Keeping project lists in memos vs todos

[mpovolo]

My current implementation is a Project category in todo with each project as a seperate task with notes. The notes outline the tasks of the project and below that are results chronologically. Everytime I have to do something on the project, I either duplicate the project task and rename it to the task at hand, or copy the project task to an appointment and rename the subject.

The other option is to keep the project list as seperate memos. The negative to this is that it takes longer to create a task/appnt for the item in comparison to the method described above.

Are there any pros to keeping project lists in memos vs todos?

thanks
Mark

 

[jkgrossi]

I like to keep my Projects list in the memo section, as well as Someday/Maybes, Agendas and Waiting for's. I do this mainly because it keeps my TODO's clean - by this I mean having it only contain things that I can physically do.

 

[Anonymous]

For whatever it may be worth, I have such a high volume of projects that i find alpha sort of Memo's helpful.

 

[rossw]

I use ListPro for my projects, somedays and checklists.

As well as keeping my action lists clean, it makes it easy to build a plan behind each project.

At present, I don't link tasks mechanically.

 

[Jason Womack]

Action Lists and Reference Lists

Hi there,

All of my *actionable* items (including Projects, Next Actions, Waiting Fors and Someday/Maybe items) are in my TO-DO section of the palm.

All of my *reference* information is categorized in the MEMO section.

This is the quickest way I know of to take a call, and make a WF, or to take a project, and renegotiate this week off to the Someday/Maybe list.

I can also trust that I won't have to look in more than one *application* (to me, each of the four items in Palm-date, address, to-do, memo-is an application) for action items.

Currently, I've got about 250 action items and well over 500 memo items. I appreciate the simplicity of having things in one of two places...

Jason
jason@davidco.com

 

[jledesma]

Projects in Memo and how to keep them organized

8)

I like to keep my projects on the memo pad of my clie with each project having a 4-letter code in front eg, PRJT BIOCHM Exam 2( for you students out there) and then I use a utility called Magic Text(dowloadable at Palm.Gear.com) to put both the date and time stamp in a fraction of a second, so now I have something like this:

PRJT BIOCHM Exam B 10/4/02 4:45pm

This is my memo title, the regular palms have category limit of 14 or 16 so by using specific memo title as described above I can use an application called MemoLeaf(a memo replacement $6) to do super,super quick searches, thus giving you unlimited number of categories(what happens if you have 30 projects what do you do ?). So let's say my actions associatied with the above project heading are the following:

1)Read Chapter 11 and review questions from Dr. Gordon practice test
2)Fill out the chart and proper lab procedure
3) Read Chapter 14 and meet w/ Valeria to review
4)....
5) and so forth

All those actions will be placed in my todo application datebook five under project with a folder icon(I have created 20 basic color icons) eventually when they become actionable in the meantime they'll reside in this memo. Let's say that option # 1 will be actionable this saturday afternoon and highlight opt #1 and with a configured swipe and I bring up Linki, a link DA part of the Mega Wiki Suite(dowloadable at Palmgear as well), tap todo and it automatically goes to DBK5 and creates a todo item and I update the date and catogory of the todo to Project and then assign the icon for this particular project. Lets skipp to item #4 notice its an appt so I repeat the procedure but this time instead of tapping todo in Linki I tap Date which will jump as well to dbk5 and creat an appt, repeat cat and icon procedure.

I also have a code word for next actions NXTA as I get think of them a create a memo(date/time stamped) and keep going with the nection action on whatever context it may be, it doesn't matter they will be coded NXTA during the day I'll process them quickly and move them into a catogory in the memo that I name TONITE or WEEKLY REVIEW, tonite if I have to make them actionable right away or weekly review so I can review it and then make a decision as to when its gonig to be appropiate to take action. A good idea is to put the week number and year eg. NXTA 40W02 that way you can search Memo Leaf for entries with that title to make sure you don't miss anything. With another aspect of Mega Wiki called Piki you can configure certain views so you can access the information quickly and on command, that's one of the primary motives of using this system it allows me to create, process, archive, and retrieve very quickly all the information after you get use to using code word for anything it becomes very second nature and also since all your inputs are located in one database of your handheld its quiet easy to input through the desktop component as well. For me Outlook is difficult and I feel more in control if I have my handheld all the time..... 8)

 

[Martin Kelly]

Re: Action Lists and Reference Lists

All of my *actionable* items (including Projects, Next Actions, Waiting Fors and Someday/Maybe items) are in my TO-DO section of the palm.

All of my *reference* information is categorized in the MEMO section.

Jason - I also keep my Projects as TO-DO items in my Palm. However, in the GTD book David says "You can't do a project". That statement always makes me feel MUW (mind unlike water) when I place a project in the TO-DO section.

MK

 

[RAN]

Re: Projects in Memo and how to keep them organized

8)

For me Outlook is difficult and I feel more in control if I have my handheld all the time..... 8)

J:

I used to feel that way, too, undeniably due to the fact that I fell in love (no comments from the peanut gallery, please) with the Palm-PDA; I've been using one since the old Pilot500, in fact.

But I really misused the Palm in some ways, though I have become (like many of you, undoubtedly) a PDA-guru endowed with VAST experience with every Palmgear-downloaded program available. Heck, I make a living at this stuff; I've now trained hundreds of people on the Palm and loaded many of them down with everything from AN/Agendus to DB5 to Bonsai to LifeBalance to ShadowPlan to MegaWiki to just plain old Vanilla apps. In hindsight, I've often wondered if I'm just a high-tech huckster of the latest-and-greatest Palm/PC apps; but I've retained clientele consistently, so there must be a kernel of good, solid stuff in "my" products.

Here's my point: I'm either with clients or in my home office (leisure time excepted, of course); and a couple of hours out of each day I spend supporting all those apps/concepts (both PC-side and Palm) I've sold clients on. The funny thing is that even though -- whilst in my office -- I was sitting in front of a PC, I'd opt to use my Palm for just about everything -- scheduling, entering todos, planning projects, jotting down someday/maybes, e-mail, entering time/billing, et. al.

Why? Like I said... simple love of the gadget.

I'm sure there are many out there who will say that's just plain stupid, but I'll bet there are an equal number (remember there are MANY "lurkers" on the myriad web-boards) who do exactly as I do. Of late, however, I am simply using the Palm for what it was meant for: a portable schedule/reference for use AWAY from the office. And, consequently, I'm using the Desktop/PIM for office-work, keeping it open and working out of there. I get the "big picture" in a way that the Palm can NEVER give me (yes, even with the almighty Tungsten-T's resolution) and I have the benefit of mail-merges, EFFECTIVE word processing, etc.

I'm still a Palm-guru, but sometimes all this neat and admittedly CREATIVE stuff like 37-step MegaWiki-linked, Cyberpoche-enhanced tracking methods [e.g., Tag/NXTA + datestamp + @7412SCH + (shortcut - @xxplacexx divided by the square root of the hypotenuse of Datebk5-Piki-Fiki-Wiki³] oft times seems to be a bit overkill.

Don't get me wrong; I'm no Vanilla-palm Crusader by any means. I've "gotten things done" with all of the aforementioned complex methods, but I've had to face the fact that I was simply working harder than I needed to due to my own personal search for the Great Palm Unified Theory of TimeManagement Application Usage (that's GPUT² for all you acronym lovers out there).

The fact is: Ain't no such thang.

Again, don't worry... I'm not trying to start a "plain Vanilla Palm" crusade; to each his own, and more power to those who experiment with ALL of this great stuff. History will absolve us for all our Palm-based excesses. But even though you might be a lifelong Palm Cognoscenti, remember to step "outside" the PDA once in a while just in case -- just in case, mind you! -- it might be eating up just a tad more time than it's really worth.

 

[RAN]

Addendum:

Just to show that I wasn't trying to seem "righteous" in my assumptions, I also posted a question on the "Gear & Gadgets" board about another "new" piece of software I'm experimenting with: FC's PlanPlus for Outlook.

You see, I might still be just a tad addicted to GPUT² (see above post for acronymic reference). Nobody's perfect! :lol:

 

[tallmarvin]

Well said. Simplicity is often power.

I read this right on time...went to Fry's today and saw the new PDA'S, and the juices started flowing..'gee, the Clie is nicer than my Treo 90...and the Tungsten is very cool...etc...

..when the bottom line is, i need to get things done...with the best tools available for the job...but without overkill.

onward...

 

[Anonymous]

KISS

I too digressed into the world of downloading and installing every neat software, hack, etc for the Palm. Well, last week I wiped it all out, reset the Palm and started completely over with just the native Palm apps. What I have found is that they work pretty darn well and I don't miss all of the other stuff at all. It seems that the Keep It Simple Stupid paradigm prevails again.

 

[Jason Womack]

Re: KISS

I too digressed into the world of downloading and installing every neat software, hack, etc for the Palm. Well, last week I wiped it all out, reset the Palm and started completely over with just the native Palm apps. What I have found is that they work pretty darn well and I don't miss all of the other stuff at all. It seems that the Keep It Simple Stupid paradigm prevails again.

Wow! I have been looking for a clear way to say this; thanks Tom!

I'm a true believer that "form follows function." Looking back in time, I admit that I created some pretty "geeky" organizational systems...only to have them fade away because of the time intenisive nature of upkeep.

I agree; the simplicity of the Palm system is key. Actually, any system you have to manage lists will work just fine. The form...that's a result of processing. (What is it? What do I have attention on? What do I want to see different? What am I willing to commit to? What's my VERY next action?)

Those questions, although seemingly simple (like the Palm) are deceptively complex (again, like the Palm!). So, use what works; keeping in mind the principle behind the behavior. What's that again? Here's a way of thinking about it:

The Best Practices of Workflow Management:

COLLECT
Best Practice: out of your head, in dedicated locations

PROCESS
Best Practice: Decide on actions and outcomes when things SHOW up

ORGANIZE
Best Practice: Sharp edges to 6-8 lists

REVIEW
Best Practice: Care and feed the system, review in discretionary time

DO
Best Practice: Use all of the above