Is it best to focus on a particular project for hours or to work on a series of brief tasks associated with different projects?
Yes I use both methods, there is no one best solution.
I my opinion, the criterion to answer this question is: Is bookmarking a project a cost or an opportunity?
To me that is an odd way of looking at it. Bookmarking is always an opportunity. It saves me from having to start over or backup. Done correctly it's quick, easy and I don't have to backtrack on a project. If it's not easy for you then I'd figure out why it's not a simple thing to do and fix that first.
# Type-B Project: (Bookmarking = Cost)
- State of mind (Creativity; Flow) interrupted. Will requires up to several hours to be recovered (Mental cost).
- Many actions necessary to start and/or stop (e.g. Painting a room).
- Soft reference material in the head get forgotten after some days.
- Project moving slowly -- People will not engage. Motivation decreases …
- Changing environment (e.g. organizing an event including the booking of a flight).
Here's my take on this issue:
If you need hours to stay in the flow why are you even thinking of moving to a new context or have a need to bookmark the project?
Painting a room is a project not an action. it also has a set amount of time so you ahve to plan how to accomplish it and htat probably means scheduling time on your calendar.
I never try to keep reference material in my head. I make note of it immediately and add it to my inbox if necessary for processing for future reference when I empty my inboxes.
If a project is moving slowly it might be that it's really several projects, or you may not even need to actually do it. I use that as a signal to explore deeper about the why and how during a review of the project.
I don't understand the last one at all. Changing environment is changing a context. Can you clarify this one?
In other words how do you manage in your GTD-Workflow projects with a high bookmarking cost?
I don't have a high bookmarking cost. So I never am in that situation.
I know, not much help at all.