How should one go about completing/tracking ambiguous projects like "Learn Japanese"?

Justin J

Justin J

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I have a few projects on my active and S/M projects list that seem too ambiguous to complete or track. For example, three unclear projects in my life are: (1) learn Japanese, (2) spend more time with my grandfather, and (3) read more books and articles related to my field of study. I have been able to identify a few Next Actions for each project, but I'm having a difficult time determining when any of these three projects will be completed (if they ever can be). How do I know when I've "Learned Japanese"? How long do I need to track "spend more time with aging grandfather" before I feel like that project is done?

What are your suggestions for approaching, tracking, and completing ambiguous projects like these? How do you implement them into your GTD system? Are these even considered projects at all; or are they Areas of Focus?

Thanks in advance!
 
Hi Justin,

These look more like Areas of Focus to me than Projects. One option might be to review the Natural Planning Model as a tool to help you remove some ambiguity.

Define the standards you want to maintain in each of those areas. Why are those standards important to you? Brainstorm some outcomes you would like to be true. Define next actions to help you get closer to your desired outcomes.

Here is a similar example from my own list:

AoF: Be a good grandson to my grandmother.
Purpose: She is 98 years old. She means a lot to me. I want to interact with her as much as I can while she is still around.

Brainstorm:
- My grandmother lives 6 hours away from me. So, visiting frequently is not a good option.
- She has an iPhone. Maybe I could call her regularly, but she is hard of hearing, so she can’t really hear me well over the phone.
- She knows how to text, so I can text her or send pictures of the great grandkids.
- She loves fresh flowers and wine
- She lives in an assisted care home and gets lonely, so it would be nice to help her feel included in family affairs.

Outcomes:
1. Regularly send my grandmother text updates and pictures of my kids.
2. Travel to visit my grandmother twice per year.
3. Send flowers on her birthday and wine for Christmas.

Next Actions:
1. Add a recurring reminder to my calendar to text grandmother twice per month.
2. Review my calendar to plan my next visit (probably in January).
3a. Add a note to my calendar to send flowers on her birthday
3b. Update my holiday checklist to include “Send wine to Grandma for Christmas.”

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Stephen
 
Excellent response from @GTDChemist !

I agree, those look like areas of focus - things that you don't complete. However, we say that areas of focus 'give birth' to projects, so we need to identify projects (desired outcomes) and next actions in order to reach our goals and maintain our areas of focus and responsibilites.
 
Justin J said:
I have a few projects on my active and S/M projects list that seem too ambiguous to complete or track. For example, three unclear projects in my life are: (1) learn Japanese, (2) spend more time with my grandfather, and (3) read more books and articles related to my field of study. I have been able to identify a few Next Actions for each project, but I'm having a difficult time determining when any of these three projects will be completed (if they ever can be). How do I know when I've "Learned Japanese"? How long do I need to track "spend more time with aging grandfather" before I feel like that project is done?

What are your suggestions for approaching, tracking, and completing ambiguous projects like these? How do you implement them into your GTD system? Are these even considered projects at all; or are they Areas of Focus?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Hi there, I hope you are doing well.

To handle ambiguous projects, define clear, achievable milestones instead of broad goals. For instance, 'Learn Japanese' can be reframed as completing 50 lessons or having a short conversation. If the goal has no endpoint, treat it as an Area of Focus, like family or growth, and track progress through routines or habits rather than as a project.

Mike Taku.
 
Justin J said:
I have a few projects on my active and S/M projects list that seem too ambiguous to complete or track. For example, three unclear projects in my life are: (1) learn Japanese, (2) spend more time with my grandfather, and (3) read more books and articles related to my field of study. I have been able to identify a few Next Actions for each project, but I'm having a difficult time determining when any of these three projects will be completed (if they ever can be). How do I know when I've "Learned Japanese"? How long do I need to track "spend more time with aging grandfather" before I feel like that project is done?

What are your suggestions for approaching, tracking, and completing ambiguous projects like these? How do you implement them into your GTD system? Are these even considered projects at all; or are they Areas of Focus?


Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
1) what do you mean by “learn Japanese”? Why do you want to learn it? I learned a very small amount of conversational Japanese, but it has been very helpful on trips to Japan. Is that what you want? Or do you want to be able to read and write fluently? Or what?

2) I’m going to be blunt here: as someone whose parents and grandparents are gone, I want to tell you that your relationship with an important person in your life is not a project, and it doesn’t get finished.. It might be part of an Area of Focus, an ongoing effort on your part. If you need to track how often you call or see your grandfather, fine. If you decide you want to give him 30 minutes a week, fine.

3) Again, keeping up in your field is very likely an area of focus. If you have to maintain professional certification, it may be a recurring project or goal.

None of the examples you asked about require once and forever decisions: you are free to change every aspect of your life.
 
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In GTD there's no such thing as an ambiguous project. As others have expertly pointed out, your examples are areas of focus in that they never end, but you have a commitment to maintain a certain standard on them. Not all of these require a project. Increasing the time you spend with your grandfather might just require setting up recurring actions/reminders to call/go see him.

However, you may use the areas to generate projects that serve your maintenance of that area. While 'learn Japanese' is never ending, something like, 'learn enough Japanese to order in restaurants for Japan trip' is more concrete. It has a point at which you can say this project is complete. Similarly, 'complete chapters 1-5 in Japanese textbook' is equally as concrete, though its outcome is different.

I find it useful when defining projects to ask: 'I can check off this project when what is true?', and 'what does done look like'? It's useful to think of projects as multi-step actions that lead to certain concrete outcomes.

edit: spelling
 
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Justin J said:
I have a few projects on my active and S/M projects list that seem too ambiguous to complete or track. For example, three unclear projects in my life are: (1) learn Japanese, (2) spend more time with my grandfather, and (3) read more books and articles related to my field of study. I have been able to identify a few Next Actions for each project, but I'm having a difficult time determining when any of these three projects will be completed (if they ever can be). How do I know when I've "Learned Japanese"? How long do I need to track "spend more time with aging grandfather" before I feel like that project is done?

What are your suggestions for approaching, tracking, and completing ambiguous projects like these? How do you implement them into your GTD system? Are these even considered projects at all; or are they Areas of Focus?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the question. I can generate lots of Areas of Focus, too. The discussion generated from your question was really helpful to me. Differentiating between areas of focus and projects, great point. And, I like "areas of focus give birth to projects".
 
ianfh10 said:
In GTD there's no such thing as an ambigous project. As others have expertly pointed out, your examples are areas of focus in that they never end, but you have a commitment to maintain a certain standard on them. Not all of these require a project. Increasing the time you spend with your grandfather might just require setting up recurring actions/reminders to call/go see him.

However, you may use the areas to generate projects that serve your maintenace of that area. While 'learn Japanese' is never ending, something like, 'learn enough Japanese to order in restaurants for Japan trip' is more concrete. It has a point at which you can say this project is complete. Similarly, 'complete chapters 1-5 in Japanese textbook' is equally as concrete, though its outcome is different.

I find it useful when defining projects to ask: 'I can check off this project when what is true?', and 'what does done look like'? It's useful to think of projects as multi-step actions that lead to certain concrete outcomes.
Click to expand...
@ianfh10

Good point: "In GTD there's no such thing as an ambigous project."

Meanwhile, at least on this end, as @Jay McConnell expressed . . . Projects always seem all the more purposeful when clearly serving a particular Area-of-Focus

As this thread beautifully expresses throughout . . . life is too short to be aimless . . . everyday as serious as the last day ?

As you see GTD fit. . . .
 
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