Inbox Items go straight to Misc box..

[ohla313]

Hi everyone, I just got Omnifocus for Mac today had a few questions regarding it.

I was a long time Things user but am jumping ship since there is no OTA sync and it is too simple. I ran an AppleScript to move all my Things tasks and Logbook into Omnifocus and am trying my best to reorganize it.

1. When I create a new action for my INbox it automatically goes into the Library folder's Misc box. How do I keep the items in the Inbox?

2. When I imported from Things to Omnifocus some tasks were stuck in a Misc folder that wouldn't allow me to move the tasks inside individually into the Inbox. I am only able to let it stay put in the Inbox if it remains in the Misc folder.

Thank you for taking the time!

[whpalmer4]

Go to the OmniFocus Preferences, Data panel, and look at what is set in the uppermost section. It sounds like you may have it set so that only a context is needed before the action is swept out of the Inbox. I prefer the "both a project and a context" setting so that actions don't leave the Inbox until they are completely specified.

[ohla313]

this is what it shows:

http://www.cl.ly/0x400H3X2m2L0j1n1T3P

What do I need to change?

[whpalmer4]

Change the first setting (Clean Up Inbox items which have: Either a Project or a Context) if you want it to keep items there until they have both a project and a context.

[ohla313]

How would I be able to have all actions default to remain in the Inbox and move items into the Inbox without being automatically moved?

Sorry I'm very new to this.

[ohla313]

Ok I figured it out and managed to get the Inbox to keep the items there. Sorry for my misunderstanding. But when I move items from the misc section to the inbox this occurs: http://cl.ly/2C131S1Z3M0d2I3K2801

Another thing is that I'd like to move all completed items in my "Single ACtions" project into stand alone items. How would I do that?

[whpalmer4]

If you set it to require both a project and a context, items you put in the Inbox will stay there until you have assigned both. Even once you have assigned both a project and a context, you'll still have to either manually do a clean-up (via cmd-K or the toolbar button) or change to a different view before they will be swept off to their ultimate destination.

If you set the preference as suggested, you can move items back to the Inbox from your Misc container by selecting the actions, bringing up the inspector with cmd-shift-I (or clicking the toolbar button), and setting the Project back to Inbox (should be at the top of the list).

[ohla313]

Im still having a hard time understanding the "default list for single actions" can I make it be in the Inbox? I don't get the "create when next needed" option though

[whpalmer4]

The default list for single actions is where single actions get sent from the Inbox on clean up if you have set a context and a context is all that is required to move the action out of the Inbox. Actions would also be sent there if you edit an action that is already in a project and clear the project assignment with the inspector.

I don't like actions moving around without my explicit intent, so I set the Inbox clean up requirement to both a project and a context, as previously mentioned, and my actions stay exactly where I left them.

[ohla313]

So this default list is the "Misc" folder or the random lettered one? Every time I complete a single action task it goes into the Misc Single Actions.

How do I stop this Misc Single Actions box from showing up every time I complete a task??

[ohla313]

I think I understand now..So these Single Action Lists are where items without any project can be filed to. Like small errands that don't fit into a project.

So I changed my preferences as so: http://cl.ly/3Y3H3x3M0P2o0d0g0W04

This now allows me to store all the random actions with no project into this area correct? Instead of the Misc folder?

I noticed that items I have completed in my inbox with a context but no project get filed under the Single Action List. When I undo completion of the action, it goes to the Single Action List rather than back into the Inbox. Is this how it should be? How would I get it back to the Inbox?

[whpalmer4]

So this default list is the "Misc" folder or the random lettered one? Every time I complete a single action task it goes into the Misc Single Actions.

How do I stop this Misc Single Actions box from showing up every time I complete a task??

You had your settings set so that completing an action in the Inbox would clean it up. Completing an action in the Inbox which does not have a project assigned causes it to be assigned to the Default List for Single Actions, regardless of the other clean up settings. To avoid having Inbox actions filed there when you complete them, assign a project (or a different single action list) to the action before completing it.

I think I understand now..So these Single Action Lists are where items without any project can be filed to. Like small errands that don't fit into a project.

Yes, that is the general notion behind the SAL. It is a container of tasks which do not belong to a specific project, and are largely independent of each other. It behaves much like a parallel project, except that by default the actions are styled differently, and all available actions are treated as next actions, unlike in a parallel project, where only the first available action is treated as a next action.

Some people like to use the SAL list for so-called areas of responsibility, or for collections of tasks which are related, but do not have an planned outcome, unlike a project. For example, one might have a SAL that contains books one wishes to read, or tasks involved in maintaining the lawn. Presumably even if one reads everything on the list (unlikely for anyone with a decent amount of curiosity, I think), eventually more books will be noticed, and the grass will probably need attention next week no matter how much you do this week. Contrast that with a project to write a research paper or take a class, where there is a definite stopping point. You can change a project to a SAL and vice versa with the inspector if your needs change.

So I changed my preferences as so: http://cl.ly/3Y3H3x3M0P2o0d0g0W04

This now allows me to store all the random actions with no project into this area correct? Instead of the Misc folder?

You can't store actions in a folder, only in a project or SAL. Folders contain other folders, projects, and SALs.

Somewhat confusingly, you've created a SAL named Single-Action List, which strikes me as being about as advisable as having a project named Project—the default name suggested by OmniFocus in the beginning (Miscellaneous) is probably a better choice. In any case, yes, these settings tell OmniFocus to file actions without a project which are being cleaned up in that SAL. With the "require both project and context" setting, any actions where you manage to clear the project assignment should end up back in the Inbox, and only actions you explicitly assign to that SAL will go there. If you use the "require a project or a context" or "require a context" settings for cleaning up Inbox actions, you'll potentially see quite a few items automatically filed there. In my experience, it is easy for a Miscellaneous container to fill up with tasks that never get done, so I prefer to assign them to the proper project, where I'll at least be forced to review them more carefully while not getting them done :-)

I noticed that items I have completed in my inbox with a context but no project get filed under the Single Action List. When I undo completion of the action, it goes to the Single Action List rather than back into the Inbox. Is this how it should be? How would I get it back to the Inbox?
When you marked it complete in the Inbox without having assigned a project, OmniFocus probably first assigned it to that catch-all SAL, then marked it complete, so when you did the Undo operation, it undid the last step, which was marking it complete, leaving the assignment of the project step still there. There's probably some room for debate about whether both steps should be undone, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to be changed, even if you win the argument.

To get something back to the Inbox, select the action(s), bring up the Inspector with cmd-shift-I or the toolbar button, and set the project field back to Inbox. If you are in a context mode view and are showing the project column, you can also do it by clearing the value in the project column. Do a clean-up and those actions should be back in the Inbox, unless your clean-up settings allow them to go back to the catch-all list. Clearing both project and context should send it back to the Inbox in all cases, I believe.