[Trey]

Originally Posted by joelande

The big issue I have is how to divide and conquer these "borders" (because I often do "work" projects at home):
- there a definitely some things that I HAVE to do at the office (these are no problem defining)
- there are some things that can just as easily be done at the office or at home
- and there are many things that can be done at home as long as I grab a reference file first

Right now, all three of those items are in the same "Office" context, which is probably not right.

Definitely not right. Only the first of your three points above are in the "Office" context. What do the actions in the second one require? They may fall out into several different contexts, depending on what they require to be completed. Your third point above is in the "Reference" context—perhaps even a specific context for that particular reference file.

Maybe I just need to come up with three terms to fit the above scenarios, and use those as the contexts...

Mmmm.... I think you're trying to wrap contexts around "scenarios" or "use cases" or something that they're not. Once again, a context is: the circumstances necessary and sufficient for completion of a particular action (not including willpower and/or time). This, and no more. The three points above don't express what's necessary and sufficient for completion. They're too vague. Do you need a computer? A paper and pencil? Some peace and quiet to think? Those are contexts, not "things I could do at the office", "things I could do at the office or at home", "things I could do with a reference file". Those last things are expressions of characteristics of the action, but they aren't contexts.

Well I have an iLiad (http://www.irextechnologies.com/) and a MacBook Pro, so they are almost always with me...
Which brings me to the point of my original post - it is hard to define contexts in this modern world we live in, because often times, I can choose to do ANYTHING! (I always have my computer, I always have my phone, I always am online, etc).

Right. But you're expecting contexts to do something they won't. Notice above I said contexts were the necessary and sufficient circumstances for completion, "not including willpower and time"? Willpower and time are where you use filters and foci. Given d amount of time, you set a filter showing actions you can complete in d. If you just can't face dealing with a certain project right now, focus on something else.

It sounds to me like maybe you do have 95% of your actions in one place—but they're not in "Office", they're in "MacBook Pro". (Can they all be done offline? If not, there you go right there, make an "Online" context and winnow that way. Do some actions need peace and quiet too, and do you sometimes work in public? Add a "Thinking" context, and there's another avenue to winnow with. And so on....)