advance I plan per week only some day pour a few projects. For example I will do my account Thursday. So I put it in my diary (no time) like this [Account] Each morning I make a GTD daily review I take 20 /30 mn to read my diary to see what is on my plate then I read my next action list. I flag everything for today and I time block what must be eg account. Then when I will finish this core project I just do context by context what must be beginning by flagged items.

It is just my way of doing things. I have accepted doing multiple stuff about multiple subjects once my core subject is done.
 
I don't think that this is simplified GTD. I think it is just GTD. GTD encourages you to write your next actions in a list. So, to me the simplified suggestion is just the obvious thing to do when setting up GTD in a notes app like Evernote.

For deadlines, the GTD recommendation is that things that must be done on a day go in your calendar. Things that must be done by a day go in your action/context lists. If you are looking at your lists daily to choose what to do, you will see and remember the deadlines.

If you are able to choose tasks from three lists, then everything on those three lists make up your current context, so you should check them all. You could make the argument that those three lists should be combined, but I assume that they divide actions up in a way that is useful to you.

A lot of people ask how to get the computer to do the thinking and choosing for you. The real trick is to engage with your lists day to day when defining your work and choosing actions, and again more deeply in the weekly review.
 
cfoley said:
GTD encourages you to write your next actions in a list.
Click to expand...
To be clear I put just the very next action on a context list. I don't put all "next actions" on context lists or any where. If my project is "get new tires for van" The very next action, since I know the size, is @Phone "call Pam to set appointment." Once I set appointment, My next action after putting it on my calendar, would be @Errands- go to bank and get cash. They give a discount for cash. But i wouldn't put all those steps down somewhere. Just the very next action. Let's say I didn't put down get cash. At my weekly review or review of calendar, I would see it's not a next action and I could put it down then. You used the plural and I wasn't sure if by "actions" you meant all for one project or just the very next actions for multiple projects. If I misunderstood... Nevermind. :) All the best.
 
Ah, each project only has one next action (or maybe a handful if they are truly parallel and independent). So, like you, I only put one next action per project on my lists.

A list of possible actions would belong in project support material, but I almost never make such a list.
 
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