Sub tasks for tasks??

  • Thread starter Thread starter ilcaa
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ilcaa

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Hi I am new to this forum and the GTD appraoch but after 1 week find it a very clear and effective approach for clearing the mind and getting things done....I am using Outlook 2002 and downloaded the white paper PDF not the software...my question is,

...Many of my goals/objectives/or tasks have sub tasks(as yours do). How do i organize this in outlook (if even possible). for instance for something like needing to change internet account to my name because one of my roomates was leaving, there were several steps...

Get Internet Account in my name- (would be the final goal/category)
Proof of address to Customer service office for changeover (task)
Contact RoadRunner Service...914-555-1212 (subtask/or task)
speak to roomates on pricing and commitment of $
buy dsl modem

is this possible? any addons that allows for this type of goal/task structuring?, to me it doesnt make sense to list each as a seperate task which i think loses its focus on 1 goal with steps to reaching the goals....any comments suggestions??
 
Handling NAs for 'Small' Projects

ilcaa said:
change internet account to my name because one of my roomates was leaving, there were several steps...

Get Internet Account in my name- (would be the final goal/category)
[@Desk] Proof of address to Customer service office for changeover (task)
[@Phone] Contact RoadRunner Service...914-555-1212 (subtask/or task)
[@Home OR Agenda:Roommates] Speak to roomates on pricing and commitment of $
[@Errands] Buy dsl modem

is this possible? any addons that allows for this type of goal/task structuring?, to me it doesnt make sense to list each as a seperate task which i think loses its focus on 1 goal with steps to reaching the goals....any comments suggestions??
Click to expand...
Note that I have added contexts in brackets. Each task has a distinct context, probably.

I have always thought that keeping a separate project for smallish projects was too much overhead.

Many GTDers like to keep some kind of reference to the project of which an NA is a part in the subject line of the NA.

If the tasks were sequentially dependent, then the Pigpog method (q.v.) would be a clear choice. These tasks look like they might be done in parallel, so Pigpog would at best be a compromise solution.
 
My feeling is that if keeping a project item for smallish (less than ten tasks, say) projects is too much overhead, then there is too much overhead in the system overall.

For me at least, creating a project should be as simple as jotting down a title (or outcome), the first Action, and any information that immediately comes to mind (further actions, relevant people to contact, whatever). If actually entering the project in my system takes as long as a minute, then my system is broken.

On the other end, if it takes as long as a minute for me to find the project information, my system is also broken.

In either case, the answer is to fix the system. If I avoid it because of the overhead, then it is--by definition--not trusted, and I'm risking a total organizational collapse.

Katherine
 
"Small" Projects

My system must be broken. More coffee.
 
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