You ask a very good question and one that I gave thought to before implementing. I found that most of my projects did not have numerous independent actions, and if they did, I would simply choose one to do first and put that one in the task line and the other independent ones in the note.
In the best of all worlds, when I get going on a project, I stay with that project through as many steps as I can go. So, I may do what is in the task line and immediately begin working on the actions in the note. When I reach a point where I have to move on to something else and need a "bookmark," that's when the next action is going to be replaced in the task line.
Also, I try very hard not to let any "grass grow" under the tasks. That keeps tasks which are independent and can be done from sitting around hidden in a note because I didn't move on what was in the task line.
As for the example you asked about, I would phrase the outcome something like:
+Meeting with Tom has been planned
If the next 2 NAs are:
1.- Call Tom and Scedule Appoiment.
2.- Prepare Documents to bring to Meeting with Tom.
then I will edit the task to say:
Tom-Schedule appoinment+Meeting with Tom has been planned
In the note, I will have "Prepare Documents to bring to Meeting with Tom"
I will assign the task to the calls category
To make things interesting, say Tom is not in when I place the call. I leave a message for him to call back. In the note section, I add: "LM 6/10 10:45" in the note section and change the category name for waiting for. Since this project is on my mind right now, I may go ahead and prepare the documents provided I am SURE of what documents will be needed. When I get them prepared, I want to put them in the tickler file for the date of the meeting. Since I don't know when that is yet, I will put them in tomorrow's tickler file. Hopefully, by tomorrow I will have talked to Tom and set the meeting date. If so, tomorrow morning when I open the tickler file, I will see the documents and refile them immediately in the tickler file for the correct day.
It's highly possible, however, that the second task is NOT independent. During that call, he may tell me about material to bring that I had not thought of. I may find that material I was going to spend time putting together is not needed after all. If that is possible, then I am going to hold off until I get that return call from Tom. During the conversation, I am going to have that task open so that I can take notes in the note section. Seeing "Prepare Documents to bring to Meeting with Tom" is going to remind me to discuss with him exactly what I need to bring.
After having made this modification a few months ago, I am really very happy with it, and it has made the whoe sytem more fun for me.
Frank