Where to put tasks that aren't day specific but can't be done any day

danrneal

Registered
I have two different tasks that I don't know where to fit into the system.

I receive a task on Friday but can't be done until Monday. It doesn't have to be done on Monday but can be done any day between Monday and Thursday.

I have another task that has to be done on a Saturday. It doesn't have to be done this Saturday, just any Saturday.

The calendar doesn't seem like the right spot since calendar tasks should have to get done on that day. It would seem to clog a next actions list with a task I can't currently take action on. And waiting for doesn't seem right since that is usually waiting for someone else, not waiting for a time window.

Thoughts? What is the gtd way to handle these sorts of tasks?
 

cfoley

Registered
Ticker file, or your electronic equivalent.

For example, I might tickle this to show up on Monday:

Phone garage for new tyres during office hours before Thursday.

When Monday comes around, I will look at my ticker file and process this reminder.
 

danrneal

Registered
I don't use a physical tickler file since most of my work is digital and does not produce any physical artifacts (including these tasks, they are all digital). For email based tasks, I use gmail's snooze feature as a tickler. But non-email based, I'm a bit at a loss I guess. I figured I could just use the calendar except for this from David Allen:
  • Only put actions on your calendar that must get done on that day or at that time.
  • You should look at your calendar only to remind you of the things you have to do. Then, in your open time, you can look at your Next Actions lists to decide what to do next.
Which seemed to rule out "calendar-as-a-tickler". Aside from that I used Google Tasks for lists. Currently as a stop gap I'm putting it at the bottom of my NA list with a date and then when the date comes, I drag it back up (I work for Google, so it is easier if all my "stuff" stays in Google apps). I think this could work just the same as dragging to the waiting list with a date to drag it back. Has anyone else found a good "digital tickler" tool, or preferably a way to use Google Apps as a digital tickler?
 

mcogilvie

Registered
I have two different tasks that I don't know where to fit into the system.

I receive a task on Friday but can't be done until Monday. It doesn't have to be done on Monday but can be done any day between Monday and Thursday.

I have another task that has to be done on a Saturday. It doesn't have to be done this Saturday, just any Saturday.

The calendar doesn't seem like the right spot since calendar tasks should have to get done on that day. It would seem to clog a next actions list with a task I can't currently take action on. And waiting for doesn't seem right since that is usually waiting for someone else, not waiting for a time window.

Thoughts? What is the gtd way to handle these sorts of tasks?
Because I use a digital tool that support both start dates and deadlines, I would start your first example on Monday with a deadline of Thursday. The second I would have start next Saturday as ”Do such & such this Saturday?” and move it to the next Saturday if not done. I would be comfortable putting this on my calendar, because it represents an optional, but day-specific action.
 

samuel.d.kang

Registered
Agreed with everyone else.

Your Monday task needs to be deferred so that you’re reminded of it on Monday so a tickler system would do the trick. Or you can add it to calendar as long as it doesn’t clutter and make you numb.

For the Saturday task you can add it to your calendar as a day specific task/trigger/info or you can create a day specific next actions/context/trigger list (e.g. @Saturday). If it’s a reoccurring thing, consider making a day specific checklist.

Several solutions so experiment and see what works for you. As long as it’s out of your mind you’re good. Moment you become numb to the task during review or it clutters and you become numb to the whole list/calendar then that’s a problem. Personally I keep my calendar as clean and simple as possible.

Cheers
Sam
 

treelike

Registered
I don't use a physical tickler file since most of my work is digital and does not produce any physical artifacts (including these tasks, they are all digital). For email based tasks, I use gmail's snooze feature as a tickler. But non-email based, I'm a bit at a loss I guess. I figured I could just use the calendar except for this from David Allen:
  • Only put actions on your calendar that must get done on that day or at that time.
  • You should look at your calendar only to remind you of the things you have to do. Then, in your open time, you can look at your Next Actions lists to decide what to do next.
Which seemed to rule out "calendar-as-a-tickler".
I've always used my calendar as a tickler. I would put the Monday thing on Monday in the calendar to remind me to put it on the next action list - "Do xxx by Thursday". Then it's out of my mind until Monday when I know it will get dealt with appropriately.

I seem to recall David Allen saying he doesn't use a tickler file any more in a recent interview but I may have imagined that (my brain often likes to make things up).
 

danrneal

Registered
I've found that there are two ways for me to make this work with Google apps.

If the item is already on a next actions list, but for some reason, now needs to wait, I can move it to my waiting list in Google Tasks and add a date. Google Tasks automatically puts this as a task on your calendar. So on that day, I'll see the reminder on the calendar to remind me to move that item out of my waiting list and onto my next actions list. The drawback with this is that there is no way to differentiate a reminder to put something on the next actions list and a due date for an action.

If the item isn't on the next actions list, I can list it directly on the calendar as a reminder and so that on that day, I'm reminded to put it on the next actions list.
 
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Cpu_Modern

Registered
I seem to recall David Allen saying he doesn't use a tickler file any more…

Talking about the calendar, in the first edition of GTD, p.40:
Day-Specific Information
The calendar is also the place to keep track of things you want …

It's also helpful to put short-term "tickler" information here, too, such as a reminder to call someone after the day they return from a vacation.
 

Jared Caron

Nursing leader; GTD enthusiast
I don't use a physical tickler file since most of my work is digital and does not produce any physical artifacts (including these tasks, they are all digital). For email based tasks, I use gmail's snooze feature as a tickler. But non-email based, I'm a bit at a loss I guess. I figured I could just use the calendar except for this from David Allen:
  • Only put actions on your calendar that must get done on that day or at that time.
  • You should look at your calendar only to remind you of the things you have to do. Then, in your open time, you can look at your Next Actions lists to decide what to do next.
Which seemed to rule out "calendar-as-a-tickler". Aside from that I used Google Tasks for lists. Currently as a stop gap I'm putting it at the bottom of my NA list with a date and then when the date comes, I drag it back up (I work for Google, so it is easier if all my "stuff" stays in Google apps). I think this could work just the same as dragging to the waiting list with a date to drag it back. Has anyone else found a good "digital tickler" tool, or preferably a way to use Google Apps as a digital tickler?

I have used google calendar as a digital tickler of sorts for quite some time. I like that it will email me. I set up a separate calendar for the tickler items and set it to email me on the day of. that way it literally shows up in my inbox just like a physical tickler would.
 

Jared Caron

Nursing leader; GTD enthusiast
I've always used my calendar as a tickler. I would put the Monday thing on Monday in the calendar to remind me to put it on the next action list - "Do xxx by Thursday". Then it's out of my mind until Monday when I know it will get dealt with appropriately.

I seem to recall David Allen saying he doesn't use a tickler file any more in a recent interview but I may have imagined that (my brain often likes to make things up).
Also, consider that some of this is "Day specific information" I differentiate these informational or reminder items by the prefix "FYI" in the event title. E.g. FYI Software downtime 3p-4p
That will trigger any necessary thinking when I see it.

I sometimes do this for more action-oriented items as well - for example, once a month I have a calendar event "Submit Mileage" - is not really a next action (yet) but it triggers me to at least capture the next action - such as "review March calendar and compile off-site travel". Or i just do it when I see it, if I have time
 

rbngp

Registered
I would go for (digital) tickler file, too:

-Monday: Do this before Thursday (if not done on Monday, I would suggest putting it into the appropriate NA list (by context)).

-Saturday: This?

As stated before, calendar is not only for time/date-specific actions, but also for day-specific info, so if I just want to reconsider my commitment, I would write it without an action-verb, whereas time/date-specific actions always start with the appropriate action-verb (this also applies to my NA lists vs SD/MB lists).

I switched my system last October (after getting official formation) from Due Today (Android, synced to Toodledo (PC)) to Workflowy + Google Calendar-Google Tasks.
  • With Due Today/Toodledo, I would have used Start Dates (mainly for tickler file items) and Due Dates.
  • Workflowy lets me feel much closer to paper experience (I can write projects/outcomes way better, including due date if appropriate; same with NA writing). Checking off Google Tasks items (tickler file items or time/date-specific actions) is also a mood/productivity-enhancer, ;-)
 
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