What if you encounter a project when processing your in box?

[furashgf]

What if you encounter a project when processing your in box? That is, the item indicates a multi-step thing you need to do.

It's probably not correct to actually begin ORGANIZING the project at that point. Could you just simply flag it as a project, with one next action item, like "draft ideas on project X".

 

[ext555]

Yes --you can do that , but by all means make sure it get's on your " projects" list (I'm assuming that's what you meant by flag it )

The biggest mistakes I've ever made with GTD is not adding something to my projects list as soon as it showed up.

Remember -the projects list is just a "stake in the ground" simply a reminder that you've got the project --it doesn't need fleshed out on the spot.

 

[furashgf]

Thanks - that's what I meant. I'd identify it with an action item to flush it out, otherwise toss it in Someday/Maybe and get back to it.

 

[ext555]

yes, as far as I understand GTD --that would be fine.

I used to try and detail out projects in advance (notes attached to the project task) but I'm finding more and more that things change so much , most of the time it's not worth it.

 

[Anonymous]

Whenever a new project appears, I quickly identify the project AND the successful outcome into my project list. If I have time, I will immediately identify the first NA and put it into the appropriate context list. If not, it will get picked up during my next Weekly Review, when I will see that I have a project with no NA attached to it. Then, I will either create the NA or decide that this is a Someday/Maybe project and move it out of the active projects list.

Claudia

 

[Krackeman]

I would agree that the two things that MUST occur when you process a project are:

1) Put it on your project list with a successful outcome, get all the clarity you can about what this will look like when it is 100% complete and succesful

2) Get a Next Action onto one of your context lists. (Often that action is "brainstorm/plan...")

Honestly, I have not done #2 when I was in a hurry. Just got it on my project list and caught it at my weekly review, but personally I have found that reviewing a project that has "stalled" in the system just takes the wind right out of my sails. Therefore I ALWAYS find a Next Action, if only to free up my mind from wondering if I am doing ANYTHING about XYZ. To know that the next step is on a list and that I have the freedom to choose to do it when appropriate is enough for me. For larger projects, I have actually put the planning/brainstorming time on my calendar so that I can get a jump on it. I've blocked out a few times a week that I can "park" action items as hard landscape so that I can add some urgency to particular tasks.

I found the hardet part was learning to trust that my system indeed had captured a particular item, particularly those projects that could cost me my job! That's another reason I always pick a Next Action, I have a reminder on a list that I will check several times before my weekly review. Gives me a jump of a few days.

Hope this helped!