Selecting the Next Action
Hi,
How do I select the next action based on context/time available/priority/energy available as per the GTD book - using Nirvana?
Many thanks,
Deek.
Hi,
How do I select the next action based on context/time available/priority/energy available as per the GTD book - using Nirvana?
Many thanks,
Deek.
2 Posted by kbaxter on 10 Jun, 2010 10:05 PM
Unfortunately I don't think this is really a process that can be fully automated.
What I do is set up tags for different contexts, and a small set of tags related to the time/energy/priority of each task.
My context tags are things like
@home
@work
@errands
My other tags are
quick
easy
urgent
If I'm at home and I'm feeling tired, I would go to my next actions page and click the "@home" tag. Then I'd hold control and click the "easy" tag. Then I might check if any of those items are especially urgent by control+clicking on the "urgent" tag. What I'm left with is the list of urgent tasks I can do at home that don't take too much energy.
3 Posted by deekod on 10 Jun, 2010 10:34 PM
Nice neat solution k, I'll try quick, normal, long, easy and hard tags, many thanks for the advice, now all I need to do is find time to transfer from Toodledo (arghhh!).
Deek.
4 Posted by kbaxter on 10 Jun, 2010 11:43 PM
I found I was getting bogged down if I tried to use too many tags for each category. It worked better to me to just have a single tag for each one. A task is either easy (tagged "easy") or not (no tag related to effort). A task is either quick (tagged "quick") or not (no tag related to time).
This means I don't have to use a huge list of tags for each task, and I actually find it's enough for me to effectively filter my task list. That will probably vary from person to person, but it's something to keep in mind.
5 Posted by DD's Gmail on 11 Jun, 2010 07:35 AM
Thanks K,
I know what you mean, but I like the ability to filter by my time available,
i think the small overhead associated with 2 or 3 extra tags is justified,
but whatever works for you is best.
Derek
6 Posted by Proximo on 15 Jun, 2010 02:09 AM
This is why I can't wait for Time and Energy/Effort is added to the task details.
I can't stand using so many tags to filter all this out.
7 Posted by deekod on 21 Jun, 2010 08:13 PM
I am still struggling with GTD and priorities, David Allen does not dwell very long in the book to discuss priorities, his ethos re: priorities would seemd to be encapsulated in one single unclear paragraph from Chapter 9:
"At the end of the day, in order to feel good about what you didnt get done, you must have made some conscious decisions about your responsibilities, goals and values"
Here DA is confirming that once your next action list has been filtered by context/time/energy, the next action selection should quite rightly be heaviliy influenced by your 20k-50k feet altitudes.
He then goes on to say:
"That process invariably includes an often complex interplay with the goals. values and directions of your organisation and of the other significant people in your life, and with the importance of this relationships to you."
I cannot see how in a busy office environment this "often complex interplay" can be left to "in the moment" intuition without resulting in a whole series of tasks being dismissed as unimportant, when as during the relative calm of a weekly review their importance could be more pointed during detailed review?
Surely this process demands automation, having an "importance" indicator for each item (reviwed as part of the weekly review) from 50k through to 20k, would allow a "trickle down" prioritisation of 10k projects and runway tasks and allow automatic to-do list prioritisaton, which can then be simply filtered by context/time/energy?
Otherwise, how are next actions to be prioritised in light of 50-20k altitudes in line with the book's recommendations? Using pure intuiton is risky as it is easy to "forget" the relative importance of tasks in my busy life, and all the resultant overhead is preventing my mind from becoming free to be productive.
8 Posted by deekod on 22 Jun, 2010 05:27 AM
Ignore my last post!
After many years, Nirvana has helped me realise I have been just "meddling" with GTD, after reviewing the following wikipedia article (and very useful reference pages) I now "get it". The weekly review of your work using the 6 level model sets the "tone" for the coming week (informs your intuition). The threefold model for evaluating daily work keeps you current, and the four criteria model for choosing the next action model requires both other models to happen so as your system and intuition are both fully developed to allow the correct next action selection. On top of this, it is important to realise that GTD is not about getting EVERYTHING done, just the right things to keep your intuition (or gut feelings) satisfied that you have done your best.
Many thanks Nirvana team and its forum members, you have inspired me to research and review and understand what is correct GTD implementation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done
9 Posted by Proximo on 24 Jun, 2010 11:10 PM
@deekod,
PERFECTLY SAID
I can't think of a better way of saying it myself. When people understand this and apply it to the point where they trust their system and intuition, they will realize the simplicity and power behind the GTD method and why complicating the system works against you.
I think I feel a tear running down my face........
10 Posted by deekod on 24 Jun, 2010 11:18 PM
LOL, I just wish the Nirvana team and forum had been around years ago! Cant wait for the next najor release, I am even planning on buying an iPhone - solely because Nirvana has an iPhone app planned, more power to the Nirvana development team!
11 Posted by roddyt on 25 Jun, 2010 01:55 AM
Derek,
I'm just reading this thread now. I'm glad you said to ignore your previous post. As I was reading it, I was thinking, "Holy Cow, Proximo was right. David Allen complicates the process far too much."
I can't imagine, after I've filtered for time, energy, etc., that I'm going to make my final decision based on a complex interplay with the goals, values and directions of my organization and of the other significant people in my life.
Too much.
12 Posted by deekod on 26 Jun, 2010 06:52 PM
Yes indeed, I NEARLY went back to MLO prioritisation by outline, it was close call! Glad I made it!
Support Staff 13 Posted by Christiane Magee on 14 Jul, 2010 08:30 PM
we're glad you made it too @deekod. :)
FYI to those who might not know... TIME and ENERGY can now be set on tasks and you can filter by them now as well via the tag bar located above your task views.