Thanks everyone for the comments and questions about the second OmniFocus Screencast.
There were a few questions in the feedback here and at MPU. I’m responding to them with this post.
What no single action lists?
I didn’t cover it but I do occasionally use single action lists. I generally think in terms of projects.
I wonder how many tasks you manage in OF, and how many NA’s you have on your plate on a regular day?
Currently: 197 Projects, 1470 Actions
A lot of the projects are sequential. It takes me about 20 minutes to clear the inbox in the morning and it ranges between 30 and 80 actions. The actual daily list is usually about 30. These numbers are skewed however. I’m an attorney. I run a nerdy blog and podcast. I write books. I’m a dad. I’ve got tasks telling me to pick expert witnesses in nine months and reviewing corporate strategies with clients in two years.
And do you really abandon the use of contexts (given your Day Start perspective, which is grouped by project? And what makes this in your opinion different from a Project View?)
I don’t abandon context view. That comes in Episode 3 but I use context mode all the time during the day (usually on the iPhone and iPad) to knock tasks down.
How do you manage tasks you keep putting off? (When do you kick them out/alter them/etc.).
It’s all about the review. Be brutally honest. If it is not going to happen, kill it. Stay tuned for episode 3.
Do you create start dates for both projects and action items?
Action items: Usually.
Projects: Not usually but on occasion. When I do set them, they are normally with repeating projects.
Do you use the same methodology for “due dates” [use only if 100% necessary] for your calendar too? Picking tasks every morning seems reactionary and less intentional then scheduling out important projects. How do you schedule a meeting in OF / sync up your calendar?
I don’t schedule a meeting in OF. I set meetings in my calendar. I may have some tasks for an important meeting that requires preparation. Those tasks normally have a due date the day before. I think I talked too much about the peril of due dates. I use them all the time. I just don’t over use them so I don’t ignore them when they show up. Before I figured this out, I’d have 20 due items and OmniFocus felt like the boy who cried wolf.
If there is an item in your inbox that is less than 2 minutes to complete (for example: write quick email to David), do you simply punch it out and check it off as you are processing inbox?
Small items like that don’t even land in OmniFocus. I just do them.
The idea of Someday/Maybe lists is to have a place to park things that are grabbing your attention…but that you don’t have a specific commitment around. It sounds like you’re already doing this in a sense and are creating a reminder for yourself to revisit these items within a finite amount of time (e.g. 3 months). An alternative would be to revisit these items as part of a weekly review…or even once a month in some cases.
Touché
Do you use OF to keep lists of books to read, videos to watch or is OF not really ideal (ironically) for lists of potential items?
I don’t use OmniFocus for this. I used to do it in Zenbe Lists. About a year ago I moved the lists to Simplenote.
I am using Projects for my clients and am curious why you use Folders instead. Thanks again.
Often I’ll have multiple projects for a single client. (i.e. Apple Corporate General, Apple v. Samsung, MultiMillion $$ MacSparky Acquisition)
The Next Episode
The next episode should publish on the weekend of May 14. That episode will focus on getting tasks done and review. I’ll also do some follow up if there is time so get your questions in.
Something I've found useful is to create a standing project (single actions or otherwise) called "In the mail" and a context by the same name. Then when I place an online order, I clip the resulting email confirmation into this project with a due date for the expected date of arrival. That way I have a list of things I've ordered and when they should arrive. Often this email has the tracking info, which now is in a convenient place instead of buried in an email inbox. If the due date comes and goes, I now have a reminder to investigate.
Something I've found useful is to create a standing project (single actions or otherwise) called "In the mail" and a context by the same name. Then when I place an online order, I clip the resulting email confirmation into this project with a due date for the expected date of arrival. That way I have a list of things I've ordered and when they should arrive. Often this email has the tracking info, which now is in a convenient place instead of buried in an email inbox. If the due date comes and goes, I now have a reminder to investigate.
Something I've found useful is to create a standing project (single actions or otherwise) called "In the mail" and a context by the same name. Then when I place an online order, I clip the resulting email confirmation into this project with a due date for the expected date of arrival. That way I have a list of things I've ordered and when they should arrive. Often this email has the tracking info, which now is in a convenient place instead of buried in an email inbox. If the due date comes and goes, I now have a reminder to investigate.
Something I've found useful is to create a standing project (single actions or otherwise) called "In the mail" and a context by the same name. Then when I place an online order, I clip the resulting email confirmation into this project with a due date for the expected date of arrival. That way I have a list of things I've ordered and when they should arrive. Often this email has the tracking info, which now is in a convenient place instead of buried in an email inbox. If the due date comes and goes, I now have a reminder to investigate.
Something I've found useful is to create a standing project (single actions or otherwise) called "In the mail" and a context by the same name. Then when I place an online order, I clip the resulting email confirmation into this project with a due date for the expected date of arrival. That way I have a list of things I've ordered and when they should arrive. Often this email has the tracking info, which now is in a convenient place instead of buried in an email inbox. If the due date comes and goes, I now have a reminder to investigate.
David,
I saw you creating new projects and then dragging them into the proper folder. I discovered that you can begin typing the project "upper level" like "Work" and then use a colon to create a new project in that folder/level.
So, typing "Work : NewProject" will put the NewProject directly where you want it and you don't have to drag anything anywhere.
Let me know if it works for you.
Victor
David,
I saw you creating new projects and then dragging them into the proper folder. I discovered that you can begin typing the project "upper level" like "Work" and then use a colon to create a new project in that folder/level.
So, typing "Work : NewProject" will put the NewProject directly where you want it and you don't have to drag anything anywhere.
Let me know if it works for you.
Victor
David,
I saw you creating new projects and then dragging them into the proper folder. I discovered that you can begin typing the project "upper level" like "Work" and then use a colon to create a new project in that folder/level.
So, typing "Work : NewProject" will put the NewProject directly where you want it and you don't have to drag anything anywhere.
Let me know if it works for you.
Victor
David,
I saw you creating new projects and then dragging them into the proper folder. I discovered that you can begin typing the project "upper level" like "Work" and then use a colon to create a new project in that folder/level.
So, typing "Work : NewProject" will put the NewProject directly where you want it and you don't have to drag anything anywhere.
Let me know if it works for you.
Victor
David,
I saw you creating new projects and then dragging them into the proper folder. I discovered that you can begin typing the project "upper level" like "Work" and then use a colon to create a new project in that folder/level.
So, typing "Work : NewProject" will put the NewProject directly where you want it and you don't have to drag anything anywhere.
Let me know if it works for you.
Victor
I can't seem to get Start dates to work for me.
If I have a single-action list (like Home Misc. for random personal items that need to be done), I can't get the start date for each individual task to work — it seems that I have to select a start date for the list. But when I do that, all the items on the list appear as started, rather than just the one I'm trying to isolate.
Am I missing something? Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?
I can't seem to get Start dates to work for me.
If I have a single-action list (like Home Misc. for random personal items that need to be done), I can't get the start date for each individual task to work — it seems that I have to select a start date for the list. But when I do that, all the items on the list appear as started, rather than just the one I'm trying to isolate.
Am I missing something? Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?
I can't seem to get Start dates to work for me.
If I have a single-action list (like Home Misc. for random personal items that need to be done), I can't get the start date for each individual task to work — it seems that I have to select a start date for the list. But when I do that, all the items on the list appear as started, rather than just the one I'm trying to isolate.
Am I missing something? Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?
I can't seem to get Start dates to work for me.
If I have a single-action list (like Home Misc. for random personal items that need to be done), I can't get the start date for each individual task to work — it seems that I have to select a start date for the list. But when I do that, all the items on the list appear as started, rather than just the one I'm trying to isolate.
Am I missing something? Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?
I can't seem to get Start dates to work for me.
If I have a single-action list (like Home Misc. for random personal items that need to be done), I can't get the start date for each individual task to work — it seems that I have to select a start date for the list. But when I do that, all the items on the list appear as started, rather than just the one I'm trying to isolate.
Am I missing something? Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?
David,
Not sure if you posted this somewhere else already, if so just point me in that direction. I am interested to hear about the process and tools you used to create the Screencast?
Thanks in advance.
David,
Not sure if you posted this somewhere else already, if so just point me in that direction. I am interested to hear about the process and tools you used to create the Screencast?
Thanks in advance.
David,
Not sure if you posted this somewhere else already, if so just point me in that direction. I am interested to hear about the process and tools you used to create the Screencast?
Thanks in advance.
David,
Not sure if you posted this somewhere else already, if so just point me in that direction. I am interested to hear about the process and tools you used to create the Screencast?
Thanks in advance.
David,
Not sure if you posted this somewhere else already, if so just point me in that direction. I am interested to hear about the process and tools you used to create the Screencast?
Thanks in advance.