[reelsteve]

To clarify my idea....GTD processes all incoming events immediately and calls for some sort of action on your part; evaluate, process, categorize, trash, etc. It starts at the bottom and works its way up with the goal being having your inbox empty and thus freeing up mental space. This goes for external incoming events as well as your own random or focused ideas that spring up and need to be logged.

Depending on your level of incoming messages/ideas/requests, etc - an administrative workload of time and mental space is required to manage this process. Though GTD is a hyper efficient way of minimizing that workload by not letting things get bogged down, there still is a good amount of admin to the system depending on your level of incoming messages.

I find that if I don't put a gatekeeper on the front of my inbox, I get slammed spending too much time and focus energy processing incoming events. The worst offender is probably my own brain's multiple random ideas that show up and need to be dealt with.

As it relates to this thread, the question on the table is "what is the lowest practical form to which a project should be broken down". I say, whatever works for you. I would just add that if you have experienced the sensation of "my to do list of action items is totally overwhelming to look at and manage, even when I have them dialed into a slick system like OF powered GTD" then perhaps a system that slightly modifies GTD by NOT breaking things all the way down will help keep your brain tuned to the big ticket, important aspects of your life.

As I said, I do have a single action list I keep that pretty much follows the letter of the GTD law. I try not to let the content of it take over more than 5% of my total focus energy.