On honesty and accurate context lists

ERJ1

Jedi Master
Hi all - just a little musing from me today.

Since the new year, I've really been trying to streamline my system a bit. I went back to a mostly default set of contexts. I've been trying to be better about being honest about what I'll actually complete as next actions.

Perhaps most importantly, I've been reflecting on what next actions I put in what context lists.

For example, I've always put some work tasks in @Office (the stuff I can literally only do at the office) and some work tasks in @Computer (the stuff I could do on any computer). I've held true to overall sticking stuff on the context lists that relate to WHERE I can complete the task. But...

The fact is, it's against my personal work religion to do work at home (heheh). I avoid it all costs. So, just this morning, I moved all work-related tasks off my @Computer list to my @Office list. The fact is, that's really the only place I ever intend on doing that stuff. How do you guys feel about that? Are you absolute in keeping tasks in context lists related to where things CAN be completed? Or are you honest about putting items in context lists based on where you will ACTUALLY complete them?
 

ivanjay205

Registered
Hi all - just a little musing from me today.

Since the new year, I've really been trying to streamline my system a bit. I went back to a mostly default set of contexts. I've been trying to be better about being honest about what I'll actually complete as next actions.

Perhaps most importantly, I've been reflecting on what next actions I put in what context lists.

For example, I've always put some work tasks in @Office (the stuff I can literally only do at the office) and some work tasks in @Computer (the stuff I could do on any computer). I've held true to overall sticking stuff on the context lists that relate to WHERE I can complete the task. But...

The fact is, it's against my personal work religion to do work at home (heheh). I avoid it all costs. So, just this morning, I moved all work-related tasks off my @Computer list to my @Office list. The fact is, that's really the only place I ever intend on doing that stuff. How do you guys feel about that? Are you absolute in keeping tasks in context lists related to where things CAN be completed? Or are you honest about putting items in context lists based on where you will ACTUALLY complete them?
So my understanding is you are not supposed to separate work and personal etc because the idea is not that you are using context for that. Computer, office, home, errands are places you can complete those items. To avoid seeing the work stuff that is where your area of focus comes in. Shifting to personal or personal home maintenance or personal shoping etc. that filters out all the work stuff.
 

ERJ1

Jedi Master
So my understanding is you are not supposed to separate work and personal etc because the idea is not that you are using context for that. Computer, office, home, errands are places you can complete those items. To avoid seeing the work stuff that is where your area of focus comes in. Shifting to personal or personal home maintenance or personal shoping etc. that filters out all the work stuff.
I suppose some of this comes down to the nuance of whatever list manager is being used. Via Todoist, I do have all my stuff broken out into Areas of Focus, but then use the labels to separate Next Actions into Context Lists.

I'd always organized my stuff per the traditional GTD way, whether something was work or personal it went on, say, the @Computer Context List. But the fact is, I just don't ever intend on doing work stuff at home. So, that's clogging up an otherwise meaningful Context List.

I know Papa David doesn't believe in differentiating work/personal at all, to him it's all work. But after a full year of doing it Papa David's way, the fact remains that I just ain't doing work stuff at home.
 

Oogiem

Registered
The fact is, it's against my personal work religion to do work at home (heheh). I avoid it all costs. So, just this morning, I moved all work-related tasks off my @Computer list to my @Office list. The fact is, that's really the only place I ever intend on doing that stuff. How do you guys feel about that? Are you absolute in keeping tasks in context lists related to where things CAN be completed? Or are you honest about putting items in context lists based on where you will ACTUALLY complete them?
I'm confused. If you only do it at the office but you need your office computer to do it then you clearly need an @Office Computer context. I say your problem is less one of what context list you put something on than it is one of you are trying to stick to an inadequate list of contexts.

Remember the list of suggested contexts is just a starting point. You need to adjust it based on what you do and how you work.

I put things in the list where I will do them and am most efficient. But I don't even HAVE an @Office or @Computer context. I have 22 different contexts that reflect how I do my work and how I like to see my lists.

I know Papa David doesn't believe in differentiating work/personal at all, to him it's all work. But after a full year of doing it Papa David's way, the fact remains that I just ain't doing work stuff at home.
I don't interpret his suggestion that way at all. Instead I interpret it to mean that you at a minimum have to be able to capture stuff for either work or personal contexts no matter where you are. Some people run 2 totally different systems and thats ok. Personally for me it really is all one life and not just because I live and work at the same location.

But that is totally separate from what context you put it in. That has to be what you need. I foudn the book suggested contexts impossible to work with and changed them a long time ago. I will also make, use and then remove contexts on a whim or as my needs change.
 

bcmyers2112

Registered
I know Papa David doesn't believe in differentiating work/personal at all, to him it's all work. But after a full year of doing it Papa David's way, the fact remains that I just ain't doing work stuff at home.

I've never read or heard anything from David Allen stating that could remotely be interpreted as commanding "thou shalt not differentiate work and personal stuff in your lists." In fact, I'm pretty sure in the GTD book he even suggests splitting your calls list into work and personal can be useful, just as an example (if I didn't read it there, I know I read it somewhere from him).

He's simply advocating that people apply the GTD process to personal stuff the same way they would apply it to work stuff -- capturing, clarifying, organizing, reflecting, and engaging -- because it's all work. Where it ends up on your lists is up to you -- because they're your lists.

In your case, I think your problem can be solved easily. Either put *all* work stuff on an "Office" list. Or if that doesn't work well for you put your office computer stuff on an "office computer" list like @Oogiem suggests.

Simple. No muss, no fuss.
 

mcogilvie

Registered
i Have settled on the following approach: I associate a next action with the least powerful tool I think I can do it with. For me, this is often my @tablet/phone context. If I feel the slightest resistance, I move it to some other context: @(home) office, @computer (home or work) or my @flat context (large flat space needed to spread out). Put it where you think you’ll do it, move it if it’s not happening. GTD is all about loops, feedback and frequent course correction.
 

John Forrister

GTD Connect
Staff member
Very kind of you to say so, but I happen to know he’s not that good at GTD.
Humility about your GTD practice is a sign of being good at it. A few years ago a guy told me he was really on top of his GTD practice and didn't need any pointers. Funny thing is that his co-workers told me about things that fell through the cracks in his supposedly leakproof system. I bet your co-workers do not say that about your system.
 

ivanjay205

Registered
For years I have had an @Computer-Work list and an @Computer-,Personal list. Problem solved.
I do something similar but I have a context for computer I use Area of Responsibility as that next level filter. But accomplishes the exact same thing.

I know someone said it earlier but really it is not you have to work at home and vice versa. Just clean organizational systems to be Able to see whatever is available to do with the tools available and when you want to do it.

That being said I have had a crazy heavy travel schedule so I am really looking forward to some time I set aside tomorrow for a weekly review to get myself back in order!
 

thomasbk

Registered
I've had jobs where I had to use different software for my work lists than what I use for personal lists. But even when I've been able to have both work and personal in one system, I've always kept a firewall between them. I like the psychological cleansing that comes from deleting all my work lists with one click when I leave a job versus carefully weeding those tasks out.
 

Kelly_Adam

Registered
Hi all - just a little musing from me today.

Since the new year, I've really been trying to streamline my system a bit. I went back to a mostly default set of contexts. I've been trying to be better about being honest about what I'll actually complete as next actions.

Perhaps most importantly, I've been reflecting on what next actions I put in what context lists.

For example, I've always put some work tasks in @Office (the stuff I can literally only do at the office) and some work tasks in @Computer (the stuff I could do on any computer). I've held true to overall sticking stuff on the context lists that relate to WHERE I can complete the task. But...

The fact is, it's against my personal work religion to do work at home (heheh). I avoid it all costs. So, just this morning, I moved all work-related tasks off my @Computer list to my @Office list. The fact is, that's really the only place I ever intend on doing that stuff. How do you guys feel about that? Are you absolute in keeping tasks in context lists related to where things CAN be completed? Or are you honest about putting items in context lists based on where you will ACTUALLY complete them?

Hi,


If I know I'm not going to do something at home computer, I definitely DO NOT have it on a home list. Because even if it can be done there, I choose not to and I don't want it showing up on my home lists. Your lists are yours to manipulate any way you need to.

For what it's worth, I'm no expert just a beginner, I use Notion. I have one Master Task Database/Table. I tag each entry with anything and everything. Home, Computer, Office, Research etc and give it a due date and sometimes an energy rating.

I sort or filter the master task data base depending on context or what I want to see. If I want to see all computer items I just sort by computer and the table will show me everything I've tagged with computer. If I add Home to the filter it will remove all tasks not tagged with both home and computer. Likewise, in the office if I sort by computer and office it's only going to show me tasks that are tagged with both.

Last week, I had a sick kid at home, and it did require me to work from home which I hate. I simply removed home from the filter, and it showed, once, again everything on the @ computer list. I filter as wide or narrow as I want. Tags include context and activity. Research, Reading, Computer, Phone. If I don't have internet access (like my flight last weekend) I simply add No Internet to the filter and it will only show entries tagged with Computer and No Internet. Back in service, take the No Internet away.

It takes a bit to set up the Master Task List with all the entries and tags and information but once it's working, it's gold.

Kelly
 
Top