[bnz]

Originally Posted by curt.clifton

Just double checking, you did try the Forecast view, right?

The forecast is of limited use. It helps you to see what is due on a specific day, but it doesn't provide an overview over the next few days (or the next week) at once. You would have to click on each day to see whats on it. Furthermore, while I assign due dates to each task, some of them need to be worked on with a different priority. I need to have those high priority tasks with a possibly later due date always in my sight. I think GTD dictates that a task must not be longer than a specific amount of time, but this simply isn't practical or possible for all kinds of tasks. To a limited degree, this can be modeled with the perspectives and the flagging. But still, it feels like the App doesn't want to give me the views that I need.

[hypotyposis]

Originally Posted by bnz

I think GTD dictates that a task must not be longer than a specific amount of time

Hmm... I don't remember seeing that. DA says that anything <2mins should be done right away, but there's no specification on maximum time on a task. It's actually an interesting debate for some specific types of work, e.g. (in my case) when I was completing my dissertation: requires many not-so-discrete tasks that are not always quantifiable in time. Time-blocking seems to work well for some stuff as well (assuming it's not a task that has to be completed in a humongous amount of time and without interruption).

[hypotyposis]

Btw, apologies to all for trolling the OF iPad forum while not being a user yet... I'm living vicariously until my school stops sitting on my loan disbursement (they have to generate interest on it since they can't directly screw us now that the gov't owns the loan...).

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by bnz

The forecast is of limited use. It helps you to see what is due on a specific day, but it doesn't provide an overview over the next few days (or the next week) at once. You would have to click on each day to see whats on it.

What if you could select multiple days in the forecast?

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by hypotyposis

Hmm... I don't remember seeing that. DA says that anything <2mins should be done right away, but there's no specification on maximum time on a task. It's actually an interesting debate for some specific types of work, e.g. (in my case) when I was completing my dissertation: requires many not-so-discrete tasks that are not always quantifiable in time. Time-blocking seems to work well for some stuff as well (assuming it's not a task that has to be completed in a humongous amount of time and without interruption).

Yeah, there's no upper limit other than practicality. Dividing things into smaller chunks will help you get started on an enormous task, hence the whole next action business. DA does suggest that things in the inbox that can be done in 2 minutes or less should simply be done on the spot, not deferred.

[bnz]

Originally Posted by hypotyposis

Hmm... I don't remember seeing that. DA says that anything <2mins should be done right away, but there's no specification on maximum time on a task. It's actually an interesting debate for some specific types of work, e.g. (in my case) when I was completing my dissertation: requires many not-so-discrete tasks that are not always quantifiable in time. Time-blocking seems to work well for some stuff as well (assuming it's not a task that has to be completed in a humongous amount of time and without interruption).

Yeah, I could create a repeating task so that I could work on it every day, but then the due date is on daily basis, there would be no "final" due date or "repeat until". Also, the repetition is kind of faulty. The next repetition is only created when the last one is checked. If I now use the forecast view, it doesn't display the repeated task on all days where I would have to work on it, but just the first one. It kind of hides the work that you have to do.

[hypotyposis]

Originally Posted by bnz

Yeah, I could create a repeating task so that I could work on it every day, but then the due date is on daily basis, there would be no "final" due date or "repeat until". Also, the repetition is kind of faulty. The next repetition is only created when the last one is checked. If I now use the forecast view, it doesn't display the repeated task on all days where I would have to work on it, but just the first one. It kind of hides the work that you have to do.

So I don't know what kind of task you're working with/your workflow type and therefore whether this would apply or not, but I've had quite a bit of success using time-blocking for some stuff (i.e. setting aside chunks of time to do specific work in my calendar, not on OF at all).

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by bnz

Yeah, I could create a repeating task so that I could work on it every day, but then the due date is on daily basis, there would be no "final" due date or "repeat until". Also, the repetition is kind of faulty. The next repetition is only created when the last one is checked. If I now use the forecast view, it doesn't display the repeated task on all days where I would have to work on it, but just the first one. It kind of hides the work that you have to do.

That's only one way to do it. If it is important to see the future work, instead of making a daily repeater, you make a set of 5 or 7 that each repeat weekly, or 10 or 14 that repeat bi-weekly, or whatever.

As for knowing when to stop, put in an action with a start date that tells you it's time to get rid of that repeating action...

[bnz]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

That's only one way to do it. If it is important to see the future work, instead of making a daily repeater, you make a set of 5 or 7 that each repeat weekly, or 10 or 14 that repeat bi-weekly, or whatever.

As for knowing when to stop, put in an action with a start date that tells you it's time to get rid of that repeating action...

Lol, oh my. This isn't at all a workaround for something that the app should do in the first place ;-)

I find time blocking too inflexible. Maybe I want to work on my big task for 2 hours, then work on some other tasks for a while, because the other thing is driving me mad. So I guess the best thing I can do for now is flag my important tasks and create a perspective that groups flags and sorts due dates. However, I like the priority based sorting in Todo better.

[hypotyposis]

Originally Posted by bnz

However, I like the priority based sorting in Todo better.

Back to the debate on GTD and priorities? :D