How to create the right Contexts?

[wordsofwonder]

Probably Tammy's advice could work here and I should put a phone call to the least specific context (in my case it's @Call) and check this category at home and at office as well.

I think this is an important point, and a good realization: for me, I found that when I recognized that contexts were not tied to specific physical locations, I was able to simplify my system and eliminate a number of redundant contexts.

In programs like Datebk6 (and others, I'm sure), you can set up saved views for different locations, that include different combinations of contexts. When I was using Datebk6 on my Palm, I had, for example, a saved view called "Office" that included items from my @Anywhere, @Computer, @Call_Write, @Office and Waiting_For lists.

Lately, I've dumped a lot of my add-on software and gone back to my Palm Z22's built-in Tasks and Calendar applications, but the principle still holds. I just have to take a look at the included contexts manually, is all.

-- Tammy

 

[kewms]

Smartphones allow you to store thousands of contacts (your whole address book) so there is no need to use separate address book or PDA.

My phone's memory is large, but my address book is larger. While phones that will hold my entire address book do exist, they cost more than I was willing to pay to duplicate functionality that my PDA already handles quite nicely.

My solution has been to put family, close friends, and clients in my phone, and leave everyone else in the PDA. This takes care of the vast majority of my calls, especially when away from my office. YMMV.

Katherine

 

[Brent]

I'm suddenly thankful for my Treo 600, which is a combined phone and PDA. I've got all my contacts on it, and I still have 9 MB of empty storage space.

(It also has all my Actions and Projects.)

 

[kewms]

I'm suddenly thankful for my Treo 600, which is a combined phone and PDA.

*shrug* To each their own. I put the $250 price difference between the Treo and my phone to good use elsewhere.

Katherine

 

[Brent]

Oh yeah, absolutely. I wasn't suggesting it was superior; just saying that it's a good solution for me.

 

[Mindi]

Is there any method or recommendation on how to setup the right Contexts? I used to have "standard" contexts like @Agendas, @Call, @Computer, @Errands, @Waiting, @Home, @Office.

I found the best way for me to evaluate whether I have the right contexts was to look at my @Anywhere list. My @Anywhere list was a catchall for things that didn't fit well into one of my other contexts, and during one weekly review I realized that the @Anywhere items weren't getting done. As I reviewed the list, I saw that the items on the list either weren't next actions (a different problem), or weren't really "@Anywhere". I found that a group of items (like writing/ brainstorming), while I could technically do them anywhere, actually required me to focus. The resulting context was @desk (different from @office, @phone) because my writing desk was where I personally needed to be in order to optimally and efficiently focus and do those tasks.
Hope this helps.
Mindi

 

[TesTeq]

You've already spent these $250.

*shrug* To each their own. I put the $250 price difference between the Treo and my phone to good use elsewhere.

Katherine

You've already spent these $250 on your PDA, I think

And you must carry two devices with you.

 

[kewms]

You've already spent these $250 on your PDA, I think

And you must carry two devices with you.

Actually the PDA was a gift. And it's several years old, so the money is long gone whether I buy a Treo or not.

No, I don't have to carry both devices with me. (Though, admittedly, I usually do.) As discussed above, the numbers that are in my cellphone handle the vast majority of my calls.

Katherine