Need to clarify 'hard edges' for next actions

[Treetops]

Hi,

I've recently started with GTD.
I'm running it with a master excel spreadsheet with various worksheet tabs , inc. a someday/maybe , a reference reading, reference holiday ideas.

The main worksheet is marked 'all' & here I have my overview , split into sections:
A. one off tasks , sub-sectioned by context 'at desk', 'at phone', 'errands' etc

B. a waiting for section

C. (down at row 89) The projects section. Here is a list of projects (currently 14 of them). For each I have identified the desirable outcome (highlighted in green) & have written down the next action . Also in the cell next to that action have typed NA, the idea being to see the NA 'at a glance'.

Since I reorganised along the above lines , I have made good progress with
one off tasks , but less so with the projects, one important one of which hasn't move on in quite a while.

My confusion may be that for the project next actions, they are not placed in
contexts in the same way the one-off actions in section A are.
I could in section A introduce cross refs. to project tasks, but that seems to me to be complicating things / blurring the hard edges.

Or have I got it wrong , do I need 2 separate overview lists, one for projects
(but I would still have to organise projects NAs by context) ?

Any suggestions?

 

[Tom Shannon]

My confusion may be that for the project next actions, they are not placed in
contexts in the same way the one-off actions in section A are.
I could in section A introduce cross refs. to project tasks, but that seems to me to be complicating things / blurring the hard edges.

Or have I got it wrong , do I need 2 separate overview lists, one for projects
(but I would still have to organise projects NAs by context) ?

I, personally, have always cross-referenced the project actions with the one-off actions so that I have a list of tasks which could all potentially be done at the right time and place. I find it difficult enough to go down one list without going down two. This is, of course, a matter of what works for the individual. It does complicate things because you have to add the next step to the task list once you check a project action off but it sounds like it might help you to ty it.

I don't get the reference to "hard edges". These would be items (tasks or appointments) that must be done at or by a certain time. I'm not sure how it came into play in your discussion.

Tom S.

 

[Treetops]

Thanks Tom,

Yes I think I will introduce a cross link between the project next action & the
contexts.

> I don't get the reference to "hard edges". [snip]...how it came into play in
> your discussion.
Originally I was thinking that putting project NAs into one-off NA contexts would be 'blurring' hard edges between a projects lists & a one-off items list.
But yes - I think the thread would have been better phrased something like
'How to put project NAs into contexts'. Apologies for any confusion.

Mike.