Processing the inbox
This post covers a few topics that show up for me when processing inbox. This is the “Get ‘IN’ to zero” process that is so fundamental to GTD.
First off, like many GTD apps the support for this core process in OF is spotty. As anyone familiar with GTD knows, this involves going through each of your inboxes one by one, and disposing of each item in roughly one of a few different ways:
(if it’s not actionable)
trashing it,
incubating it,
filing it for reference,
(if it’s actionable)
first, determining the next action and adding/integrating it into a project list if it’s a multi-step thing, then taking the next action and
doing it if it takes less than 2 minutes,
delegating it
deferring it (putting it on a action list aka context list)
Assuming we are operating under the principle that OF should support GTD well, while allowing for variations from that process, here are some thoughts:
+ Make sure this process is really doable, quickly, mostly through the keyboard. I should be able to quickly cycle through the inbox items, making these choices and disposing of each item accordingly. Right now, parts of it work well, and parts are not well supported.
+ Most of these apps seem to assume that the only inbox you have is the app inbox. GTD makes it clear – have as few as possible, but realize that your inboxes may include things like your OF inbox, your email inbox, voice memos, note pads, a physical inbox/pile of stuff, etc. I should be able to do this process cycling through my OF inbox, but it should also be as easy for cycling through my pile of stuff.
+ deleting works fine as long as I’m keeping my selection on an inbox item – seems to work.
+ defer: well… For the “tickler” file, I know start date kind of works. If I create a “defer” project and a context for the item, it will show up back on my context list for review – this is less than ideal. The point here is that I pick up an item in my inbox and I simply want to defer dealing with it, I don’t want it to have to show up on a project or action list. It’s not a project or an action. Most clean would be to be able to “defer” the item and have it show up back in my inbox. “Start date” is a misnomer because at this point, I have not decided to start it, just revisit the item at a later date. Same for “Someday/Maybe” – I realize you can create a project for this, but it is not in fact a project but a reference list for later review.
(Contexts and Projects is an arbitrarily constraining notion here. In GTD you have
Action lists (by context)
Calendar
Project lists
Someday/Maybe list
Waiting for list
Tickler file (incubate list)
In GTC the action lists and the calendar are for moment-to-moment “doing” but the others are for planning/review. Right now, planning and review requires me to look in various places – projects, projects that are not projects, contexts that are not really work to do but place holders, etc. to find things to review.)
+ File for reference: Here’s a tricky one. I think we are left to a manual process at this point because, who knows where it’s supposed to be filed. I might drop someone’s phone number or birth date or a book reference in my inbox, but these go in various places and I can’t think of a good way for OF to support that.
+ Determining the next action/project. Here are some workflows I am aware of:
- the item is really a project and reviewing it brings to mind the NA, the project and NA need to be entered into the right place in the project list
- the item is a NA on an existing project and needs to be place at the right point with the right context in the project
- the item implies a (one or more same/different project) NAs but isn’t at all worded correctly, e.g., “follow from on Joe’s requests”
All these take a number of steps.
+ do it. Easy enough
+ delegate – no direct support for this. I'll post on this separately.
+ Defer to an action list – automatic for contexts. For the calendar? I don’t know. Maybe someone’s written a script for this.
Hope this is helpful. I'd be interested in other's thoughts.
Geoff
This post covers a few topics that show up for me when processing inbox. This is the “Get ‘IN’ to zero” process that is so fundamental to GTD.
First off, like many GTD apps the support for this core process in OF is spotty. As anyone familiar with GTD knows, this involves going through each of your inboxes one by one, and disposing of each item in roughly one of a few different ways:
(if it’s not actionable)
trashing it,
incubating it,
filing it for reference,
(if it’s actionable)
first, determining the next action and adding/integrating it into a project list if it’s a multi-step thing, then taking the next action and
doing it if it takes less than 2 minutes,
delegating it
deferring it (putting it on a action list aka context list)
Assuming we are operating under the principle that OF should support GTD well, while allowing for variations from that process, here are some thoughts:
+ Make sure this process is really doable, quickly, mostly through the keyboard. I should be able to quickly cycle through the inbox items, making these choices and disposing of each item accordingly. Right now, parts of it work well, and parts are not well supported.
+ Most of these apps seem to assume that the only inbox you have is the app inbox. GTD makes it clear – have as few as possible, but realize that your inboxes may include things like your OF inbox, your email inbox, voice memos, note pads, a physical inbox/pile of stuff, etc. I should be able to do this process cycling through my OF inbox, but it should also be as easy for cycling through my pile of stuff.
+ deleting works fine as long as I’m keeping my selection on an inbox item – seems to work.
+ defer: well… For the “tickler” file, I know start date kind of works. If I create a “defer” project and a context for the item, it will show up back on my context list for review – this is less than ideal. The point here is that I pick up an item in my inbox and I simply want to defer dealing with it, I don’t want it to have to show up on a project or action list. It’s not a project or an action. Most clean would be to be able to “defer” the item and have it show up back in my inbox. “Start date” is a misnomer because at this point, I have not decided to start it, just revisit the item at a later date. Same for “Someday/Maybe” – I realize you can create a project for this, but it is not in fact a project but a reference list for later review.
(Contexts and Projects is an arbitrarily constraining notion here. In GTD you have
Action lists (by context)
Calendar
Project lists
Someday/Maybe list
Waiting for list
Tickler file (incubate list)
In GTC the action lists and the calendar are for moment-to-moment “doing” but the others are for planning/review. Right now, planning and review requires me to look in various places – projects, projects that are not projects, contexts that are not really work to do but place holders, etc. to find things to review.)
+ File for reference: Here’s a tricky one. I think we are left to a manual process at this point because, who knows where it’s supposed to be filed. I might drop someone’s phone number or birth date or a book reference in my inbox, but these go in various places and I can’t think of a good way for OF to support that.
+ Determining the next action/project. Here are some workflows I am aware of:
- the item is really a project and reviewing it brings to mind the NA, the project and NA need to be entered into the right place in the project list
- the item is a NA on an existing project and needs to be place at the right point with the right context in the project
- the item implies a (one or more same/different project) NAs but isn’t at all worded correctly, e.g., “follow from on Joe’s requests”
All these take a number of steps.
+ do it. Easy enough
+ delegate – no direct support for this. I'll post on this separately.
+ Defer to an action list – automatic for contexts. For the calendar? I don’t know. Maybe someone’s written a script for this.
Hope this is helpful. I'd be interested in other's thoughts.
Geoff
Threaded Mode