I work off of a custom view of today's active tasks. If I am getting it
right, the first task in the list is the next thing I should work on. If I
encounter a task in that list that I am not willing to do at this time, I
consider the question: what would have to change to make it ready for
action? "Tact" as you describe it sounds like the enabling factor is the
passage of time. Maybe it would be rude to nag someone today for something
I asked for only yesterday. So, when would it not be rude? Maybe three
weeks. Ok, so I set a start date in three weeks and the task drops off the
Today view.
Maybe the task can't start until something happens, like receiving delivery
of a tool. I set the context to waiting and put something in the note about
what I am waiting for. Then I consider, if this never happens, how long
will I wait before following up. That goes in the due date. My daily view
excludes anything that has a waiting context. But there is a task that
comes up once every few days called check waiting. When that comes up I
click the tab that's locked to my check waiting view. Anything with a
waiting context is listed, sorted by due date. The first few are usually
red because due date has passed. I deal with each of them right away. If
the thing I'm waiting for has happened, i take off the waiting context and
the task moves back into the mainstream of my task management.
Other ways a task can be out of today's list is by having a closed context
(for example the weekend context is closed weekdays) or by giving the task
a dependency on another task, creating an uncompleted subtask representing
the thing that will make this task actionable. Or if I have ten pieces of
writing to do and I can only get to one at a time, create a folder, set the
complete subtasks in order flag and dump all the writing tasks in. You will
have one writing task on your daily view. If the task that shows up is not
the one you want to work on today, that means that the tasks in the folder
are in the wrong order. Sort them. The one you placed first will be on your
list, when you complete it the next one will pop up
On December 13, 2021 06:13:32 John Tomson <[email protected]> wrote:
The problem I have is many tasks continue to sit in the
active actions section for a long period of time. The tasks that stay
around are tasks where I’m
waiting for someone on an ongoing project (not a full handoff, typically
something less ‘email’ orienated and more ‘whatsapp’ back and forth
communication or I already ‘followed up’ in the last day, or the task I want to
postpone due to tact (I don’t want to be pushy), or its something I want a
staff to do, but I don’t want to overload them by dumping my entire to do list
onto them at one time. All of the above
are good reasons to delay a task, however they could also be described as
procrastination. Being bullheaded and
less concerned about tact would possibly be more productive.
Is there some methodical GTD mindset where if its on the next
action, you don’t procrastinate, you just do it? Ive read that in the GTD
overviews, is that
really feasible? Or should I be using
the next review option more. Are my
active actions not really active? I imagine
many of you have tasks siting in your list that sit there forever. Whats the
GTD mindset that will help make progress.
I’m bothered because I finish lots of tasks and feel good,
but some tasks sit in my action lists forever, and it’s a time drag/mental
downer
that these tasks never go away.
I’m looking for feedback concerning the use of MLO, or possibly
outside the box/gtd/task management feedback.
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