Comments on: Managing Projects – Tips from David Allen

By: Tom Marsden

Tom Marsden — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 13:29:36 +0000

I’d add that having a few next actions for large contexts may well make sense as you will have different contexts to taking the next action – a call, at the computer, an errand. You want to be able to access the next action in the right context.

Tom

By: srs

srs — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:11:12 +0000

Kelly

Thanks for the response and the links. The reason I suggest taking a live project, breaking it into tasks and doing it the GTD-way is to better understand the intricacies of implementation. The problem I see with most projects is a lack of integrated or central planning. Now if you do go that route your task list becomes hard to manage.

Not sure if this makes sense to you at the moment but if you were to take an example, I can point the difficulties. I would appreciate if you mail me the update on GTD and projects.

Thanks

Dr. Saraf

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:22:08 +0000

Hello SRS,

We’ll look at doing more blog posts on detailing out projects, as you suggest. There are loads of resources on GTD Times and GTD Connect on projects that you should find helpful now. Here are two links on GTD Times I would suggest, if you haven’t seen these:

http://www.gtdtimes.com/2010/02/15/managing-projects-tips-from-david-allen/

http://www.gtdtimes.com/2009/11/28/a-quick-guide-to-gtd-projects/

We’re also working on a new product for the fall on GTD & Projects. Should give a ton of detail and helpful models for wading through your projects.

Kelly

By: srs

srs — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:18:57 +0000

Going by David’s statement “if all parts of a project are planned, then its only a matter of picking up a phone, writing mail etc.” in other words taking the next action.

However, deciding how much to plan or to what level plan and deciding the appropriate next action is not trivial (again these may be the 10% of your projects). This is even more complex for long-term projects. e.g. retirement planning

It would be very useful for me (as well as other users of GTD) if this blog would explain 2-3 sample projects planned and implemented using GTD philosophy.

Thanks

By: Jonathan Flaks

Jonathan Flaks — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:52:45 +0000

Dear David –

Thanks for pointing out a pitfall so many people fall into. It’s so easy to confuse our priorities and get frustrated, unless, of course, we follow a system that works.

Thanks again,

Jonathan Flaks

By: Geraldo Dias

Geraldo Dias — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:34:55 +0000

Appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Geraldo Dias

By: GTD Times Team

GTD Times Team — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:56:27 +0000

Hi Geraldo,

It had gone to the spam folder.

It’s posted now!

GTD Times Team

By: Geraldo Dias

Geraldo Dias — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:24:11 +0000

I’d like to know the reason why my message was cut from here. Did I say something that couldn’t be said? I’d like to be a participant but need to know what may or not be said so my msgs stay here.
Tks
Antonio Geraldo – Brazil

By: Jonathan Seymour

Jonathan Seymour — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:09:42 +0000

I have struggled with this area of aligning projects and next actions and also the best place to list the sequential action steps of simple projects. I use an Excel spreadsheet (no macros) to list my Outcomes (=Projects) alongside my Actions. If an Outcome needs say 3 simple steps then I do 3 rows and triplicate the Outcome. I also have a column called “NA” (Next Action) which is either “Y” or “N”. Only the first action has “NA” equal to “Y”. Then just apply a simple Excel Autofilter to the sheet and select “NA” = “Y” to see a clean list of your Next Actions.

By: Geraldo Dias

Geraldo Dias — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:25:09 +0000

Obviously GTD is not a tool-depending system but sometimes, still not using any kind of software, their ideas may help a little. I use MonkeyGTD off-line to control my lists. There I insert next actions and projects. It’s inside the Projects where I insert it’s next actions. And I can set it’s “Depends on next action”. So, when I tick a project’s next action (in the NA list) as done, the software brings to my NA list, the one which is it’s dependent one. And I don’t need to manage it (my lists). Maybe some kind of adaptation could be done in other systems as to adopt it. Ore use this tool – MonkeyGTD – which is the best I found to control myself with GTD. Find it at monkeygtd.tiddlyspot.com/
Good luck.
Geraldo Dias – Brazil