GTD “!Daily Disciplines” Category
- Thread starter Michael Hyatt
- Start date
Hi Michael,
I very much like your Daily Disciplines idea. Currently I keep lists of these things in the Notes section of Outlook but it would be much more convenient to have them in the Taskpad view in Calendar.
The problem I've never solved is how to handle recurring Tasks in Taskpad. If I were to set up a daily reoccuring Task, as soon as I check it off in Taskpad the software just generates a new Task with tomorrow as the due date. Therefore the "at-a-glance" profile of the list doesn't change and I don't know by looking at the list what remains to be done.
While I can see how to filter the list so that only Tasks with due dates show up, that also conceals all of my other context lists as the items on them do not have due dates.
Is there some way to handle this that I'm missing?
Thanks!
Scot
I very much like your Daily Disciplines idea. Currently I keep lists of these things in the Notes section of Outlook but it would be much more convenient to have them in the Taskpad view in Calendar.
The problem I've never solved is how to handle recurring Tasks in Taskpad. If I were to set up a daily reoccuring Task, as soon as I check it off in Taskpad the software just generates a new Task with tomorrow as the due date. Therefore the "at-a-glance" profile of the list doesn't change and I don't know by looking at the list what remains to be done.
While I can see how to filter the list so that only Tasks with due dates show up, that also conceals all of my other context lists as the items on them do not have due dates.
Is there some way to handle this that I'm missing?
Thanks!
Scot
jasonalanmoore
Registered
Scot, what I've done to combat this problem (I have not tried Michael's suggestion of creating the tasks each morning via VB Script) is I have Automatic Formatting set for the TaskPad such that tasks due today are bolded so that I can determine which are still due today and which are due tomorrow. That's good for Outlook but that does not translate to my PocketPC. Therefore on there, I must discern by means of viewing the due date.
Possibly not the best solution, but it is a solution.
Side note, I have other color coding in my TaskPad that is helpful as well. Blue test for my @Someday and green for my @Projects. Red for overdue (the Outlook default) and italized if a due date exists. That way, when I am sifting through the numerous tasks, the bold and red tasks stand out telling me that I have something I should/could to do today. My eyes skip over the green and blue easily.
Possibly not the best solution, but it is a solution.
Side note, I have other color coding in my TaskPad that is helpful as well. Blue test for my @Someday and green for my @Projects. Red for overdue (the Outlook default) and italized if a due date exists. That way, when I am sifting through the numerous tasks, the bold and red tasks stand out telling me that I have something I should/could to do today. My eyes skip over the green and blue easily.
H
hnortonil
Guest
What I do to solve the problem is
a) use the regenerate task 1 day after task is completed (so it comes up automatically for tomorrow and
b) set my view to filter to show:
- tasks with no due date
- tasks with a due date on or before today
- tasks that are not complete (complete = no)
- tasks where complete does not exist
I also turn off automatic formatting because it drives me batty...
a) use the regenerate task 1 day after task is completed (so it comes up automatically for tomorrow and
b) set my view to filter to show:
- tasks with no due date
- tasks with a due date on or before today
- tasks that are not complete (complete = no)
- tasks where complete does not exist
I also turn off automatic formatting because it drives me batty...
I have those things in my calendar in the morning and in the afternoon, if I can do it, is done, if not, can wait until the next time assigned. Since my palm let me create categories i just create a category and try to follow up, sometimes I skip but in general works like a charm.
I have basicly 1 are per day, monday trough friday, sat and sun is for special projects and in deep cleaning, but in my expirence using this system, I save so much time, me and my wife clean deep in a minute and we love that way.
We have the schedules inverse, then lets say I clean kitchen monday, therefore she do it friday, in this way all the zones get 2 ok to good cleanings in the week, and when need it a really deep one in he weekend, this change our chores from horrible to symple and we love it.
I have basicly 1 are per day, monday trough friday, sat and sun is for special projects and in deep cleaning, but in my expirence using this system, I save so much time, me and my wife clean deep in a minute and we love that way.
We have the schedules inverse, then lets say I clean kitchen monday, therefore she do it friday, in this way all the zones get 2 ok to good cleanings in the week, and when need it a really deep one in he weekend, this change our chores from horrible to symple and we love it.
I liked Michael's idea so much I kicked it up a notch (or overcomplicated it) by making it configurable. You can have as many checklists as you want - each of the checklists is actually a text file that looks a lot like the configuration file used by the Getting Things Done plug in.
So, you list, for "DailyDisciplinesChecklist"
<Item><Subject>Process In-Boxes and Triggers</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Review Previous and Upcoming Calendar: Review Previous Calendar Data</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Empty Your Head (Brain Dump)</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
You then make a button and you click it, and it reads that list and turns them into tasks, due that day, with the appropriate settings, numbered based on the order you entered them (1., 2.). You can even add detailed notes. It also deletes any uncompleted ones from the previous day.
You can make as many lists as you want (Monthly, Daily).
When I have some time, I plan to make a little screen for it that automates the list making process. It's pretty easy though.
I'd post the code, but I'm not sure where to do that.
So, you list, for "DailyDisciplinesChecklist"
<Item><Subject>Process In-Boxes and Triggers</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Review Previous and Upcoming Calendar: Review Previous Calendar Data</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Empty Your Head (Brain Dump)</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
You then make a button and you click it, and it reads that list and turns them into tasks, due that day, with the appropriate settings, numbered based on the order you entered them (1., 2.). You can even add detailed notes. It also deletes any uncompleted ones from the previous day.
You can make as many lists as you want (Monthly, Daily).
When I have some time, I plan to make a little screen for it that automates the list making process. It's pretty easy though.
I'd post the code, but I'm not sure where to do that.
Ok, here it goes. Note that there is no warranty, express or implied (so save your stuff before you try this
1.This is the code you want to paste, somewhere, into VBA[/i]
Option Explicit
Function GetSettingByName(ByVal settingName As String) As String
Dim myNamespace As NameSpace
Dim currentFolder As MAPIFolder
Dim currentMail As Object
Dim hasSettings As Boolean
Dim parentFolder As MAPIFolder
On Error GoTo GetSettingsByName_Error
hasSettings = False
Set myNamespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set parentFolder = myNamespace.Folders("Mailbox - Furash Gary")
Debug.Print parentFolder.Name
For Each currentFolder In parentFolder.Folders
If currentFolder.Name = "Settings" Then
For Each currentMail In currentFolder.items
If currentMail.Subject = settingName Then
GetSettingByName = currentMail.body
hasSettings = True
End If
Next
If hasSettings Then
Exit For
End If
End If
Next currentFolder
Set currentFolder = Nothing
Set currentMail = Nothing
Set myNamespace = Nothing
If hasSettings = False Then
Err.Raise "9999", "GetSettingsByName", "Could not find settings"
End If
Exit Function
GetSettingsByName_Error:
If Err.Number = 13 Then
Resume Next
End If
End Function
Sub GenerateTaskList(ByVal xmlText As String)
Dim xmlDoc As New MSXML2.DOMDocument50
Dim items As IXMLDOMNodeList
Dim itemNode As IXMLDOMNode
Dim newTask As Outlook.TaskItem
Dim itemPart As IXMLDOMNode
Dim listName As String
Dim prop As UserProperty
Dim i As Integer
On Error GoTo GenerateTaskList_Error
With xmlDoc
.async = False
.loadXML xmlText
With .parseError
If .errorCode <> 0 Then
Err.Raise "1001" + .errorCode, "GenerateTaskList in Module mdlOutlookUtil", .reason + Chr$(10) + Chr$(13) + .srcText
End If
End With
End With
listName = xmlDoc.selectSingleNode("/Checklist/Name").Text
Set items = xmlDoc.selectNodes("/Checklist/Tasks/Item")
i = 0
For Each itemNode In items
i = i + 1
Set newTask = Application.CreateItem(olTaskItem)
With newTask
For Each itemPart In itemNode.childNodes
Select Case itemPart.baseName
Case "Subject"
.Subject = i & ". " & itemPart.Text
Case "Categories"
.categories = itemPart.Text
Case "Body"
.body = itemPart.Text
End Select
Next itemPart
.UserProperties.Add("Checklist", olText) = listName
.UserProperties.Add("Action", olText) = .categories
.DueDate = Date
.Save
End With
Set newTask = Nothing
Next itemNode
MsgBox "Tasks for checklist " & listName & " created", vbOKOnly, "mdlOutlookUtil"
Exit Sub
GenerateTaskList_Error:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & " (" & Err.Description & ") in procedure DailyDisciplines of Module Utilities"
End Sub
Function DeleteChecklistTasks(ByVal listName As String) As Integer
Dim folderSet As NameSpace
Dim taskFolder As MAPIFolder
Dim task As TaskItem
Dim openItems As Object
Dim property As UserProperty
Set folderSet = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set taskFolder = folderSet.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderTasks)
For Each task In taskFolder.items
If task.Complete = False Then
Set property = task.UserProperties.Find("Checklist")
If TypeName(property) <> "Nothing" Then
If property.Value = listName Then
task.Delete
End If
End If
End If
Next task
Set folderSet = Nothing
Set taskFolder = Nothing
End Function
Sub UpdateTaskPriorities()
Dim folderSet As NameSpace
Dim taskFolder As MAPIFolder
Dim task As TaskItem
Dim openItems As Object
Dim property As UserProperty
Set folderSet = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set taskFolder = folderSet.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderTasks)
For Each task In taskFolder.items
If task.Complete = False Then
If InStr(1, task.categories, "Someday") Then
task.Importance = olImportanceLow
ElseIf task.DueDate > (DateAdd("d", -7, Date)) Then
task.Importance = olImportanceHigh
Else
task.Importance = olImportanceNormal
End If
End If
Next task
MsgBox "Task priorities updated", vbOKOnly, "mdlOutlookUtil"
Set folderSet = Nothing
Set taskFolder = Nothing
End Sub
Sub GenerateWordTaskLists()
Dim wordApp As Word.Application
Dim taskList() As String
Dim i As Integer
taskList = GetTaskSubjectsByCategory("@Home")
If UBound(taskList) > 0 Then
Set wordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
wordApp.Documents.Add
i = 0
wordApp.Selection.Font.Size = 11
While i <= UBound(taskList)
wordApp.Selection.TypeText taskList(i) & Chr(10)
i = i + 1
Wend
wordApp.ActiveDocument.SaveAs fileName:="@Home.doc"
wordApp.Quit
Set wordApp = Nothing
End If
End Sub
2. Make sure you have a folder off your root tree called "Settings". GTD will create one for you if you have the add-in for outlook
3. Then, create a "new post" in that folder. Call the subject whatever you want (e.g., "!DailyDisciplines") and create something like the following in the body of the message to yourself
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Checklist>
<Name>!DailyChecklist</Name>
<Tasks>
<Item><Subject>1/2 Hour of "Sun Certified Programmer and Developer for Java 2"</Subject><Categories>@Anywhere</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Brainstorm and Organize 1-2 Projects</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Jogging or Calesthenics</Subject><Categories>@Home</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Review Track-IT calls assigned to Applications or assigned to Gary Furash</Subject><Categories>@Office</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Review Newly Updated Mantis items, Emergencies, and Incidents</Subject><Categories>@Office</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Action Items: Review the calendar: what must be done today/tomorrow at a specific time or any time</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Action Items: Review "@WaitingFor" and "@Agenda"</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Check in with each team member (MBWA)</Subject><Categories>@Office</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Note Daily Accomplishment</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
</Tasks>
</Checklist>
You put in one "<item>" row for each of your items. Each item has to have a subject and a category, and can have a "Body"
4. You just need to make a snippet of code for each of your checklists, like the following
Sub MakeDailyChecklist()
DeleteChecklistTasks "!DailyChecklist"
GenerateTaskList GetSettingByName("!DailyChecklist")
End Sub
Sub MakeWeeklyChecklist()
DeleteChecklistTasks "!DailyChecklist"
GenerateTaskList GetSettingByName("!WeeklyChecklist")
End Sub
5. You can then run them via alt-f8 or use Hyatt's great explanation for how to set up a button
I plan to clean this up a bit so you can choose, from a drop down, dynamically, which checklists you want to autobuild and maybe a few othre features. Also, I need to clean up the search function - rather than looping through all of the tasks, I need to do a Find/Next.
Note that if you use the add-in, it will put the <category> tag contents into both categories and action.
1.This is the code you want to paste, somewhere, into VBA[/i]
Option Explicit
Function GetSettingByName(ByVal settingName As String) As String
Dim myNamespace As NameSpace
Dim currentFolder As MAPIFolder
Dim currentMail As Object
Dim hasSettings As Boolean
Dim parentFolder As MAPIFolder
On Error GoTo GetSettingsByName_Error
hasSettings = False
Set myNamespace = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set parentFolder = myNamespace.Folders("Mailbox - Furash Gary")
Debug.Print parentFolder.Name
For Each currentFolder In parentFolder.Folders
If currentFolder.Name = "Settings" Then
For Each currentMail In currentFolder.items
If currentMail.Subject = settingName Then
GetSettingByName = currentMail.body
hasSettings = True
End If
Next
If hasSettings Then
Exit For
End If
End If
Next currentFolder
Set currentFolder = Nothing
Set currentMail = Nothing
Set myNamespace = Nothing
If hasSettings = False Then
Err.Raise "9999", "GetSettingsByName", "Could not find settings"
End If
Exit Function
GetSettingsByName_Error:
If Err.Number = 13 Then
Resume Next
End If
End Function
Sub GenerateTaskList(ByVal xmlText As String)
Dim xmlDoc As New MSXML2.DOMDocument50
Dim items As IXMLDOMNodeList
Dim itemNode As IXMLDOMNode
Dim newTask As Outlook.TaskItem
Dim itemPart As IXMLDOMNode
Dim listName As String
Dim prop As UserProperty
Dim i As Integer
On Error GoTo GenerateTaskList_Error
With xmlDoc
.async = False
.loadXML xmlText
With .parseError
If .errorCode <> 0 Then
Err.Raise "1001" + .errorCode, "GenerateTaskList in Module mdlOutlookUtil", .reason + Chr$(10) + Chr$(13) + .srcText
End If
End With
End With
listName = xmlDoc.selectSingleNode("/Checklist/Name").Text
Set items = xmlDoc.selectNodes("/Checklist/Tasks/Item")
i = 0
For Each itemNode In items
i = i + 1
Set newTask = Application.CreateItem(olTaskItem)
With newTask
For Each itemPart In itemNode.childNodes
Select Case itemPart.baseName
Case "Subject"
.Subject = i & ". " & itemPart.Text
Case "Categories"
.categories = itemPart.Text
Case "Body"
.body = itemPart.Text
End Select
Next itemPart
.UserProperties.Add("Checklist", olText) = listName
.UserProperties.Add("Action", olText) = .categories
.DueDate = Date
.Save
End With
Set newTask = Nothing
Next itemNode
MsgBox "Tasks for checklist " & listName & " created", vbOKOnly, "mdlOutlookUtil"
Exit Sub
GenerateTaskList_Error:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & " (" & Err.Description & ") in procedure DailyDisciplines of Module Utilities"
End Sub
Function DeleteChecklistTasks(ByVal listName As String) As Integer
Dim folderSet As NameSpace
Dim taskFolder As MAPIFolder
Dim task As TaskItem
Dim openItems As Object
Dim property As UserProperty
Set folderSet = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set taskFolder = folderSet.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderTasks)
For Each task In taskFolder.items
If task.Complete = False Then
Set property = task.UserProperties.Find("Checklist")
If TypeName(property) <> "Nothing" Then
If property.Value = listName Then
task.Delete
End If
End If
End If
Next task
Set folderSet = Nothing
Set taskFolder = Nothing
End Function
Sub UpdateTaskPriorities()
Dim folderSet As NameSpace
Dim taskFolder As MAPIFolder
Dim task As TaskItem
Dim openItems As Object
Dim property As UserProperty
Set folderSet = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
Set taskFolder = folderSet.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderTasks)
For Each task In taskFolder.items
If task.Complete = False Then
If InStr(1, task.categories, "Someday") Then
task.Importance = olImportanceLow
ElseIf task.DueDate > (DateAdd("d", -7, Date)) Then
task.Importance = olImportanceHigh
Else
task.Importance = olImportanceNormal
End If
End If
Next task
MsgBox "Task priorities updated", vbOKOnly, "mdlOutlookUtil"
Set folderSet = Nothing
Set taskFolder = Nothing
End Sub
Sub GenerateWordTaskLists()
Dim wordApp As Word.Application
Dim taskList() As String
Dim i As Integer
taskList = GetTaskSubjectsByCategory("@Home")
If UBound(taskList) > 0 Then
Set wordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
wordApp.Documents.Add
i = 0
wordApp.Selection.Font.Size = 11
While i <= UBound(taskList)
wordApp.Selection.TypeText taskList(i) & Chr(10)
i = i + 1
Wend
wordApp.ActiveDocument.SaveAs fileName:="@Home.doc"
wordApp.Quit
Set wordApp = Nothing
End If
End Sub
2. Make sure you have a folder off your root tree called "Settings". GTD will create one for you if you have the add-in for outlook
3. Then, create a "new post" in that folder. Call the subject whatever you want (e.g., "!DailyDisciplines") and create something like the following in the body of the message to yourself
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Checklist>
<Name>!DailyChecklist</Name>
<Tasks>
<Item><Subject>1/2 Hour of "Sun Certified Programmer and Developer for Java 2"</Subject><Categories>@Anywhere</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Brainstorm and Organize 1-2 Projects</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Jogging or Calesthenics</Subject><Categories>@Home</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Review Track-IT calls assigned to Applications or assigned to Gary Furash</Subject><Categories>@Office</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Review Newly Updated Mantis items, Emergencies, and Incidents</Subject><Categories>@Office</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Action Items: Review the calendar: what must be done today/tomorrow at a specific time or any time</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Action Items: Review "@WaitingFor" and "@Agenda"</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Check in with each team member (MBWA)</Subject><Categories>@Office</Categories></Item>
<Item><Subject>Note Daily Accomplishment</Subject><Categories>@Computer</Categories></Item>
</Tasks>
</Checklist>
You put in one "<item>" row for each of your items. Each item has to have a subject and a category, and can have a "Body"
4. You just need to make a snippet of code for each of your checklists, like the following
Sub MakeDailyChecklist()
DeleteChecklistTasks "!DailyChecklist"
GenerateTaskList GetSettingByName("!DailyChecklist")
End Sub
Sub MakeWeeklyChecklist()
DeleteChecklistTasks "!DailyChecklist"
GenerateTaskList GetSettingByName("!WeeklyChecklist")
End Sub
5. You can then run them via alt-f8 or use Hyatt's great explanation for how to set up a button
I plan to clean this up a bit so you can choose, from a drop down, dynamically, which checklists you want to autobuild and maybe a few othre features. Also, I need to clean up the search function - rather than looping through all of the tasks, I need to do a Find/Next.
Note that if you use the add-in, it will put the <category> tag contents into both categories and action.
A
Anonymous
Guest
jasonalanmoore said:
Great idea. I've got to try this.
Thanks,
Tom
Michael Hyatt
Registered
furashgf:
Kicked it up a notch? I’d say about 10! Great work. I can't wait to give this a try.
Michael
Kicked it up a notch? I’d say about 10! Great work. I can't wait to give this a try.
Michael
I've got a few other things to do. Feel free to send recommendations:
1. change the refresh code - it's too slow
2. create a GUI screen so you can pick which checklist you want to re-create.
Gosh - I forgot - when you put in my VB code, go to Tools --> References and scroll down until you see "Microsoft XML, v5.0" (I would guess v4 or something would work too) and click the checkbox.
If you don't do this, Microsoft doesn't know how to read the checklist.
1. change the refresh code - it's too slow
2. create a GUI screen so you can pick which checklist you want to re-create.
Gosh - I forgot - when you put in my VB code, go to Tools --> References and scroll down until you see "Microsoft XML, v5.0" (I would guess v4 or something would work too) and click the checkbox.
If you don't do this, Microsoft doesn't know how to read the checklist.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Simliar Function on the Palm
Stargazer Rick had a HotPaw Basic Script that does a similiar function on the palm. I took his original code and modified it to accept a category and a selectable date if anyone is interested in the code you can view at http://rsinnovative.com/articles/convert_palm_memos_2_todos.html
My first attempt is reference at the bottom if you would like a copy of the most recent code email me and I send it to you
jhundleyj@yahoo.com
James
Stargazer Rick had a HotPaw Basic Script that does a similiar function on the palm. I took his original code and modified it to accept a category and a selectable date if anyone is interested in the code you can view at http://rsinnovative.com/articles/convert_palm_memos_2_todos.html
My first attempt is reference at the bottom if you would like a copy of the most recent code email me and I send it to you
jhundleyj@yahoo.com
James
A
Anonymous
Guest
Colour Coding
Thats a great idea to colour code your different categories in the task list - but can I ask a dum qn and ask how?
I see the view customisation allows red for the urgent (overdue) tasks but how to colour other tasks? Is this something you do manually when you input them?
Angela UK
Thats a great idea to colour code your different categories in the task list - but can I ask a dum qn and ask how?
I see the view customisation allows red for the urgent (overdue) tasks but how to colour other tasks? Is this something you do manually when you input them?
Angela UK
A
Anonymous
Guest
I think the original poster is using the autoformatting in Outlook to change the color by category.
B
btc
Guest
I don't see the GetTaskSubjectsByCategory routine anywhere.furashgf said:
BTW, if anyone tries this code, it may not be obvious that they need to change all the & back to ampersands, < back to a less than sign, etc.