Keeping NA List in Sync with Projects

[dgorley]

I've only been using the GTD process for a few days now, but already I'm noticing an improvement in my comfort level with the things I'm doing. It's great to be able to see, at a single glance, all the balls I've got in the air, and all the things I could be doing right now.

I've got a question about how people manage "Next Actions" that are attached to projects. Having a next action for all of your projects seems like a great idea, but once I've completed that action, then what? It seems to me that ensuring every project has a next action is a task for the Weekly Review, but I find I don't want to wait until then to move forward.

Here's an example: one of my projects is "Create program X". The next action associated with that project is "Define potential inputs and outputs for program X". Once I complete that task, I find myself thinking if there's something else I should be doing on that project, and if there is, I add it to the NA list.

This process is functional thus far, but it feels kind of clumsy. Does anyone have any better suggestions on keeping my NA list in sync with my projects?

 

[TimCost]

Once I complete that task, I find myself thinking if there's something else I should be doing on that project, and if there is, I add it to the NA list.

I've been wondering about this also. What I do is if I'm in the groove working on a project I just keap on chugging along. When I get to a good stopping point (or I'm forced to stop for whatever reason) I add a NA to my list so I'll know where to pick up when I can get back to that project. I sort of use NA's as roadsigns so I can remember what I was doing AND where I wanted to go with it.

of course ymmv. good luck.