Quote:
Originally Posted by jefferyn
i read a number of threads in this forum to know how to use contexts better and am stuck still... the thread that was most meaningful to me was "Context Lists for IT" from a year ago... since it hasn't been updated in a year, and i'm not in "IT", it seemed logical to start a new thread...
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Funny, I started that thread!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jefferyn
i'm an engineer working in aerospace... i basically do a variety of types of things:
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You know the things that you do, aren't that different from me in IT (and I think we struggle with the same context problems):
I design and analyze systems, I come up with processes, I share them with others, I train others, make presentations, develop documentation, update the website...
And as I mentioned in my post a year ago, I always have my computer. I always have a network connection, I work from home and at work...
A year later, I can tell you this much:
•*I started off with a long, complicated, heavily-nested set of contexts. I based it on a relatively strict interpretation of GTD: base your contexts on the physical limitations of the task. So if it was "update website" I used the context "@Computer: Adobe GoLive".
•*That ended up being needlessly complicated, and I stepped back and streamlined my contexts. I haven't strayed too much (from this much smaller, simpler set of contexts) for a year.
• I am still not comfortable with my contexts (I think because I want multiple contexts/tags)
•*Being a person still struggling to completely implement GTD (based on time constraints: still have to clean my office, have years of crap that needs to be cleaned through, do the "big" collection, get new furniture, etc); I still fall off the bandwagon for a couple of weeks at a time; I also struggle with working out of context mode, and find myself spending most of my time in project mode (which is a result of not completely living in GTD); failing to do a weekly review; I think that once I am able to do all of the above, consistently, I will begin to spend more time in Context mode, and it will be clearer to me (and by then we will have tags/multiple contexts)
For what it is worth, I now have (and as an aside, these work well in iPhone view as well):
@Work (I place work-related tasks that can be done at work or at home at this level, so if I click here, I "get it all")
-----Office (this is reserved for things that I have to be physically at the office for)
-----Calls (I go back and forth between having a calls and e-mail category and not)
-----E-mail (having an e-mail category, helps keep me from "living" in e-mail, so I almost use it as a negative filter!)
-----After Hours (for server maintenance when nobody is logged in)
-----Agenda (this level captures people who are not important enough to warrant their own dedicated sub context)
----------CoWorker1
----------CoWorker2
-----Waiting (this level captures people who are not important enough to warrant their own dedicated sub context)
----------CoWorker1
----------CoWorker2
Errands
Home
Reading
Training
I also have additional contexts that are short term - for example when on a vacation or a remote city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jefferyn
can a project or task have multiple contexts?
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Oh My God, don't start that again! There is a thread back in the main MF forum that has been gong on since day one, probably about 375 pages long now, that has those that are "pro tags/multiple contexts" and the "anti tags/multiple contexts" camp making the holy wars look like a vacation!
That being said OmniGroup has stated they will provide this feature in a future release.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jefferyn
at this point, i feel like i should just try what i've come up with and see how it works, then refine as something new comes to mind...
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I think that is probably OK. It is eventually what you are going to have to do. The great thing is that OF can totally do that, with no problem at all, as you experiment, grow, and change your mind: have lots of nested contexts, have very few contexts, want to rename your contexts, no problem! OF can flex with you very easily, and very successfully. Probably one of the best things about the program, it is very forgiving when it comes to how your "structure" your system.
Good Luck!