My next actions list to check

[Nikolaevnikolaev]

Could experienced GTDers please check my Next Action list, is that like it should be (I'm posting only @Work context here to make it simple. And for simplicity all the names are equal - Bob I also have other contexts like @Agenda etc..):

Call Bob re his meeting with Bob re equipment supply
Call Bob find out the status of questions I asked
Call Bob check if he work with A and B airports
Call Bob meeting re: pilot zone budget
Call Bob re: visa
Call Bob meeting re: possibility of cooperation in his project
Call Bob pickup the reports
Call Bob promised to send the documentation for his project
Call Bob remind to make a meeting with Bob
Call Bob find out what was done on his project
Call Bob promissed to send information for meeting with Bob
Call Bob re: info on product A
Call Bob confirm dates of the trip
Call Bob check if he go the information from me
Check if the team has visas for the trip
Read Bob's email enclosed and call him to define the action plan
Read Bob's email on his workload to check
Read Bob's action plan to put them into my system
Read meeting minutes enclosed to put actions into my system
Sort out the computer's desktop

I have only 9 projects for such a big amount of NAs. I just don't understand why should I write 'Computer desktop is clean and tidy' or 'Get new contracts by co-operation with company ABC' on my project list.

 

[abhay]

I will answer the second question:

I have only 9 projects for such a big amount of NAs. I just don't understand why should I write 'Computer desktop is clean and tidy' or 'Get new contracts by co-operation with company ABC' on my project list.

I am sorry if I am wrong, but I think you are thinking of projects as being really big. If you add all those small things with more than one action to your projects list, that becomes an inventory of everything you want to finish. Examples on my list: "get office window fixed", "buy new rechargeable camera batteries", etc. Right now I seem to have 37 of them, and about seven big ones among them.

 

[abhay]

Now regarding the first: Most of them are fine as far as you know what they mean. Some comments on some of them: Please note that I don't have an idea of your work beyond this post, so I am sorry if what I say seems like splitting hair.

Check if the team has visas for the trip

Not exactly visualizable. How are you going to check? Write emails to all members? Call them individually? It might be better to mention this in the action: "Call Bob, Bob, and Bob to check if they have got visas"

Read Bob's email enclosed and call him to define the action plan

Fine if you can do it in one sitting. Otherwise I would split them up. Also does it mean that the action plan gets defined over the phone? Or is the call meant to set up a meeting? Also, sometimes it is good to include a reason for reading into reading actions, e.g. "read Bob's email and note my opinions/viewpoints".

Read Bob's action plan to put them into my system
Read meeting minutes enclosed to put actions into my system

I would rephrase this "read" as "process", processing in the spirit of GTD (process Bob's action plan). Because the action plan may not exactly be next actions; they may be steps/subprojects/if-then-elses/conjectures. Same for minutes.

Sort out the computer's desktop

I would see this as a project, the first next action being "review the contents of ..." in order to later "brainstorm an organization scheme for ...", and subsequently the organization itself. It's a different thing that depending upon the complexity, one may be able to do all of it in one sitting.

Regards,
Abhay

 

[Nikolaevnikolaev]

Abhay, thanks for your great ideas and comments. I will correct the next actions to make them more manageable and doable in one sitting.

The reason I don't want to put small projects on my project list is I think it doesn't worth the time spent Why do I need "buy new rechargeable camera batteries"? It's just 'Look for the lamp in the XYZ store" on my Errands list, that's it.

 

[abhay]

They are on the project list so that after completing one action associated with them, if I forget to add next, I will be reminded of it during my next weekly review, rather than when I pick up my camera to shoot something worth it, only to notice the dead batteries (again).

Regarding the time spent, it's none! Just an addition of a line should not take much more than what it takes to type the line itself, which is like ten seconds. If it is taking more than that, I would check what's wrong with my list manager or my way of handling the system.

Regards,
Abhay

 

[TooMuch]

small list!

Could experienced GTDers please check my Next Action list, is that like it should be

I have only 9 projects for such a big amount of NAs.

I'm really glad you posted this, because I need something to compare to. That seems like an amazingly short list of NA's. Could my NA list be too large? But I have a LOT of stuff going on at work, usually all at once, way more than 9 activities at any given time, not all of which I would consider to be projects, but most of which require more than one action to complete. I'm having a tough time sticking with the program because of all the NA's.

 

[Nikolaevnikolaev]

Number of NAs is individual.