[jasong]

"The lack of contextual restrictions" is a problem for a lot of folks; I have it in the office, where I do 90% of my job @Computer. I try to do two things:

- create a couple "artificial" contexts that include specific applications (e.g. our bug-filing tool; anytime I have a bug to file, it goes into that context)

- pick something, anything, and do it for some period of time, usually 10-15 minutes. If it's in available in my context, it means I can do it.

The hardest part of GTD (or, in fact, just gtd) is the [Dd]oing part. It's really easy to get used to ubiquitious capture and making lists and OmniFocus makes that even easier, but at some point we just have to jump in and do something.

I've been thinking of using a new strategy with this. Currently if I don't feel like working on a particular action item or project, I give it a due date of +1w or +1m, depending on how "important" it is. That gets it out of my hair for a while, and I feel better about having "done" something about the project. Projects end up in Pending, waiting to spring back to Active; actions simply go away until the start date

I push things forward a lot.

Now I'm thinking: if I defer it once, and then defer it again (sometimes giving it a longer waiting period), after the third time, it goes on hold with a review period appropriately in the future. If when that item comes up for review, and I haven't decided to do it, I'll mark it as dropped. Maybe I'll defer it a couple of times with escalating reviews.

I'll consider reviewing "dropped" projects every six months or year, maybe longer.

This might look like this:

Star with an Active Project/Action
* Decide to postpone; +1w start date; into Pending
* Start date arrives; decide to postpone; +2w; back to Pending
* Start date arrives again; decide to postpone; +1m; back to Pending
* Start date arrives a third time; want to postpone, so into On Hold with a +3m or +6m Review date
* Review date arrives, either I decide I'm doing it, or decide I'm dropping it.

Some items may get a shorter death, but it forces me to make the decision on doing it or not doing it.