Tracking projects in Evernote -- solved problem to share

KW7

Registered
I'm still very early in my GTD-ing and trying to figure out how to handle projects has been a struggle but, thanks to folks on this forum (Thanks Kelly!), I finally understand.

One issue I had that I think I've solved is how to track the component next actions for an existing project. [For Evernote users] -- Specifically, how do I know if I actually have a next action for a given project in my system?

My solution: I have a MasterNote in my PROJECTS list, I create a link to that note and paste it at the top of the same MasterNote. Then whenever I create a new next action for that project I can copy and paste the link to the MasterNote quickly. That easily gets me back to the MasterNote when I'm looking at a next action note in various context lists so I can see support info in the MasterNote. To track the various next actions floating around, I create a tag which goes on the MasterNote and each next action. For me, I chose "-P1", "-P2", "-P3", etc. as a naming convention and plan to recycle those tags as the earlier ones are no longer needed. Then, in Evernote, I can click on the tag, -P1 for example, and quickly see the MasterNote that lives in PROJECTS and all of the next actions that already exist. So far, so good.

Hopefully this is helpful to someone out there.
 

TesTeq

Registered
I'm still very early in my GTD-ing and trying to figure out how to handle projects has been a struggle but, thanks to folks on this forum (Thanks Kelly!), I finally understand.

One issue I had that I think I've solved is how to track the component next actions for an existing project. [For Evernote users] -- Specifically, how do I know if I actually have a next action for a given project in my system?

My solution: I have a MasterNote in my PROJECTS list, I create a link to that note and paste it at the top of the same MasterNote. Then whenever I create a new next action for that project I can copy and paste the link to the MasterNote quickly. That easily gets me back to the MasterNote when I'm looking at a next action note in various context lists so I can see support info in the MasterNote. To track the various next actions floating around, I create a tag which goes on the MasterNote and each next action. For me, I chose "-P1", "-P2", "-P3", etc. as a naming convention and plan to recycle those tags as the earlier ones are no longer needed. Then, in Evernote, I can click on the tag, -P1 for example, and quickly see the MasterNote that lives in PROJECTS and all of the next actions that already exist. So far, so good.

Hopefully this is helpful to someone out there.
There's "Evernote Setup Guide" in the David Allen Company store: https://store.gettingthingsdone.com/Evernote-for-Mac-Setup-Guide-p/10430.htm
 

Sasha

Registered
[For Evernote users] -- Specifically, how do I know if I actually have a next action for a given project in my system?

Another way is to create a checkbox for each step in the project - leave it blank if you don't know exactly what the Next Action should be,just that there will be more steps coming up. Once you complete the preceding Next Action then if you need to keep the same defer/delegate tag - keep it, if not, erase it as you'll create the proper one later on. Or you can use a Notes/In tag for the undetermined as of yet task.

So all you need to do is search with Project (tracked as Notebook or Tag depending on your setup) and Not completed To-Do's filters checked (as they are referred to as in Android's implementation) - it will return the project note where you have open loops even if you don't know what that loop is at the moment. I don't use project tags to link particular Next Action with a particular project. I just double tag a Project with a Project Tag AND a deffer/delegate Tag and treat the next unchecked step as a Next Action (to be either described if unknown at the time or to be done/defered/delegated if it was described already but it was sitting dormant as a next step in the list until that moment).

Regards,

Sasha
 
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