Newbie: Lists as tasks or catagories in Outlook?

DB

Registered
I have a funny feeling that by the time I finish this post I will have answered my own question, but here I go anyway…

I’m a newbie, just getting ready to implement GTD on Outlook (which I can synch with my Toshiba e310 PPC) and my brain keeps hitting a brick wall when I try to sort out whether to use “tasks” or “categories” for sorting my lists of “projects” and “next actions”.

I’ve looked all over the board and some threads touch on this, but if there’s a thread that addresses this specifically, please direct me. Sorry to have bored all you super-duper GTDers already in the thick of it all, WAY past this stage.

Should all the items on my different lists (Projects, Someday/Maybe, Waiting For, Calls, Emails, At Computer, etc.) be listed as separate tasks and then assign them to a category based on which list they belong to, or do I create a task called projects (or whatever other list) and list the individual project in the notes section of the task?

It seems to make more sense (so possibly this is my answer) to make each item on each list a separate task so they can be checked off individually once complete? This way I just sort the view by category to do my list reviews…yes?? If I want to be really organized, I could put which project the NAs are attached to in the note section of the NA task? Also by having each project as a separate task, I could also list the NA in the notes section of that particular project as well, in case I had a brainstorming moment and didn’t want to loose the train of thought. Then I’d just move them to their own NA task as they came up?
Or…
Do you make a task called Project List by itself and list the different projects in the note section of the task? I’m pretty sure this is not the answer.

And do you put your “outcome” beside each project, or if it's a separate task, in it’s note section?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
 
E

Elizabeth W

Guest
Should all the items on my different lists (Projects, Someday/Maybe, Waiting For, Calls, Emails, At Computer, etc.) be listed as separate tasks and then assign them to a category based on which list they belong to,

Quick reply: that's what I do.

Have you read the DA document on using Outlook and GTD?
 

DB

Registered
Have you read the DA document on using Outlook and GTD?

I guess not, where is it? and Thanks.
 

ext555

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It's one of the products for sale on this website 30.00 (I think)

If you're really planning on using outlook a lot --you'd be better off spending the 50.00 on the GTD outlook plug-in (also available on this web site) the GTD document is included in the help for that program.

Hope that helps

Paul
 

DB

Registered
Thanks for your help everyone. I have to say, I'm getting a great chuckle out of the irony in how much time I'm am spending on figuring out how to get things done, meanwhile, my to-do pile is ever-growing. Between reading the book, this board, now Bill's board, which I printed lots of tips from, and which I now have "to read"!! I'm afraid to committ to the 1-2 days of "collecting" and them implementing the system, I already have over 40 things on my lists...yikes!
Debbie
 
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