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Projects and definable goals Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
My big problem is making projects that by definition never end. For example, I have:
  • Website
  • Keep in touch with friends
  • Church powerpoints

Now, in Website, my only current action is to talk to my colleague about whether we want a dynamic or static site. New actions will get added as we define the scope of things. But a website is a never-ending project... it will be ongoing as long as the company is, since there will always need to be additions and updates. The only time I'll not have it in my list is if we employ a webmaster.

Church powerpoints is another one. I make a new one of these each week. Sometimes there are extra tasks associated with one, but usually it is just "Make powerpoint for Sunday 3rd" or whatever. So I keep one project for them, since making a whole project for something with one action is a bit silly... but during much of the week the project sits there empty.

This is somewhat annoying since my projects list is full of things that aren't really relevant at the moment. But I don't tend to easily divide the things I do into "This is designed to move ___ towards a success criterion"... anyone any suggestions?

Amorya
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by amorya View Post
My big problem is making projects that by definition never end... But a website is a never-ending project... it will be ongoing as long as the company is, since there will always need to be additions and updates.
David Allen indicates that things that never end are not projects, but rather areas of responsibility.

First, you might delineate all your "web projects" and then put all your web projects into an OF folder called "Web area of responsibility".

- Don
 
One of my favorite views, which I think might help address the problem of having a big batch of projects with nothing going on, is the context view grouped by project. That way, you only see the projects that actually have something in them to do. Also, if you have the contexts selected that you can work on, you only see the projects that you can get further along in completing. A lot of times I find there are projects that have just one or two things that I could possibly do and it is nice (to me at least) to be able to have moved them along as far as possible at this time.

I think that you also raise a question of whether you should have some projects sitting around empty because they are kind of ongoing things. If it were me, I don't think it would be a problem, because if you have a long-term focus of improvement, having a cleared out but uncompleted project in my mind helps remind you to think of new ways to advance that goal and a place to route ideas that you have.
 
I would probably divide this stuff into projects that will reach completion, and other projects that are designed, with repeating tasks, in a way that acknowledges that they will never reach completion.

So, as an example:

*

Folder: Website

Project: Complete initial website launch.
Action: Get server admin name.
Action: Contact server admin re site and space.
Action: Create and complete a project to make the final decision re static versus dynamic website.
Action: Write more next actions for complete initial website launch.

Project: Make final decision re static versus dynamic website
Action: Privately brainstorm advantages of static or dynamic sites for one hour or until out of ideas, whichever is shorter.
Action: Book meeting with Colleague.

Project: Form a plan for ensuring bi-monthly updates of website.
Action: Write a call for content-author volunteers to email to members of department.

Project: Ensure that website is maintained in a timely manner
Action: (Repeating, monthly) Confirm that backups are running correctly.
Action: (Repeating, yearly) Create and complete a project to evaluate web site technology - confirm that software is not out of date, etc.

*

Folder: Social Life

Project: Establish birthday database.
Action: Establish a file for recording birthdays.
Action: (Repeating, weekly) Gather and record birthday dates for three people in my circle. When I'm out of people, close this project.

Project: Improve home entertaining infrastructure
Action: Buy or beg place settings for at least six guests.
Action: Buy a coffeemaker and learn to use it.
Action: Call Karen to discuss entertaining tips.

Project: Keep in touch with friends.
Action: (Repeating, weekly) Invite one friend to a social occasion.
Action: (Repeating, monthly) Call Joe.

*

Folder: Church

Project: Get Church Powerpoints done in a timely manner.
Next action: (Repeating, weekly, start date on Mondays) Call pastor re content for Powerpoints this week.
Next action: (Repeating, weekly, start date on Tuesdays) Complete first draft of this week's Powerpoints.

*

You may notice that there are what I call "meta" tasks here - I have next actions ordering me to create projects or even ordering me to create next actions for the same project. This works for me, although I'm open to arguments as to why it's a bad idea.

Well, actually, I know why I shouldn't need a next action telling me to write more next actions for the same project - I should either create the next next action when I complete the last one, or at the least I should be reviewing that project weekly and so I should know that it's idle. But I still like to have the project jump forward and present iteself.

Gardener
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gardener View Post
You may notice that there are what I call "meta" tasks here - I have next actions ordering me to create projects or even ordering me to create next actions for the same project. This works for me, although I'm open to arguments as to why it's a bad idea.
Gardener
I do the same for some projects and I think this is legitimate because even defining new actions is an action in itself. You could have set this project to review daily but this would get annoying very quickly. OF is awesome because as soon as you checked the preceding action you automatically get reminded to define new ones.

Great
 
 


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