I cannot find an online or Windows app task manager that provides the functionality I want to use to simultaneously track next actions across all projects. Looking for help.
First, let me lay out the concept.
My understanding of a next action is a task that can be performed without waiting for the completion of another task. A project can have multiple tasks that are next actions at the same time if none of them first require the completion of other tasks. I "cheat" GTD by not writing down ONLY my next action when I start a project. Instead, for each new project, I make a list of essential tasks, some of which can be done in any order, and others of which require the completion of other tasks first.
I want to create a custom list that automatically keeps my next actions list up to date, without needing to manually designate next actions.
I hoped to do this by making use of the task dependency feature offered by many task managers. That feature allows the user to create dependent relationships, i.e., to create a "blocked task" that is not actionable until one or more other "blocking tasks" tasks are completed. A blocked task becomes unblocked (and thus a next action) once all of its blocking tasks have been completed. I want a custom list that displays only unblocked tasks -- those that were neve blocked or for which all blocking tasks have been completed. That way, blocked tasks that did not show in the custom next actions list would show there automatically as soon as its blocking tasks were completed.
Unfortunately, I haven't found and app that allows the user to filter by blocked/unblocked status, which makes it impossible for me to create my automatically created custom list. (Facile Things automatically promotes tasks to next action status in sequential projects, but that requires the entire project to have sequential steps, when most projects are a mix of sequential and non-sequential steps. I believe MyLifeOrganized allows you to filter by blocked/unblocked status, but I don't like the app for other reasons.) Many apps require you to manually designate next actions (e.g., with a star or label), means no automatic "promotion" of tasks to next actions and requires the user to review the entire project task every time the user checks off a task, otherwise the next action won't be known until the next weekly review.
Can anyone point me to an app (either online or locally installed) that allows filtering by blocked/unblocked status? Preferably, it would do this across all projects, but I'd be willing to try an app that allows such filtering across a subset of all projects.
First, let me lay out the concept.
My understanding of a next action is a task that can be performed without waiting for the completion of another task. A project can have multiple tasks that are next actions at the same time if none of them first require the completion of other tasks. I "cheat" GTD by not writing down ONLY my next action when I start a project. Instead, for each new project, I make a list of essential tasks, some of which can be done in any order, and others of which require the completion of other tasks first.
I want to create a custom list that automatically keeps my next actions list up to date, without needing to manually designate next actions.
I hoped to do this by making use of the task dependency feature offered by many task managers. That feature allows the user to create dependent relationships, i.e., to create a "blocked task" that is not actionable until one or more other "blocking tasks" tasks are completed. A blocked task becomes unblocked (and thus a next action) once all of its blocking tasks have been completed. I want a custom list that displays only unblocked tasks -- those that were neve blocked or for which all blocking tasks have been completed. That way, blocked tasks that did not show in the custom next actions list would show there automatically as soon as its blocking tasks were completed.
Unfortunately, I haven't found and app that allows the user to filter by blocked/unblocked status, which makes it impossible for me to create my automatically created custom list. (Facile Things automatically promotes tasks to next action status in sequential projects, but that requires the entire project to have sequential steps, when most projects are a mix of sequential and non-sequential steps. I believe MyLifeOrganized allows you to filter by blocked/unblocked status, but I don't like the app for other reasons.) Many apps require you to manually designate next actions (e.g., with a star or label), means no automatic "promotion" of tasks to next actions and requires the user to review the entire project task every time the user checks off a task, otherwise the next action won't be known until the next weekly review.
Can anyone point me to an app (either online or locally installed) that allows filtering by blocked/unblocked status? Preferably, it would do this across all projects, but I'd be willing to try an app that allows such filtering across a subset of all projects.
