. . . using Someday/Maybe list for pre-Project filtering. . . .

G

gtdstudente

Registered
Fellow GTDer,

Has any fellow GTDer ever tried also using the Someday/Maybe list as a filtering Project 'Pull-List' before adding Projects to its inherently push Project list to keep one's Project list all the: fresher, less-numbing, 'mindlessly' helps keeping over-commitment(s) in-check, less-cumbersome to make Weekly Review that much easier, ect. ?

Putting the Someday/Maybe list at the service of the Project list would the GTD strategic purpose


As you see GTD fit for 'forgetting' everything while 'remembering' everything
 
Last edited:
Yes! Sort of. I had too many projects on the go, so I sent some over to SM. They'll sit there until I'm ready to pull them back into Projects. I found it helpful as it reduced my project list to a more palatable amount, but I am still going to do them, just not right now. I wonder, if you have a lot of projects, it might be worth doing this regularly to keep things fresh and more front-of mind.
 
@HelenM,

For what ever it might be worth, if anything, please allow me to respond to your good GTD kindness regarding what seems to be a GTD practice development by simply expressing/'airing out' by begging from 'worst' past experience I wouldn't wish on an arch enemy:

Ahh . . . I don't know what to do . . . I don't know where to begin . . . get me out of here. . . .


There is a GTD concept . . . something like this: how does return one's best when one is at one's rock-bottom worst?

Rest assured, to answer that seemingly GTD question took 'blood, sweat, and tears' to say the least was by

Searching the realm(s) of all 'knowable' of realities: intrinsically-&-extrinsically, internally-&-externally . . . anything missing ?

That search via GTD meant: build-up, tear-down . . . build-up, tear-down . . . build-up, tear-down . . . ad nausea . . . giving-up was not an option because as David Allen also says: "the only way out is through"

Here are the Purposes that have been Captured for Focusing to return to 'my best' by getting Space for Calm / Mind Like Water when things get 'hot-&-tight' and do so through Step 3 of Work Flow's Organize perspective and Area-of-Focus; which are four . . . at one time went to five . . . and most gratefully back to yippee four:

Extrinsic:

1. Divine . . . best when content / at peace / Intrinsic~Extrinsic~Internal~External much like Saint Patrick's Breastplate


Intrinsic:

2. Healthy . . . best when fully alive for God and appropriately for self, family, friends, others, strangers, etc.



Extrinsic [Internal / External]:

3. Props/Tools . . . most often at best when empty

4. Provisions . . . most often at best when full


The fifth at one time was also Engineering/Obstacles/Toxic and now would 'only' be a sub Area-of-Focus as undermining one of the above four Area-of-Focus as a Project to appropriately address as best as possible, and when all else fails, gratefully avoid by 'delegating / letting go' to the Divine


Hope this makes some GTD sense and thank you very much for helping out through your refinement in using Someday /Maybe list(s) for Project list(s) and unhesitatingly think your elegant use of the Someday /Maybe list(s) and Project list(s) will be very helpful on this end and hopefully others will appreciate it as well

Real good . . . thank you very much
 
Last edited:
Yes, I prefer to populate my project list from Someday/Maybe, rather than from the inbox. My preferred workflow is to put potential projects in my Someday/Maybe while organising. Then move them from S/M to the Project list at some other time, usually the weekly review. This isn't a hard rule, just a preference.

I find that when I am processing my inbox, I tend to focus on the item in front of me. If I populate my projects while processing the inbox, I tend to end up with too many projects and no cohesive direction. On the other hand, when I am looking at Someday/Maybe, I tend to be thinking more strategically. I am more likely to choose a set of projects that will dovetail nicely or that align with my higher horizons.

After writing this, I realise that maybe I can improve my GTD game by thinking more strategically while processing the inbox.
 
I tend to use my Someday/Maybe list for pre-projects, and it has also replaced the goals I used to set periodically (annually, usually). Now something I would like to achieve 'someday' is either a someday/maybe item (I haven't committed to it yet), or a project (I Have committed to it and am doing something about it). I find this way of thinking to be much clearer than having a list of 'goals' but no clear idea how to get there! It also encourages the question, What does 'done' look like!
 
david_popely said:
I tend to use my Someday/Maybe list for pre-projects, and it has also replaced the goals I used to set periodically (annually, usually). Now something I would like to achieve 'someday' is either a someday/maybe item (I haven't committed to it yet), or a project (I Have committed to it and am doing something about it). I find this way of thinking to be much clearer than having a list of 'goals' but no clear idea how to get there! It also encourages the question, What does 'done' look like!
Click to expand...
@david_popely,

Thank you for accurately and elegantly expressing "pre-project" regarding Someday/Maybe elaborated on it in an additional post

Than you sir
 
I use it the other way around. I put it on project list and move to SM during review if that is the best place for it. Unless it is clearly someday maybe.
 
fooddude said:
I use it the other way around. I put it on project list and move to SM during review if that is the best place for it. Unless it is clearly someday maybe.
Click to expand...
@fooddude

This protocol on Someday/Maybe for Projects has been adapted to reduce 'next shiny thing syndrome' by creating detachment space to keep the Project list(s) crispy fresh by eliminating/reducing 'list numbness' through shorter Project(s) list items

Thank you very much

Ps. By initiating the all Projects through often more realistic Someday/Maybe list the back-&-forth negotiating between both lists are at least reduced since a Someday/Maybe can still have a Next Action without a completion commitment while Projects on the Project lists is meant to have 'all hands on deck' GTD mindset for completion with the 'non-optional' Next Action to remain Project true

Pps.

Areas-of-Focus = Purposes

Someday/Maybe = Perhaps

Projects = Proximate

Contexts / Next Actions = Prompt

Calendar = Immediate



As you see GTD fit. . . .
 
Last edited:
Shady Waxwing said:
David Allen has never said that the Someday/Maybe list should be realistic. He's said the opposite at times. It can be a place to store items that you might at present have no realistic idea of how to accomplish.
Click to expand...
@Shady Waxwing,

Agreed, 'likewise' the Someday/Maybe list also seems to be a place for the subconscious to do it's thing and prevent one from getting ahead of oneself making it seemingly invaluable

While the Project lists is like the mind's "all hands on deck list" . . . the Someday/Maybe list can also be the mind's subconscious multifaceted 'Incubator for Research-&-Development' if that makes sense and therefore might warrant a higher degree of Weekly engagement than previously understood on this end for seemingly 'effortless value'

Thank you very much

As you see GTD fit. . . .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top