[HappyDude]

Hey guys, so as i've already admitted in a few other previous threads where i've asked for help, I've also mentioned that after a few months of having OF i'm finally utilizing it like crazy.

I just completed my 2nd "weekly review" using the Review feature in OF which I completely love.

I've also renamed my actions and am utilizing notes more than ever. I've also just started implementing "estimates" and am testing the waters with start and due dates which I'm sure will evolve with me over time... (Though I already use start dates)

..But to the question at hand:

You gotta help me out with my errands context. It's just so disorganized. A few hours ago I changed my "Mac" contexts which were cluttered as well.

See, for months my contexts under Mac looked something like this:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...73127562105362

Though it may look a bit simple, it def. was a headache. I layered it like this for my actions that could be acted upon with any computer, actions that needed an internet connection and finally things that could be done on my mac. Every week bit by bit i'd throw things somewhere in there. Some actions needed my mac but no wifi, etc. Anyways, it now looks like this:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...74117938595506

Simple, yet I like it. It's very fitting, stuff online and stuff offline. Things that can be done on a PC can still be done on a Mac, so i'm not stressing over that. But if/when I come across something that can only be done on a PC, well then i'll just cross that bridge when I get to it.

As for my errands, well I just don't know. Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that I consider it all "errands" since the cities vary? But here's a pic of how it currently looks:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...24372345156642

Gym cause I go to the gym, but iono, just take a look. Norwalk actions include things that may not even be in norwalk such as "go surfing" since Huntington Beach is closer to it than where I live. Target Store was only there for things that I needed to buy...but has been seldomly used. If I have to buy something I'd normally add it to my West Covina context since I could do when i'm out and about during my day. Staples Center store, same deal as Target store, both hardly used.

I know showing you just the list of the errands context isn't enough so i've included a link showing the all my actions currently under an errands context:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...37228408224210

Even things like "drop off macbook" aren't really in Norwalk but rather since the Apple Store is closer there than any other context, that is why i've added it with that context. Same goes for getting a haircut. I normally get a haircut in the city of Montebello, which is the only reason I ever visit that city..

I really feel like I need help in the context department, focusing on currently my "errands" areas. But as I originally stated, the problem might rest in thinking all these things should be under an "errands" context...

I'm really confused on this one and could use some help, though feel great that I've sorted out my computer/mac context. I really think the changes within the computer/mac/online/offline context is gonna improve me productivity.

[Greg Jones]

My thoughts on assigning contexts is that this is one area of GTD where someone can spend way too much time and make things much more complicated than they need to be. Einstein had it right when he said "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." The ideal context setup for you will contain enough tasks to allow you to focus on that sub-set of tasks, but not so many tasks that you are still overwhelmed and have to mentally process the entire list of actions to get to the few tasks that you want to work with. This balance of contexts will vary for everyone, so what may, or may not, work for you could be very different from that which works for someone else.

I started out with David Allen's default list of contexts and then adapted that list over time to fit my needs. I have added a few sub-contexts to my my primary contexts (errand: DIY store, errand: Office supply store, etc.) largely because of the location awareness of the iPhone app. I would still use these sub-contexts sparingly if I did not have an iPhone.

I also will add that I often see contexts narrowly defined as a physical bucket, but seldom defined as a cognitive bucket. I believe that David Allen, and other GTD practitioners, implicitly recognize this element but seldom explicitly mention it. What I mean by this can be demonstrated by my personal situation. I work from home and I always have a phone with me, and since my phone is an iPhone it is technically a computer that is online. Why then would I need a 'home', an 'office', a 'phone', a 'computer', an 'online', etc. contexts when all the above plus errands could be lumped into either an 'anywhere' or a 'home' context? Simply put, because my two contexts would be overwhelming (see first paragraph above). Also, not everything in these big buckets may be what I want to, or can, work on at the moment. Just because I have a phone with me, that doesn't mean I'm in an appropriate 'phone' context, physically or cognitively. When I do have the physical and cognitive context of phone available, then I can quickly scan the list of calls in the phone context without distraction from my other tasks.

For this reason, I will make one specific recommendation on your current contexts. I would pull all the rest and recreation tasks out of the 'errands' context and put them into their own bucket. Working out at the gym, surfing, running, etc. would not, in my opinion, be an errand. Errands are something done outside the home and/or office. R&R type activities can include tasks outside the home/office (surfing, running, gym, etc.) as well as tasks inside the home/office (reading, etc.). These activities are not the same as errands, and should not be put in the same bucket with errands.

The final thought I have is that no GTD tool and no amount of classification will automate all the thinking about what you need to do, when you need to do it, and where it needs to be done. You'll still need to think about your workflow throughout the day to make good choices for your situation. As one example, if you have looked at your list of R&R activities and have decided that running would be beneficial today, and you know you want to run at West Co. because of the spectacular view, then you could also then view your errands list for the West Co. area to see if you can take care of any errands while you are there. I could go on and on, but hopefully this helps.

[HappyDude]

Originally Posted by Greg Jones

My thoughts on assigning contexts is that this is one area of GTD where someone can spend way too much time and make things much more complicated than they need to be. Einstein had it right when he said "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." The ideal context setup for you will contain enough tasks to allow you to focus on that sub-set of tasks, but not so many tasks that you are still overwhelmed and have to mentally process the entire list of actions to get to the few tasks that you want to work with. This balance of contexts will vary for everyone, so what may, or may not, work for you could be very different from that which works for someone else.

I started out with David Allen's default list of contexts and then adapted that list over time to fit my needs. I have added a few sub-contexts to my my primary contexts (errand: DIY store, errand: Office supply store, etc.) largely because of the location awareness of the iPhone app. I would still use these sub-contexts sparingly if I did not have an iPhone.

I also will add that I often see contexts narrowly defined as a physical bucket, but seldom defined as a cognitive bucket. I believe that David Allen, and other GTD practitioners, implicitly recognize this element but seldom explicitly mention it. What I mean by this can be demonstrated by my personal situation. I work from home and I always have a phone with me, and since my phone is an iPhone it is technically a computer that is online. Why then would I need a 'home', an 'office', a 'phone', a 'computer', an 'online', etc. contexts when all the above plus errands could be lumped into either an 'anywhere' or a 'home' context? Simply put, because my two contexts would be overwhelming (see first paragraph above). Also, not everything in these big buckets may be what I want to, or can, work on at the moment. Just because I have a phone with me, that doesn't mean I'm in an appropriate 'phone' context, physically or cognitively. When I do have the physical and cognitive context of phone available, then I can quickly scan the list of calls in the phone context without distraction from my other tasks.

For this reason, I will make one specific recommendation on your current contexts. I would pull all the rest and recreation tasks out of the 'errands' context and put them into their own bucket. Working out at the gym, surfing, running, etc. would not, in my opinion, be an errand. Errands are something done outside the home and/or office. R&R type activities can include tasks outside the home/office (surfing, running, gym, etc.) as well as tasks inside the home/office (reading, etc.). These activities are not the same as errands, and should not be put in the same bucket with errands.

The final thought I have is that no GTD tool and no amount of classification will automate all the thinking about what you need to do, when you need to do it, and where it needs to be done. You'll still need to think about your workflow throughout the day to make good choices for your situation. As one example, if you have looked at your list of R&R activities and have decided that running would be beneficial today, and you know you want to run at West Co. because of the spectacular view, then you could also then view your errands list for the West Co. area to see if you can take care of any errands while you are there. I could go on and on, but hopefully this helps.

I think you make a great point when mention things such as going surfing and jogging. These events are more leisure and fun; things I wanna personally do thats not work. You mentioned "R&R" which if I'm not mistaken means "Read & Review." Correct? :)

If so, I find it interesting that its called this, simply because I always believed in GTD that read and review were things you needed to actually read and review at some point during your day and week. For the longest time i've had a durable silicone filer folder that holds all my read and review stuff, from school papers, news articles, etc. Anyways..back to the contexts stuff...

Second, I hear you on why you have an array of contexts rather than just two. Two contexts in your situation would seem daunting, and the make things as simple as possible Einstein quote goes along great with this situation. With that said, I still need a few contexts that should not all be considered as errands.

So, maybe my leisure activities liking reading, surfing, jogging should go under something titled, "fun" or w/e. (Bad example right now, but lets roll with it)

So I have "Fun." But I still think there is something better. Iono, i'm thinking out loud.

I'm studying all my actions I have in OF under the Errand context which includes Norwalk, West Co., Gym, Mall, etc. (Though the Gym is in West Co...so that's kinda dumb.)

So i'm studying them

1. Drive to Mall (Sociology Project): This is under the Mall context, which I find odd why I'd call it drive to mall. What i'm really doing is fieldwork at the mall for a sociology project, asking people a few questions. This is a reoccurring project.

2. Visit H&M Store (Clothes): In the notes section I explain I gotta buy a few clothes for work. Again under the Mall context.

3. Drive to Gym (Exercise): is under the Gym context, but why did I do this?!

4. Drop off Macbook (AppleCare): This is under the Norwalk context, only cause the city of norwalk is closest to the Apple Store, still 12 miles away...

I've noticed all of my contexts have a distinct area or application needed. My college context has worked out pretty well for me; when I find myself @ or near my college i'll usually take care of everything I can while at the college, simply cause I live pretty far from it...so wanna get as much done while I have the chance to. Other contexts like Mac, Home, Phone all have some thing/place in mind, which is why I believe these contexts have worked well in the past.

This is the way my mind processed creating the errands contexts; needing a specific location so I won't wonder where I can get a certain action done.

With the gym, and also jogging I can do them pretty much anywhere. I've got a gym bag in the car with me all the time and 24 Hr. Fitness Gyms are scattered all over the place. Some mall things like the sociology fieldwork can be done at any mall, while things like purchasing specific dress pants and dropping off a Macbook need to be done at different speific malls.

Things under the West Covina context can really be done almost anywhere. "Drive to USPS to Drop off Packages" can really be done at any Post Office, which I'm sure pass by a few on my route to school and work.

This is whats on my mind in regards to these actions within these contexts.

I think you hit a note when mentioning "Going Surfing" isn't really an errand. In fact, perhaps leisure events like that should just go on my calendar. But other actions, like the ones i've mentioned above are really racking in my brain wondering how to appropiately place them in context's that aren't too much, or too little to really get me going.

[likethesky]

R&R generally means "Rest and Relaxation" or possibly "Rest and Recreation" (probably this latter, less used one fits better what Greg meant, since he includes working out, etc., though I suppose some people find lifting weights or a competitive game of volleyball to be relaxing!)... Definitely laying on a beach, reading, walking/hiking probably all go into R&R types of things. So your re-frame of R&R into 'Fun' is probably a good one.

Pretty sure Greg didn't mean Read & Review though! ;-)

Anyway, your questions are good GTD explorations. Thanks, I'm learning from reading your and Greg's replies.

Side note: Greg, are you from Truckee? (Prob not, just thought I'd ask in case you're someone I know!)

~ Brad

[HappyDude]

Ah, now that's awesome.

R&R will def. be a new context for such activities. Of course I plan/hope this will evolve over time to be better, but only if needed.

I'm glad we got one in the bucket: R&R, for exactly those types of activities.

I have to go turn in my Macbook to AppleCare later on today and will be without my Mac for a few days so will print out all my projects, contexts view and available perspectives but i'll keep checking up on this thread on my sister's cough PC.

I still need to find a solution regarding the other errands contexts. I'm really wondering how others have theirs that actually work. Most of my actions i've noticed rest under Mac or College, but the important actions, usually the last action of a project involve an actual location, & errands is where these action steps currently rest. & have been resting there for a while, not being implemented.

My ears ar open guys. Ears open.

:)

[Ken Case]

Originally Posted by HappyDude

I still need to find a solution regarding the other errands contexts. I'm really wondering how others have theirs that actually work. Most of my actions i've noticed rest under Mac or College, but the important actions, usually the last action of a project involve an actual location, & errands is where these action steps currently rest. & have been resting there for a while, not being implemented.

Is the problem simply that you're not scheduling time for those contexts? At the risk of stating the obvious, putting something in my Errands:Grocery Store context won't actually help me get to the grocery store—I have to set aside some time in my schedule to go to the grocery store.

Setting aside time in my schedule isn't the domain of OmniFocus; that's where my calendar comes into play. If I set up a weekly appointment with myself to go grocery shopping, then when that time comes and I go to the grocery store I can open up OmniFocus and see what I'm supposed to do while I'm there.

Does that help?

[HappyDude]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

Is the problem simply that you're not scheduling time for those contexts? At the risk of stating the obvious, putting something in my Errands:Grocery Store context won't actually help me get to the grocery store—I have to set aside some time in my schedule to go to the grocery store.

Setting aside time in my schedule isn't the domain of OmniFocus; that's where my calendar comes into play. If I set up a weekly appointment with myself to go grocery shopping, then when that time comes and I go to the grocery store I can open up OmniFocus and see what I'm supposed to do while I'm there.

Does that help?

Hmmm. :)

I like where this is going. So, these errands shouldn't really even be in OF. You stated it perfectly when you said jotting things down don't actually help you get to that location.

So in fact, with regards to surfing I can simply add that to my Gcal say "Saturday 11am - Surfing @ Laguna Beach."

And taking this further, for my sociology reports, add a set time I expect to actually implement that action, so "Sociology Fieldwork @ Mall - Thursday 6pm"

Ken, it really feels like you just opened up my eyes.

The problem i've been having, the problem of not really tackling the actions located under my errands, while all my other actions in other contexts have been is because the actions under errands should not have been there in the first place. Looking back @ the actions located under errands I can see most of these actions just require me do go out and do something, such as drop off a package or go surfing on the weekend. The problem is I never took the time to actually think and set down in ink when I actually want to go do it.
I process my inbox in OF and review all my actions weekly, taking time to think about each one...and thinking about when I actually want to go out into the world and do something takes the same amount of effort.

This is great.

So this is what i'm thinking.

If you take a look @ my actions under the current errands context, its now easy to notice that most of these actions belong in a calendar (I use Google Cal - Free Txt Updates) rather than OF.

I can def. see going to the gym in my calendar, as well dropping off Macbook @ the mall, going surfing (perhaps this weekend), driving to the mall to conduct my sociology report, jotting down a date to visit the H&M store to purchase clothes (same visit when dropping off my Macbook),.......Also driving to Santa Monica beach to go to the mall and perhaps catch a wave or two again,...etc.

This is seriously great.

I mean, "Haircut." That definately belongs on the calendar!

It seems to me, looking at everything under my errands contexts that these belong in a calendar. Some more leisurely, like "Dropping off USPS Packages" which can be done any time during my day...but as long as I set a particular day on my Gcal so i know I wanna get that done today.

The only one I'm still pensive about is the Running 3 Miles thing. That's kinda a leisure thing happening here and there every few days...

..But i'll test it out in my calendar, having a set time.

Thanks so much. Really.

:]

[Greg Jones]

Originally Posted by likethesky

R&R generally means "Rest and Relaxation" or possibly "Rest and Recreation" (probably this latter, less used one fits better what Greg meant, since he includes working out, etc., though I suppose some people find lifting weights or a competitive game of volleyball to be relaxing!)... Definitely laying on a beach, reading, walking/hiking probably all go into R&R types of things. So your re-frame of R&R into 'Fun' is probably a good one.

Pretty sure Greg didn't mean Read & Review though! ;-)

Anyway, your questions are good GTD explorations. Thanks, I'm learning from reading your and Greg's replies.

Side note: Greg, are you from Truckee? (Prob not, just thought I'd ask in case you're someone I know!)

~ Brad

Rest and recreation is the meaning I indented-I should have written it out.

I am not from Truckee, instead I call the Bluegrass area of Kentucky home.

[HappyDude]

Oh happy days.

So I've made my contexts incredibly easy, finally actually implementing my Gcal.

Here is a photo of my new, updated contexts. The "Anywhere" context replaces all the "errands" contexts and with good measure:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...79646736000418

For a fresh reminder, my "errands" context contained these examples of next actions:

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...37228408224210

Driving to the gym, under a "gym" context didn't work at all, nor did Go surfing. Getting a haircut didn't work under a city context and piece by piece it was easier to see I needed to place these in my calendar with a set time and date.

1. Going to the gym, 2. Going Surfing, -----, 4. Visit S.M Promenade, 5. Getting a Haircut, 6. Dropping off Job Apps - Have all been giving a set time and date in my calendar. Where they belong.

Some actions like "Jog for 3 Miles" was dropped, seeing as I do this @ the gym.

2 Action steps remain in OF, where I can't yet decide when I want to head out and do what I gotta do; such as dropping off a package at the USPS, or when I'm ready to conduct fieldwork at the mall for sociology class experiments. These are still in OF in their appropiate project, usually the last action in the project directing me to add a date in my Gcal, only cause I can't do it just yet.

Tips? Advice? Suggestions?

Think this is a step in the right direction?

Feels like it so far, but just did this about an hour ago after receiving my Macbook back from AppleCare so have yet to fully delve in and implement it.

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiltonEl...82254651642034