[slwenglish]

I'm posting this in reply to patri's request in another thread (This link to it should work). Hope it's of use.

David Allen's book, Getting Things Done, gives some great advice for managing tasks - focussing on a "bottom-up" approach. The key things I've learnt from it so far are to:
- collect your inputs,
- work out what the very next action (NA) is for each goal or project and just focus on that,
- use the 2 minute rule to decide whether you can deal with an input immediately,or whether to put it on your list of next actions,
- Categorise your NAs by context (ie in what conditions you will be able to do the action - @home, @office, @phone, @computer, etc), so that you only try to deal with the actions which you are in the position to be able to deal with (eg only look at your list of @computer NAs when you've got the computer switched on and are able to deal with them),
- Carry out a regular (weekly) review of projects and next actions. - Read the book for more detail....

Stephen Covey's book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, focuses more on a "top-down" approach. The key things I've learnt from that are to
- define your Roles (eg they might include Husband, Father, Home Improver, Project Manager, Electrical Design Engineer, Site Engineer, Technical Expert for Marketing Support, etc),
- define your Goals within each Role (eg Arrange Summer Holiday in France, Develop Cost Estimating Spreadsheet, Commissioning of Reservoir Road Water Treatment Works, etc),
- Focus on the important tasks (the ones which are relevant to your Goals) rather than the urgent but unimportant ones.
- Make time for "Sharpening the Saw" - training and reflection.

The method I use to organise and plan my tasks is a mix of GTD and 7 Habits (I use "Roles and Goals" for reviewing my aims at a higher level than the task level).


HIERARCHY
I have a master outline, called #Roles & Goals#. At level 1, I arrange my master outline into branches for Personal, Home, Work and Community projects (so I can keep my Roles in context), using the 'Simple' type in Bonsai. Level 2 (also 'Simple' items) is my list of Roles in each context. Level 3 has my projects and next actions under each Role (NAs are ToDo type, projects are 'task' type and will have several NAs under them). When a project in a branch of the master list gets to more than a handfull of tasks, I break it out into its own outline, and leave a link from the master list.

Extra note edited in after I first submitted this post: Within a project, I'll have various Roles and Responsibilities, so I tend to group my actions under these (similar to thet heirarchy in my master outline).

CATEGORIES
I use Categories to assign context to my items and any linked ToDos, from this list:
!Call
!Read/Write (independent of location)
<Issue
?Waiting For
@Computer
@Online
@Errand
@Home
@Meeting
@Office
@Site
@Supplier
Goal
Role
Someday

KEYWORDS
I use keywords for detailed filtering, in the following keyword categories:
Contract (keywords to identify Compensation Event, Early Warning, Instruction and Technical Query)
Meeting (ie which type of meeting each item will be reviewed in - Design Review, HazOp, Commissioning, Progress, Contract - I use this one a lot, so that if I'm in a particular meeting, I can filter my list to view just the items which are relevant to that meeting type)
Contact Groups (as it suggests)
Learning (to mark lessons learned for review)
Project specific categories (eg to identify items by site name, for projects spanning several sites)

NEW ITEMS
I set new items with the following defaults:
priority 3
type inherited from sibling
category unfiled
start date today
due date inherited from sibling
keywords inherited from parent

EDITS & NOTES
I set the start date to a later date for my "tickler file" - my filters will mask that item until the start date is due.
In my notes, I put date-stamped records of any calls, discussions, meetings towards completing the item (including calls and messages to chase); most recent note goes at the top of the Note field.

FILTERS
I have various filters by context - they're generally flat view, filtering on relevant category and status incomplete, with the start date set to "within 0", to filter out anything which is in my "tickler" for a future start date.

I have a filter called ?Who?, which I edit to filter by contact name, selecting the name of the person I'm about to call - that way I get to see anything else which might need following up with that contact.

I have a filter for urgent items (due date "within 3 days") and one for important items (priority 1 or 2) - I'm still struggling to apply the 7 habits concept of working with the important things rather than the urgent (but possibly unimportant) things.




All the best,
Stéph

[patri]

thanks for your answer slwenglish. This is too much information. I'm trying to do something like you with the outlines. In the 1, 2 and 3 outlines i'm doing it like you, but i've got problems to categorize and keyword. I have to clear my mind on this. But my real problem is with filters. Does't work for me, maybe i creat them in a wrong way, but always bonsai says that filter does'n match the rules i make and... doesn't work.
I'll try to apply what you said and see what happens. If you can help me with filters i'll thank you a lot
Patri
ps Can you explain me more about Roles and responsabilities in a proyect?

[slwenglish]

OK, since it's for you. Here's a couple of filter examples:

Filter Name: !My Urgent
Status: Incomplete
Flat Display checkbox
Start Date: Within 0 days (to filter out items which I can't start yet)
Due Date: Within 2 days (ie urgent items)
Categories: everything except ?Waiting_For, Role and Goal

Filter Name: @Design Review Meeting
Status: Incomplete
Flat Display NOT checked (as I want to see the items grouped under subject headings - ie see the branch)
Start Date: Within 0 days
Categories: everything
Keywords: <Dsgn Rvw

Does this help? Note that I've made sure that all my items have a start date (by making it a preference for new items) - otherwise my filters would not show the items without a start date. Maybe that's something to do with what's causing you problems....?

More about Roles and Responsibilities later....

Stéph

[slwenglish]

OK, I've got 10 minutes, so I'll give you an example of Roles and Responsibilities in one of my projects:

I'm working on an engineering project, which I've broken down into the following phases (level 1), and identified my Responsibilities within each phase:

- Admin (where I put stuff like contact lists, time booking codes, budgets and so on)

- Information Gathering (Role - Design Coordinator, Responsibilities - Obtain site information, Obtain client's requirements, Answering Technical Queries)

- Specification / Definition of Scope (Role - Lead Electrical Engineer, Responsibilities - Review requirements, Write contract specification)

- Design (Role - Design coordinator, Responsibilities - Log in and issue design documents, obtain review comments, arrange review meetings, issue comments, track changes; Role 2 - Lead Electrical Engineer, Responsibilities - comment on electrical drawings)

- Manufacture (No role for me under this part of the project)

- Construction / Installation (Role - Site Supervisor, Responsibilities - Health & Safety audits, Environmental audits, Monitor activities and programme, Progress meetings, Assess issues, Requests for Information, etc)

- Commissioning (Role - Site supervisor, Role 2 - Lead Electrical Engineer)

- Defect Correction

- Documentation, Manuals, Training and Spares


I've got three roles in this project and several responsibilities under each. I don't stick rigidly to this structure for my outlines, but when I do, it does help to keep me focussed on fulfilling my obligations and not getting distracted by things outside my responsibilities).

This isn't perfect, but it's working reasonably well so far.

Good luck setting your system up. Hope some of this helps. Any suggestions on how I might organise my tasks better would be more than welcome.

Stéph

[patri]

Hi, Stéph. Thank you so much for your help. Now I've got a better vision of this. I'm trying to improve my own way to get organize and I use bonsai for planning. I've got an outline for my mission and values; another for my roles and other for just things that i want to have at hand related with covey's system. In my Roles and goles outline I 've got as you have. I use desktop bonsai, I can see things bigger and at glance. In my desktop view I decided to view categories (= roles); in the outline my goal (simple if I yet not decided what to do with it; todo if it is a short range goal and task if it's a long range goal). I've got a start date column, a due date column, a keyword icon column and a link column; so i've got all the information I need at glace. I'm still having problems with filters; one of yours it worked but not the other. I would like to have a filter called "Master goal list" or something, so I can see that goals or tasks not schedule yet, but ....
Then I use agendus pro which in its last version (9.0) have improve the todo list with hierarchical views (like category; here it would be useful the gtd system) and a quadrant view (important and urgent; important and not urgent and so on) from covey systemm, so now it is possible to put priorities 1,2,3 and A,B,C,D. That's cool for me. Now, I always link the goals built in bonsai (they are important always because are related with the things that matters most, with the roles, to me.) with agendus. So bonsai is for the planning phase; agendus for execution phase (where i can put alarms and all that staffs).
I'm still improving myself so i can organize better. What do you think? Is this help you?
Again, thanks.
Patri

[slwenglish]

Ah, so you use categories to match tasks to roles? That's quite different from me - I like to use categories for context, so that it's just a quick tap to change the context when I need to change an action from (eg) @phone to @computer (ie from a call to a confirming email). This probably explains why one of my filters won't work for you.

Good luck with your system, whatever you find works best for you.

I'm now going into a critical phase in a project, so people won't hear from me again for a while... happy Christmas all.

Stéph

[patri]

Hi Stéph. I hope you continue with this thread. I'm reading the Allen's book, and it's openning my eyes. Now I understand what you said and the importance of context by places or tools. Thanks for your help, and hope you can tell me more about how can I improve better my outlines with bonsai. What do you think about using more than one outline for gtd' staffs?.

[slwenglish]

Hi Patri,

I'm using multiple outlines at the moment. I have one main outline #Roles and Goals#, in which I have a hierarchy which goes something like:

Level 1 - Overall context (personal, home, work or community)
Level 2 - Role (eg under "work" my roles include Project team member, Tool development, Personal development; under "home" my roles include husband, father, family and friends, earner, home improver / maintenance)
Level 3 and below - My projects and goals for each role

If a project starts to get big, I copy and paste it into its own outline, linked from the main outline. For example, work projects each get their own outline, so I can archive a project outline with the project files after its completed.

To get the overview which multiple outlines misses, I link my week's next actions to the ToDo database.

Thinking a little more about your previous comment on how you use categories: I'm more and more convinced that it's best to use the outline hierarchy to group actions under your role, goals and projects (so you can keep things in project context in your weekly review) but to use Palm categories to identify "context" (as in the Getting Things Done definition of the word context) for each item. That way you can link to ToDo and automatically filter your next actions by context in the ToDo database. What do you think - why not try switching your categories to defining your GTD contexts (@home, @work, @laptop, or whatever) and see if it works for you as well as it does for me?

All the best,
Stéph

PS good luck with experimenting with filters - If it's any help, they only started working right for me when I went through and made sure all my items had a start date set.

[Dwight]

Setting up the outline so that hierarchy is used to group actions under your roles, goals and projects eleminates the need for category or keywords to set these apart. I also enter the context as the first word of all task entries, using Pop! for the palm and TypeItIn for the desktop, which eleminates the need for context categories, makes it simple to keep context info when working with other programs and allows for multiple contexts for each entry. Example, starting a task with @.Home.Internet.R&D: allows me to filter for @.home @.internet and @.R&D in Bonsai, DayNotez, Cando, etc...

Dwight...

[patri]

Hi again. After two month working with bonsai, gtd and covey, finally i feel good with my outline. First i'll write about what i think now. Covey is ok, as a concept, as a system of ideas. I think everyone has values, and everyone has to have a life project or a mission. The 7 habits are ok. I think they lead to success. But we talk about planning and achieve things, goals, etc, his philosophy lacks a little bit. I think my great obstacle with covey's system is the "daily task list". If talk to your child is A1 and you're at work, you'll feel frustrated for not accomplish that task. With Allen' system category list, you always work with what is important, in the place you're. Finally I've got it. Now my outline is as follows:
Category: @ctions list (@home, @work, calls, @errands, projects, inbox, and so on).
Outline: the to do's ( next @ctions as soon as possible); tasks (projects. the next actions projects are categorized as "asap", or calendarized or waiting for list. ); and simple (for new staffs with the "inbox" category)
Due date; keywords; days until due, etc.
And finally Stèph, I've got it!!. My filters works!!. I have a lot of them. To weekly review, to see home, work, wife, kids, project list, urgent, do and progress this week, overdue, etc. perfect. So perfect that i was thinking not to use agendus for my tasks.
What about my roles? Well... I have a list of them, for review and check how I am doing and to create new goals, projects and to do's. They are in a other outline. The same with my bigger goals, I put them in other outline for review and they are dated (some of them).
That's it, Stèph, i use more gtd than Covey. Thanks to him for the ideas, they are good. But, to me, to get things done: Allen.
Thanks for your help. Realy. You'd help me a lot. feel free to write your thoughts, and everyone who wants to say something.
Patri

[slwenglish]

Hi Patri, Good to hear from you and thanks for your update - I'm glad you've got a system going which is working well for you.

Having your Roles and Goals in a separate outline and then linking from them to projects in their own outlines sounds sensible, and is similar to the way my outlines are developing.

My main problem now is due dates. I need to use Allan Davies' advice and stop setting unrealistic due dates on actions. At the moment, I overload myself with too many actions to be completed in too short a time, and end up spending too much time reseting the due dates when actions become overdue. I guess I'm going to need to 'Spring clean' my outlines to remove due dates wherever possible, or set them to the genuine final date by which an action has to be completed. Then I can concentrate on prioritising my work by context and importance (priority) of actions, rather than getting hung up in due dates.

I just wish there was some built in resource management, so that Bonsai could automatically assign dates to my tasks to fit in with the spare time available in my calendar. Meanwhile, I need to work out a system for doing that quickly myself (in my weekly review).

All the best,
Stéph

[TMDH]

Steph,
I've encountered the same problem with setting too many unrealistic due dates and then I spend too much time "planning" and not enough time "doing". I finally made some simple changes which has helped tremendously.
1) I only assign due dates to things that actually have hard due dates/deadlines such as "Make House Payment"
2) I then created 3 categories; A-Hot List, B-Soon, C-Weekend. I use these 3 categories to manage urgency, thus no longer having to manage unrealistic due dates. I have a filter that shows me items in category "A-Hot List". I focus on completing those items. I ignore items in "B-Soon" and "C-Weekend" until my weekly review. However, I am comfortable that all items are on my to do list. Keep in mind that I use many of the other categories too such as "@Office, @Errands, etc. As I review all items, I change the categories of the items I actually intend to do today to "A-Hot List". As I add items, I have the option to include them in any category. I have many filters set up to see only the various categories. Using these filters makes it simple to review all items in a manageable fashion.
The other really cool thing is I manage my "Projects" in Bonsai. Each project Title is set as a level 2 item. Projects that I am thinking about doing someday go into a category called "TBA-Project". However, projects that are active and need my focus now go into a category called "TBA-Focus". Under each Level 2 project title, I can plan my next steps (level 3 etc.). Each "next step" item can be managed using the categories "A-Hot List, B-Soon, @ Office, @ Errands, etc."
3) I quit using the Palm built in To Do list and use ONLY Bonsai to manage my To Do's. I found I was spending lots of time managing the links, and that too was "Planning' rather than "Doing".

It works for me. Hopefully this is of some use for others. By the way, I got the idea of the A,B,C categories from Larry Beckers PDA planning http://www.palmplanning.com.

[slwenglish]

Thanks for the tips, Dave. I've started trying to do what you do with dates. I think I may also try out your "Hot List" category idea, or alternatively try reserving priority 1 for my Hot List.

Stéph

[patri]

I'll tell you what i'm doing with due dates Stèph. Maybe can give you ideas. First, i was having the same problem like you, and that's one of the reasons i decided to put my goals on a different outline. I think that we have thing that must be done on a date. To me, this is a goal or a project. With goals there is no need of categories. why?. because the time puts the the limits. there is no need of priorities because, again, the date mark the path. If your goal is to buy a new car, and you want it the last day of this month, well, this not go A, B, or C. Nor categories: calls, @errands, @work. The only thing you have to know is that the last day of the month you'll buy a new car (and you have to do everything possible to get it, and take every action-step ). The next actions goes to a categorized list. But you do this as soon as you can, when is possible, when you have a free time. If you want to remember something, like pay the mortage, well, this is a tickler, and it goes to calendar, dated but not scheduled. If you have some next action that is not ASAP, nor tickler, nor goal, but you want to do it on a specific date and hour, take it out of bonsai and directly on calendar or, if you want to keep it, link it to calendar. Remember that first the actions has to be prioritized by category, by free time, by energy available, and then by A, B, C.
Another thing i do is to color the outline by due dates. Each color has a time asigned so i see at glance the next actions due dated: green for today; red for overcome; blue for two weeks, etc
Hope this can help you too, and give you more ideas
Thanks for your help
Patri

[FarmGrrl]

I am bumping this EXCELLENT thread. I just read through it and I got literally TONS of ideas! Thanks so much to all of the people who took the time to contribute to it. I'm still working through GTD (I have the audiobook and I'm about halfway through my second listen -- I've only had it a week) and I am also reading 7 Habits at the same time.