Using @Anywhere

[mikeiz]

I've been using GTD principles for about 10 months now and I find it to very useful. One thing I'm finding is that I don't seem to use the @Anywhere action much at all if any. I seem ot be always seem to use @Home, @Office, @Errands and @Computer. This seems so obvious that I feel a liitle dopey asking this question, but can someone give some practical examples for using @Anywhere?

Mike

 

[pchavez]

Personally I use an Anywhere list to do things that require pure brain power. Things like "outline project goals" or "plan Christmas party" where all I need is a pen and paper.

These don't need to be done at the office or at home nor do they need a phone or computer. They can be done anywhere!

 

[BrianK]

Personally I use an Anywhere list to do things that require pure brain power. Things like "outline project goals" or "plan Christmas party" where all I need is a pen and paper.

These don't need to be done at the office or at home nor do they need a phone or computer. They can be done anywhere!

I used to do that, but found that I wasn't really looking at my Anywhere list, well, anywhere. So things went on that list and sort of got lost. The list is only useful if you're checking it everywhere. If I'm sitting in a room with only a table, paper, and phone, and nothing else I should be checking my Calls and Anywhere lists. But I found that in such situations, I was checking my primary context lists, not all possible context lists.

Things like "brainstorm. . ." I eventually found really take place best in some kind of context, usually my office or home office. So when I thought about the next action and came up with "brainstorm. . ." I thought "where is the best place for me to really brainstorm this," and that told me where to put it.

I suspect that the Anywhere list is the least used context list, perhaps for that reason. It takes a lot of discipline to check it frequently enough to make it useful.

 

[roakleyca]

I find that with my cell phone always at hand, as well as a notebook and pen - all I really need are three contexts:

@home (includes all phone calls, computer work, things to talk about with my wife, ect.)
@office (includes all phone calls, computer work, things to talk about with my coworkers and boss, ect.)
@errands (stuff to get while I'm out).

Done.

Other lists are given, of course...
@waiting for
someday/maybe
project

 

[abhay]

Multiple contexts

I had recently encountered the same problem (of not looking into the anywhere list), and have decided to try putting the next action in multiple contexts. I have to yet try this out, but I hope this will work.
I plan to delete such actions from other contexts as soon as I notice them and remember them done. Let's see!

 

[cornell]

Remember, contexts aren't required - they're just a grouping mechanism (albeit a clever one) for your actions when they become too many. For a while I tried all the turnkey ones (including Anywhere), but it was too complex. I keep my life relatively simple, and now I just use two contexts: Actions and Errands. Works great!

 

[GTDWorks]

When I used a paper system, I like @Anywhere because I could put all my "Schedule..." items on it and process the list, well, anywhere I had my paper planner and its calendar with me. But now that I use Outlook to process my GTD system, scheduling items go under @Computer". I never have items that I would place at @Anywhere.

 

[sdann]

I never had an @anywhere. Anything non-pc related comes under @office. I use that list to select something when I'm out and about.

 

[Resmi]

Personally I use an Anywhere list to do things that require pure brain power. Things like "outline project goals" or "plan Christmas party" where all I need is a pen and paper.

These don't need to be done at the office or at home nor do they need a phone or computer. They can be done anywhere!

Excellently said. This only needs areas and proper brainstorming. All the solutions will come out.

 

[Borisoff]

I find that with my cell phone always at hand, as well as a notebook and pen - all I really need are three contexts:

@home (includes all phone calls, computer work, things to talk about with my wife, ect.)
@office (includes all phone calls, computer work, things to talk about with my coworkers and boss, ect.)
@errands (stuff to get while I'm out).

Done.

Other lists are given, of course...
@waiting for
someday/maybe
project

I would only add @Agenda: for non time-specific tasks to be discussed with people you see from time to time.

 

[Borisoff]

Remember, contexts aren't required - they're just a grouping mechanism (albeit a clever one) for your actions when they become too many. For a while I tried all the turnkey ones (including Anywhere), but it was too complex. I keep my life relatively simple, and now I just use two contexts: Actions and Errands. Works great!

Cornell, don't you have the stuff that is easier to do at home rather then at the office? How do you handle some non time-specific topics to be discussed with people you meet in person?

 

[Brent]

I don't have an explicit @Anywhere list. However, thanks to a note from Todd Henry at Accidental Creative, I've started carrying some "idea notes" in my Hipster PDA. These are ideas that I can think about wherever I am -- ship designs for a computer game, character designs for an animation, preparatory checklists. I really like it; I found myself using a stop sign as inspiration for an industrial space ship design today.

 

[jrandall39]

I don't have an explicit @Anywhere list. However, thanks to a note from Todd Henry at Accidental Creative, I've started carrying some "idea notes" in my Hipster PDA. These are ideas that I can think about wherever I am -- ship designs for a computer game, character designs for an animation, preparatory checklists. I really like it; I found myself using a stop sign as inspiration for an industrial space ship design today.

I do something similar. I used to have an @Anywhere context that I've re-labeled @BlackBerry, since I always have it (my trusted system) with me. This context frequently has brainstorming tasks or draft a memo. I too find I make use of small periods of otherwise wasted time.

- Jon

 

[roakleyca]

I would only add @Agenda: for non time-specific tasks to be discussed with people you see from time to time.

If it's someone I see at home, then that agenda would be in my @home list. If its someone I see at work, then that agenda would be in my @work list.

See the simplicity???

 

[Borisoff]

Do you mean the person siiting in the same office or i.e. your customer sitting in other premises? How do you name the Agenda - with a name or a verb?