Questions about processing

[JDC]

I've just started to implement GTD and I have a couple of questions:

1) What do I do about things that can be accomplished in more than one way? For example: I need a black t-shirt. I could:
A) order one on-line (goes on computer list)
B) order one from a catalog (goes on at home list)
C) pick one up at the GAP (goes on errands list)

Should I put it on all three lists?

2) What do I do about support material for projects that aren't active projects? For example: I read a review of a book that I definitely want to read when I start actively working on a specific project. However, I don't think I'll be actively working on it for another 6 months. How do I track that. Clearly the project should be listed with the Someday/maybe stuff, but what about all the information and ideas that I have about it in the interim?

Thanks,

JDC

 

[kewms]

I've just started to implement GTD and I have a couple of questions:

1) What do I do about things that can be accomplished in more than one way? For example: I need a black t-shirt. I could:
A) order one on-line (goes on computer list)
B) order one from a catalog (goes on at home list)
C) pick one up at the GAP (goes on errands list)

Should I put it on all three lists?

Either (a) decide where to get the t-shirt and put it on the appropriate list or (b) decide that you don't care and put it on all three lists or (c) create a "clothing to buy list" and refer to it whenever you have the time and resources to go shopping.

2) What do I do about support material for projects that aren't active projects? For example: I read a review of a book that I definitely want to read when I start actively working on a specific project. However, I don't think I'll be actively working on it for another 6 months. How do I track that. Clearly the project should be listed with the Someday/maybe stuff, but what about all the information and ideas that I have about it in the interim?

Put the information either in notes to the Someday/Maybe item or in your tickler file.

Katherine

 

[JDC]

Questions about processing

Either (a) decide where to get the t-shirt and put it on the appropriate list or (b) decide that you don't care and put it on all three lists or (c) create a "clothing to buy list" and refer to it whenever you have the time and resources to go shopping.

Thank you Katherine. I think a "clothes to buy" list is the way to go with this one.

Put the information either in notes to the Someday/Maybe item or in your tickler file.

Hmmm, there is potentially alot of stuff like this for this particular project. Notes in the Someday / Maybe folder could get pretty cluttered.

The tickler file doesn't seem quite right either. I'm guessing that it will be 6 months before it's an active project, but it depends on how long it takes me to finish another project.

I think that I'm going to create a folder for the project and put the book review in it. As I come across other things that might be useful, I'll drop those in, too.

JDC

 

[BrianK]

I think that I'm going to create a folder for the project and put the book review in it. As I come across other things that might be useful, I'll drop those in, too.

JDC

That's exactly what I do. I have a Someday/Maybe folder for single-item things: a note about a seminar, a picture of a lamp I might want to buy, an info pamphlet for a landscaping service, etc. But as each of those things become more concrete, they get individual someday/maybe folders. For example, the pamphlet from a landscaping service was later joined by a couple of others; then it got its own SD/M folder called "hire landscaping service." Haven't actually decided that it's time to hire one, but when I'm ready to, info about such services is already consolidated.