I do similar to Dwight. When I'm waiting for someone else to do something
to progress a task, I set the context to "@Waiting", put the person's name
at the top of my Note (with a ? tag - eg ?James, ?Sarah, etc) and reset the
start date to the first day I can start chasing them for it. As my active
actions should only be the ones with which I can actively do something, my
filters mean that all my post-dated or @Waiting tasks get removed from the
list and don't stress me until I next have to do something with them.
The ?Sarah tagged name in the task notes is so that I can filter for all
the things I'm @Waiting for from that person, so I can check status /
progress or remind them next time I call them.
On Monday, 13 December 2021 at 14:12:41 UTC Dwight wrote:
> 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 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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>>
