Many of my active projects have 5 to 12 independant actions. I want to be able to see a good number of them (all if possible) when I am in the context in which they can be done so I can choose the task to complete based on time available, energy, etc. I want to see these while I am in very specific contexts such as when I am in a certain neighborhood or a certain room in my house or part of the builiding in which I work. I am using plain vanilla Palm (handheld and desktop versions) but could use paper as well. Palm limits to 15 categories in either Tasks or Memo. I presently use Memo for my project definitions and my @contexts lists because it will sort A to Z and it is easier for me to see if I have already entered the item. The solution I see is to put the actions into the context categories with a short heading so they come up together. For example, in @home I can begin all the kitchen actions with kitchen and thereby see them together, and within @out I can begin the actions I need to do with a word to designate a more specific location such as Brooklyn, Midtown, etc. But, I fear that I am gravitating towards an heirarchy and that I am starting to make too many subcategories. Also, the handheld can display on the date view items from Task and you can ceck them off. This is very handy. I would appreciate any thoughts and examples of what other people do.
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independant actions/ contexts
- Thread starter Jamie Elis
- Start date
Do you have a Mac? There is a freeware tool for the Palm called MacNoteTaker. It is basically Memos, but it has a folders functionality, so you can put the Memoleafs into folders like on a desktop computer. I used to heavuly relie on that weh I GTDed with my Palm.
thanks but I lack a mac
windows only
windows only
Why do you need a context for a specific room? I think it would take you less then 2 minutes to get there and start doing what you need to do. I have home, garage etc but all of that falls under @Home context. I don't check tasks lists every second (i.e. when I parked my car, what's next?) - that's too complicated. I get into @Home context and choose what to do next but before that I check my brain if there's something I want-need to do and if that's on the lists - great, my system and I on the same track 
why is a good question...
It raises the issue of whether the actions are really indepenednt and yes they are. I have many things to do in specific rooms and places and they are not routine things. I have done the thinking up front and my list tells me the many actions I can do without getting any other supplies, having conferences, making measurements, etc. But, if I am cued by just looking at the room, my brain will direct me to something that I have not processed in this way or I will recoil from the overwhelming number of things or start in on something that captivates me at the moment. If my list cues me to do something that is a purely indepenedent action but it will take a long time and I only have 15 minutes, I will not even start it or I might start it and then have to get it all cleaned up. If I see I have a choice, I can select the 15 minute one. I might get lucky and it takes me 5 minutes and I can get into another little one. Also, by looking at the list of ten small actions I can choose based on my instinct and the situation and how much physical or mental heavy lifting I can handle at the moment. Even when the amount of time is going to be about the same, fifteen minutes lubricating hinges has a different quality than fifteen minutes of re-labeling the recycling containers, etc. At work, if I go to a certain building for supplies and forms, and to drop items off I want to see the whole list for that part of the building. I may not be able to get each thing done because certain areas will have lines of other people waiting or offices may be unmanned for a period, so I want to be able to make moment to moment decisions in that very, very specific context.
It raises the issue of whether the actions are really indepenednt and yes they are. I have many things to do in specific rooms and places and they are not routine things. I have done the thinking up front and my list tells me the many actions I can do without getting any other supplies, having conferences, making measurements, etc. But, if I am cued by just looking at the room, my brain will direct me to something that I have not processed in this way or I will recoil from the overwhelming number of things or start in on something that captivates me at the moment. If my list cues me to do something that is a purely indepenedent action but it will take a long time and I only have 15 minutes, I will not even start it or I might start it and then have to get it all cleaned up. If I see I have a choice, I can select the 15 minute one. I might get lucky and it takes me 5 minutes and I can get into another little one. Also, by looking at the list of ten small actions I can choose based on my instinct and the situation and how much physical or mental heavy lifting I can handle at the moment. Even when the amount of time is going to be about the same, fifteen minutes lubricating hinges has a different quality than fifteen minutes of re-labeling the recycling containers, etc. At work, if I go to a certain building for supplies and forms, and to drop items off I want to see the whole list for that part of the building. I may not be able to get each thing done because certain areas will have lines of other people waiting or offices may be unmanned for a period, so I want to be able to make moment to moment decisions in that very, very specific context.
I'll sometimes group related tasks on the Palm by giving them a priority code. For instance, if you want to clean your house and would like to segregate the cleaning tasks from the rest of your @Home list, give them a priority code of 1, assuming all other NA are unassigned to priority codes, then the Palm will throw the Priority 1 items to the bottom of the list. You should do this at the Palm Desktop; assigning priorities directly on the handheld gives inconsistent results.
For an extended discussion, see this thread.
For an extended discussion, see this thread.