Setting Up GTD Paper Planner

[debbieg]

I've purchased the Paper Planner and began setting it up today. Can anyone clarify ....

I have some projects that occur routinely each year ( tax prep, Christmas tasks, sailboat winterizing, purging year end files, etc). Do these re-occurring projects fall under "Areas of Focus and Responsibility"? If so, where/how are areas of focus and their related projects captured in the paper system?

Currently I have 3 potential revenue streams which I am pursuing. All three require me to be in my office to work on and I typically dedicate blocks of time for each of the three. So think of it as someone who has more than one job, say full time, consulting, and a third revenue stream in the development stage. Would there be any downside to having 3 action lists ( @ work-job, @ work-consulting, and @ work-new revenue stream)? I also have an @home, calls, waiting for, and errands under the Action Tab.

I like the idea of having a section for plans/notes in the planner to capture thoughts as they surface. I also have folders set up in my files for the same projects. Seems like I am capturing notes in two places and sometime duplicating. How do I fix that?

 

[nunodonato]

Hi Debbie,

Congratulations on getting the Papel Planner, would love to get my hands on that.. but it's still to far from us here in europe

I'll skip your first question as it should be answered by someone who knows the planner.

Yes, it's perfectly fine, from my perspective, to have those contexts. Many different software apps have a kind of tagging or focus system which allows you to filter your NAs. If you do block time to focus on one of those 3 jobs, or perhaps you just want to do taks from the same job in a row, it makes perfect sense to have those contexts.

Capturing notes in the paper planner (or in any other mobile tool) seems great if you need to do it when out of your office.
For some smaller projects, it may be enough to have just a couple of notes for each project. For bigger ones, if you are setting up folders, then make sure you are clear for yourself where the project support material is. You can still collect it in the paper planner, but I would probably tear it off and put it in the project folder later... the same way you do while collecting 'stuff' when out and about

hope it helps,
nuno

 

[econnors]

I have some projects that occur routinely each year ( tax prep, Christmas tasks, sailboat winterizing, purging year end files, etc). Do these re-occurring projects fall under "Areas of Focus and Responsibility"? If so, where/how are areas of focus and their related projects captured in the paper system?

I'm not sure there is one answer to your question. For me, I wouldn't want to have carry around this much information in my paper system. Perhaps a list of recurring annual projects could be kept in the Projects section, with a start date. Then schedule a tickler either in your calendar or tickler file for when you think you want to begin each project. Like, "begin tax prep," etc. A complete list of actions for each project could be filed in separate file folders, or else in your planner under Project Plans/Notes.

Would there be any downside to having 3 action lists ( @ work-job, @ work-consulting, and @ work-new revenue stream)?

The only issue I see here is that there would be a significant amount of transfer of these 3 next action lists to other next action lists, like @phone, @computer, @errands, etc. Perhaps you could have more than one project list (work-job, work-consulting, work-new) then still from those lists next actions for @phone, @computer, etc.

I like the idea of having a section for plans/notes in the planner to capture thoughts as they surface. I also have folders set up in my files for the same projects. Seems like I am capturing notes in two places and sometime duplicating. How do I fix that?

I use file folders, or computer docs (for repeating annual tasks) for larger projects; paper planner for smaller projects that don't require extensive planning; I also am experimenting with evernote software, for brainstorming ideas for various projects.

Eric