Projects check

[EugeneB]

Is there any Inspector or something in OmniFocus that checks that every Project has a Next Action?

[wilsonng]

Go to a projects perspective or planning mode (Command-1).

If your view bar is hidden, go to View Menu > Show view bar (Command-Shift-V).

The first popup menu is "Project Filter". Set this popup menu to "Stalled".

This will show any projects that don't have a next action.

[EugeneB]

Thanks, it works!

I found one of the projects that is not really Stalled though. It's my Tennis lessons. The next actions are meetings in my calendar. Is there any trick how to connect Tennis project to Calendared meetings so I see there's a link and this project is not really Stalled?

And is there a way to see Next Actions without a project?

[wilsonng]

Not sure about the first one.

But the second will be easier.

Select the menu bar Omnifocus > Preferences.

Click on the "Data" icon at the top of the Preferences window.

The first item will be what you are looking for.

Clean Up Inbox items which have: [popup menu]

Select the popup menu and choose "Both a Project and a Context"

When you are in Planning mode (Command-1), you can look at your Inbox and you will see all tasks that do not have a project and/or context assigned to it.

When you have assigned both a context and a project to the task item, it will disappear from your Inbox and move to the appropriate project and context.

[EugeneB]

Super! Thanks!

[wilsonng]

You can go to Preferences and select the Sync icon for sync preferences.

There is a check box that you can turn on:

Reminders: [ ] Publish Due reminders as a calendar

Check this on. If your task has a due date, it will get published to iCal.

This should create a calendar in iCal called OmniFocus calendar.


But many people (like me) prefer to keep meetings (appointments) and tasks separate. Once in the morning and once before I leave the office, I review my calendar in iCal (or BusyCal) to remind myself of what is going to happen tomorrow and in the near future. Then I look at my Due soon perspective that shows task that are Due soon.

Personally I don't like keep track of meetings in two places (OmniFocus and iCal). I keep my meetings in the calendar and any tasks that are created from the meeting in OmniFocus.

I don't view "attending a meeting" as a task. It is an appointment that should be kept. I don't take pleasure in checking off a task that says "Attend meeting at 8 am in Room 101." That gives me a false sense of accomplishment. Attending a meeting is not an accomplishment or task that should be checked off.

With that being said, I usually avoid meetings. Sometimes you'll see people who attend meetings and you wonder "why are they here if they have nothing to contribute?" Or I'll ask myself "what am I doing here if I'm not contributing anything?" Or you may be listening to 2 hours of progress reports while you doodle on your notepad waiting for the clock to signify the end of the meeting.

Now I know that some people want to be invited to a meeting because they're afraid of being kept out of the loop or they will feel is if they were jilted and not invited to an important party or social event.

I personally love getting out of meetings. I never get stuff done when I'm stuck in a meeting listening to progress reports from other departments.

if there is anything important, I often ask one of the invitees to summarize anything that they think will involve. I'll also skim through the minutes of the meeting to find anything that interests me. Then I'll ask the appropriate person about more information about what is happening.

Otherwise meetings are a productivity killer that must be avoided. Nothing is ever done in a meeting by committee. Everything is done when we have those hallway conversations or smaller, intimate meetings with the appropriate attendees.


Here's an article about Steve Jobs and meetings:

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669936/meetings-are-a-skill-you-can-master-and-steve-jobs-taught-me-how

HTH

[EugeneB]

I agree with you. When we speak about sports and meeting with yourself on the tennis court then I would assume that is productive meeting that moves you further. And as a manager my role assumes to have meetings with directs to control their projects. I would say that makes directs more productive :)