How to show completed tasks in Projects?

[Anonymous]

I just started the Outlook Add-In trial version and it's great. While I'm still trying to figure some things out, I am stumped on something that appears as if it should be relatively easy to fix. Well, I haven't figured it out yet.

The Outlook Add-In automatically put a "Somedayed Projects" subfolder in the Task folder. In this folder I've created a variety of projects to fit my business. Once I've completed an item within a project, I click 'complete' and the whole item disappears. I don't want it to disappear, as I want to be able to reference this completed item later. How do I view do this? (side note: when I click on the actual Tasks folder I can create "Categories". Here is where I have: @Home, @Work, etc. I can, however, click as completed on these individual items within these categories and it crosses thru them. Works in Categories, but not in Projects). Help!

 

[Anonymous]

Re: How to show completed tasks in Projects?

Once I've completed an item within a project, I click 'complete' and the whole item disappears. I don't want it to disappear, as I want to be able to reference this completed item later. How do I view do this?

Hi KD.

I've only just started using the Outlook Add-In myself, so I could be way off kilter, but there are views that can help you see the tasks that you've completed. Just click on View|Current View|Completed Tasks. The Somedayed Project Actions folder is a little light on GTD views compared with the other folders, so you have to use the standard Outlook Completed Tasks view to show you all the tasks that have disappeared from your GTD view in this folder.

Of course, This will not show you them by GTD project, but you can apply or modify the filter for the completed tasks view. In Outlook 2003, this can be reached from the View Menu following View|Current View|Customise Current View. This should bring up a dialog that will enable you to alter things like the sort, group by and filter settings until you get the data arranged in the way that makes sense to you. Other versions of Outlook do this too, from the View Menu, but the path may be called something slightly different. However, if you can find the Customise Current View option, this will get you where you want to be.

This should give you a view that will permit you to reference back to your completed Somdayed Project Tasks, but will keep them separate from the outstanding tasks (By Project (GTD)) in the same folder; effectively giving you an "everyday" view and a "reference" view.

That's one suggested solution for your problem, but there may be others out there that can be suggested by people with more experience with the Add-in than me.

HTH.
Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

Mike, thanks for the insight.

I'm surprised that showing completed tasks within an active project is so difficult, if not impossible, to do. When in the actual Task folder using Categories, it allows for this but not in the Somedayed Projects (which I've renamed "Projects"). I'd like to see the actual completed tasks w/in that project w/out having them disappear. Is this not possible??

Here's another question:

When I sync Outlook to my Palm (Tungsten E), the Project names (ie, Build Bookshelves in Family Room) transfer but not the individual items within that specific project. All the Categories (ie, @Home, @Work, etc) transfer along with the list of items w/in that category fine, but not when working with the Projects. Any ideas on how to get the Project names AND items w/in said project to sync into my Palm??

 

[Anonymous]

Seeing Completed Tasks

I'm surprised that showing completed tasks within an active project is so difficult, if not impossible, to do. When in the actual Task folder using Categories, it allows for this but not in the Somedayed Projects (which I've renamed "Projects"). I'd like to see the actual completed tasks w/in that project w/out having them disappear. Is this not possible??

Hi KD.

Yes, what you want is possible. You can achieve this by altering the filter that is applied in the (Somedayed) Project Tasks View. It's back to the View Menu I'm afraid. Assuming you have selected the "By Project (GTD)" view, choose View|Arrange by|Current View|Customise Current View. In the resultant dialog, click the "Filter..." command button. Then choose the Advanced Tab. You should get something like:

• Complete equals No
  Complete does not Exist
  Somedayed Project equals No
  Somedayed Project does not exist

If you delete the top two lines from this list, the view should display items in projects regardless of their completion status. You might want to add "Complete" in the "Sort" dialog to sort items in the view, so that the outstanding tasks are separated from the complete tasks, or you may not: It's your preference.

If you don't want to mess with the Add-in view, you can create your own, similar view, by starting in the "By Project (GTD)" view and choosing View|Arrange by|Current View|Define Views... This will bring up the "Customer View Organiser" dialog. Click on the "By Project (GTD)" line and choose the "Copy" command button. This will copy across the "By Product (GTD)" view and prompt you to save it to another name. You can then tinker about with your new view, as described above, without altering the original GTD view. You can select your new view instead of the standard GTD view.

Can't help you on the Palm question, I'm afraid. I'm an old-fashioned kinda guy. I use Moleskine books as my portable GTD devices. I only use Outlook at work, because that's where all my work requests arrive. Maybe someone who is a Palm guru can give you a steer with your second question.

I hope that I've explained myself well enough, so that the above is of help to you, and remember I've walked through using Outlook 2003; earlier Outlook versions may use different menu options, but the dialogs should be the same.

HTH.
Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

Got it thanks. Now for my next question.

I watched the tutorial/presentation on the Outlook Add-in and when in the Projects screen, the presenter clicked on an item within a project and added a bunch of blank ones. How do you do that? Basically I'd like to be within a Project and add other items (within same Project) without having to go up to the "new" icon, click it, then click on the right Project, etc. Would just like to add items within current project in rapid fashion. Any idea on how to do this??

 

[Anonymous]

Got it thanks. Now for my next question.

I watched the tutorial/presentation on the Outlook Add-in and when in the Projects screen, the presenter clicked on an item within a project and added a bunch of blank ones. How do you do that? Basically I'd like to be within a Project and add other items (within same Project) without having to go up to the "new" icon, click it, then click on the right Project, etc. Would just like to add items within current project in rapid fashion. Any idea on how to do this??