[wheeles]

I was wondering what to do with actions or projects where I am currently waiting on something for the next step to be possible. On reading this thread it became clear to me that it isn't necessarily multiple contexts that are required, but instead an additional status setting of Waiting For.

The way I see this working is that when you set the status of a project to Waiting For, then you can also set a reminder date when you chase this up if you are still waiting. OmniFocus could be configured to generate a Chase up action for that project on that date. OmniFocus could also have a little icon for the project like there is for On Hold projects, so you could see at a glance what actions are dependant on others and which are not.

It would also be useful to be able to add another option to the filtering of actions so you could view Next Actions including the list of Next Actions that have a status of Waiting For as well as the Next Actions and not display those projects where you are waiting (unless the chase up date had arrived).

Why not use On Hold, I hear you ask? Well, to me On Hold is for those projects that are in the Someday/Maybe category.

Of course, you could use On Hold instead of Waiting For, but then I would want a Someday/Maybe status instead to distinguish the two.

[SpiralOcean]

Originally Posted by wheeles

I was wondering what to do with actions or projects where I am currently waiting on something for the next step to be possible. On reading this thread it became clear to me that it isn't necessarily multiple contexts that are required, but instead an additional status setting of Waiting For.

The way I see this working is that when you set the status of a project to Waiting For, then you can also set a reminder date when you chase this up if you are still waiting. OmniFocus could be configured to generate a Chase up action for that project on that date. OmniFocus could also have a little icon for the project like there is for On Hold projects, so you could see at a glance what actions are dependant on others and which are not.

It would also be useful to be able to add another option to the filtering of actions so you could view Next Actions including the list of Next Actions that have a status of Waiting For as well as the Next Actions and not display those projects where you are waiting (unless the chase up date had arrived).

Why not use On Hold, I hear you ask? Well, to me On Hold is for those projects that are in the Someday/Maybe category.

Of course, you could use On Hold instead of Waiting For, but then I would want a Someday/Maybe status instead to distinguish the two.

Now that we are careening... :-)

I leave the due date filter on at all times. For waiting for items, I will set a due date for the action.

Every day I look at my waiting for items.
Those in the today grouping, I review:
If the item is complete, I check off...
If I need to do an action... I'll do the action... or put it in my system
If I want to wait longer for it... I'll tab over and change the due date.

Waiting for Items are an anomoly.

I am constantly using the 'show in project view' menu command (can't wait for that one to be fixed) to go to the project of the waiting for item to enter the next task.

For example:
call Apple to inquire about my free iPhone - calls

So I am going through my calls. I make the call to apple and leave a message.

I need to have a waiting for item in that project.
select show action in project view
enter task... waiting for return call from apple-waiting for-due on friday
set it as a child of the call action listed above

On friday, I am reviewing my waiting for items
I see that apple hasn't called back yet.
I complete the waiting for return call from apple
the
call Apple to inquire about my free iPhone-call
appears in the calls context

When I do my calls, I leave a voicemail at Apple
And now I go and enter another waiting for item.

[brianogilvie]

Originally Posted by SpiralOcean

So I am going through my calls. I make the call to apple and leave a message.

I need to have a waiting for item in that project.
select show action in project view
enter task... waiting for return call from apple-waiting for-due on friday
set it as a child of the call action listed above

On friday, I am reviewing my waiting for items
I see that apple hasn't called back yet.
I complete the waiting for return call from apple
the
call Apple to inquire about my free iPhone-call
appears in the calls context

That's a great idea! It will be wonderful when it actually works. Right now it doesn't, though, at least not for me. When I complete a subaction, its parent does not show up as available.

As a workaround, though, until the bug is fixed, I can simply delete the "waiting for" subaction, at which point the parent will show up as available.

[iancjclarke]

Originally Posted by sprugman

I'd like to put my vote in favor of either mutlple contexts

Just want to weigh in and say that I also found myself missing this ability, the hierarchical approach to contexts just doesn't cut it. If contexts are prerequisites for performing a task, then isn't it reasonable that some tasks may have more than one prerequisite?

[curt.clifton]

Originally Posted by iancjclarke

Just want to weigh in and say that I also found myself missing this ability, the hierarchical approach to contexts just doesn't cut it. If contexts are prerequisites for performing a task, then isn't it reasonable that some tasks may have more than one prerequisite?

Perhaps you just misspoke, but that is the opposite of what people are asking for in this thread. If a task had more than one prerequisite, than they would all have to be satisfied before the task was available. Multiple contexts as discussed here are for actions that could be done in any one of a number of contexts. So the conversation with Susan could happen in an @Call context or in an @Agenda:Susan context.

[carey262]

It would be awesome if you could create a task and assign it to a person. Then this person would receive an email detailing the delegated task, and if they had an omni account registered to their email (and you had permission to delegate to them) that the task automatically appear as a delegated task in their own copy of Omnifocus.

Then, when they complete the task, you would be abel to see that they had marked the task as completed in your own copy of OF (in the delegated status area), at which point you could then mark it as completed on your own list.

Do this, OMNI, and you will dominate the world with your to-do-list system.