Using two different systems for Next Actions and Projects (Trello and Notion)

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yehudazutler

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I am wondering if anyone has experience with dividing their GTD system between two different platforms. I have been using Trello for GTD and it has worked well. The point I am at now is that project management is not as tight as I would like mainly in terms of monitoring the ongoing nature of projects within Trello.

My setup is: I have one board in Trello that has several lists: Inbox, Next Actions, Waiting For, and a tickler file. I also have a Projects list and that is where I am having the problem because as a project progresses I want to update the project with notes or reference materials and I find that harder to do quickly in Trello. I created a Database in Notion that mimics my Trello Projects list where I can quickly write in updates and status changes and I want to completely move my project management over to Notion.

I am looking for some ideas on the pros and cons on doing this, as well as if anyone has had success in some way doing this?

(I am not married to Notion, so if you have another tool that can accomplish this I am open to suggestions)

Thank you!
 
I'm increasingly drifting to using two different systems, but they're two very different systems from yours.

My Next Actions, Project names, and Someday/Maybe lists live in OmniFocus for my personal stuff, and the ServiceNow Visual Task Board (not entirely unlike Trello) at work.

But my the planning and notes for my current projects are increasingly moving to paper (how quaint!). For example, I got a Hobonichi Weeks Mega for this year's garden notes.

A theoretical sequence of events:

- I see "Try carrots again?" in my Garden Ideas in Someday/Maybe in OmniFocus.

- I activate it as a project ("Grow Oxheart Carrots") in OmniFocus.

- I create a "Carrots!" page in the Weeks notebook.

- I research and take notes in the Weeks. But occasionally that results in Actions in OmniFocus--"Order Oxheart carrot seeds", "Buy bag of sand", "Prep first quarter of bed 9A for carrots." And so on.

- Notes about what I've done go in the Weeks. ("Planted 3/20: 4 X 4 bed. 1 cup sand mixed with 2 pinches carrot seed. Sprinkled. Heavily watered with mist spray. Sprinkled on half gallon fine compost. Waiting.") As do notes about what happened. ("4/3: Carrots broke ground. Too many seeds. Next time actually measure!")

- The tickler for when to fertilize goes in OmniFocus. The chosen fertilizer, and when it went on, and how much, goes in Weeks.

So the high-count stuff for which I'd like to have database functionality (project names, briefly phrased actions, those things linked to contexts) go in the electronic system. The brainstorming, detailed plans, and logs of what happened, go in the paper system.
 
No. I use Apple notes exclusively. Used to use evernote but found them pushing to pay only. But I would never use two systems at one time.
 
What I would love is some software that populates Apple Reminders from tagged OmniFocus tasks. Something that would keep them appropriately sync'd (ie reminder closed closes corresponding OF task).
 
i use Notion exclusively. I use Tiago Forte's PARA method with GTD- it works great. I have tasks, goals, projects, areas, etc all interconnected and related. I spent several months making my own system, but ultiumtely I have settled with a paid for template that I tweak to my needs. I used to use Todoist for my next actions, but it is just so much easier to ahve everyting in one spot.

If you want more examples or specfics, I can provide them.
 
iChadman said:
i use Notion exclusively. I use Tiago Forte's PARA method with GTD- it works great. I have tasks, goals, projects, areas, etc all interconnected and related. I spent several months making my own system, but ultiumtely I have settled with a paid for template that I tweak to my needs. I used to use Todoist for my next actions, but it is just so much easier to ahve everyting in one spot.

If you want more examples or specfics, I can provide them.
Click to expand...
I use Things, and manage to do that just by tagging everything with an area. Very low maintenance.
 
yehudazutler said:
I am wondering if anyone has experience with dividing their GTD system between two different platforms. I have been using Trello for GTD and it has worked well. The point I am at now is that project management is not as tight as I would like mainly in terms of monitoring the ongoing nature of projects within Trello.

My setup is: I have one board in Trello that has several lists: Inbox, Next Actions, Waiting For, and a tickler file. I also have a Projects list and that is where I am having the problem because as a project progresses I want to update the project with notes or reference materials and I find that harder to do quickly in Trello. I created a Database in Notion that mimics my Trello Projects list where I can quickly write in updates and status changes and I want to completely move my project management over to Notion.

I am looking for some ideas on the pros and cons on doing this, as well as if anyone has had success in some way doing this?

(I am not married to Notion, so if you have another tool that can accomplish this I am open to suggestions)

Thank you!
Click to expand...

I think you can and should divide your system between platforms. GTD already really recommends this.

What you seem to be asking if whether you should use another app for project support. Definitely, yes. Your projects list should be just that - a list of your projects. The things you need at hand to complete the project's actions are project support - these could be plans, meetings notes, mindmaps, documents, tickets, so on and so on.

For work and personal I use MS To Do with seperate accounts and have a list called 'projects' but the only thing on there is the project name - resolve X, complete Y. No notes, links, due dates, files, images in here. This is the 'stake in the ground' that acts as a reminder you have a project ongoing, and also acts as an inventory to show you (and others) what you have on your plate and can help you say no or renegotiate other commitments. It's not where one does the work of a project.

Then, in Onenote (for work) I have a section group called Projects, with a section for 'Resolve X', another for 'complete Y'. Then within each section a page for different elements of that project, timelines, plans, notes etc. This is project support and where you'll likely be 'living' each time you work on that project.

Similarly OneDrive is configured in the same way, with a folder for projects, then a subfolder for 'Resolve X' which contains all pertinent docs to that project.

The same goes for personal but I use Notion and google drive in the same way. Like @iChadman I also use the PARA method. It's really useful for organising support material across projects, and like GTD, allows me not to have to think about where or how to file/store/organise something.

I've found the platform itself doesn't really matter. Sure, some apps are nicer to use than others or some have features that might be more useful than others, but I've found the system you create to underpin the apps is the real thing that drives the whole thing.
 
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