How do differentiate between Support or Reference ?

[gtdstudente]

Fellow GTDers,

Always a little perplexed in the following:

How do GTDers differentiate between Support Materials and Reference Materials?

Is 'everything' that is not in use might need/will need Reference and 'becomes' Support when in use?

Thank you very much

 

[cfoley]

That's the way I do it.

 

[René Lie]

+1

 

[RomanS]

In other words: Support material is needed in a direct way for actual projects and next actions. Reference material is everything else.

 

[gtdstudente]

In other words: Support material is needed in a direct way for actual projects and next actions. Reference material is everything else.

@RomanS,

First, your English much better than my German . . danke

Our esteemed GTDers above, @cfoley and @René Lie, seem to be suggesting that actual Reference materials are potential Support materials and then when actual Reference are in use they 'become' actual Support materials

That clarity can be helpful to have more confidence in keeping one's GTD system that much more streamlined by having less Support friction in the way?

Thank you very much

As you see GTD fit

 

[mksilk2]

For me support material is there directly to support a current live project. Reference is everything else like books I've read, tv shows I might want to watch, restaurants I might want to visit, interesting websites, interesting people I follow etc etc.

 

[mcogilvie]

Because I am lazy, I tend to store information in whatever way will make the information easy to find and easy to use. This also means I am often refining and reducing what I need to see. As much as possible, I use markdown-compatible software with support for tagging. This includes Bear, Things, GoodLinks, and Omnivore. I also use Safari tab groups.

Example: My wife and I were working on an upcoming getaway. We had identified a number of possibilities, and I had two tab groups in Safari with other information stored as someday in the getaway project in Things. This weekend we agreed on what to do, picked dates and made reservations. The reservation confirmation went into the Things project with a start date. This replaces the “put day-specific information on your calendar” because it works better for me. The confirmation also goes into Trip It, visible to both of us. Relevant suggestions on what to do and see from the tab groups will end up as part of a combination itinerary and options list, maybe after going through Bear, GoodLinks or Omnivore. Often information is linked back to the original source. So project support information is not static. Some of the information will get folded into a Future Trip Planning project, which is an active project right now.

Reference information is not static either, although the time scale of motion is slower. Papers of direct professional interest to me go into Zotero. Papers which Someday May-be of interest are on a long list in Things with links. Just about everything digital is reference, in some sense. Photos, for example.

 

[RomanS]

David Allen makes a similar distinction between support and reference material as he does between projects and goals. On page 84 (German edition) he writes that support material is almost entirely the same as reference material and could be kept in the same system. "The only difference is that in the case of active projects, the supporting material needs to be reviewed more regularly to ensure that all necessary next steps are taken into account."

 

[Y_Lherieau]

Fellow GTDers,

Always a little perplexed in the following:

How do GTDers differentiate between Support Materials and Reference Materials?

Is 'everything' that is not in use might need/will need Reference and 'becomes' Support when in use?

Thank you very much

Your question touches on a critical distinction in the GTD methodology that often puzzles many: differentiating between Support Materials and Reference Materials. This distinction is crucial for keeping your workflow streamlined and your system efficient.

In my ecosystem, I use OneNote to manage both Project Support Material and Reference Material, with a clear demarcation to maintain organization and efficiency. All material for project support resides in a OneNote binder named "GTD," within a group section called "Horizon 1." Each section in this group mirrors my Project List in Todoist, ensuring a seamless integration between the two. For every project created in OneNote, I utilize a template page to serve as an index with hyperlinks. This setup allows me to swiftly retrieve each required support project material stored as pages under the template page, neatly indented. For instance, for a project like 'File Income Tax 2023,' the front page contains links to emails, PDFs, and all elements I consider important to keep as support material, ensuring completeness.

Upon a project's completion, I follow a two-step process: 1) the project is archived in Todoist to maintain a clean workspace, and 2) its corresponding support material in OneNote is moved into a "Completed Project Year XX" group section. This system not only keeps my current projects organized and accessible but also systematically archives completed work for future reference.

For Reference Material, I maintain two OneNote binders: "General Reference" and "Technical Reference," organized using the A-Z filing methodology. This approach allows me to categorize and retrieve information efficiently. For example, banking materials (contracts, credit cards Terms & Conditions, etc.) are placed in the "B" group section under "B-Bank - name of the bank," with each PDF landing as pages titled clearly for quick retrieval through OneNote's search function.

In conclusion, the distinction in my system is clear: if it's merely reference material, it finds its place in the A-Z organized binders. If it's project support material, it's structured within the GTD binder under "Horizon 1," reflecting my Project List in Todoist. This method ensures that every piece of information, whether for immediate use or future reference, is exactly where I need it to be, streamlining my GTD process.

I hope sharing my setup provides a practical example of how to differentiate and manage Support Materials and Reference Materials effectively within the GTD framework. Embracing such a system can significantly enhance your productivity and ensure a well-organized, clutter-free workflow.