[GeorgeV]

Am I missing something or would this be a nice feature to have?

[whpalmer4]

You're missing the email receipt from the Omni auto-responder saying that they've gotten your feature request (sent in from the Contact Omni option under the gear menu) for this :-)

This feature is essentially the ability to arbitrarily order a context mode view. To do that right, you need to change all three platforms and extend the file format. For that reason, I don't think you'll see this, except in a major release.

[GeorgeV]

Thanks, yes I did send it in. I have no way to know that so I defer to your statement. I am open to alternative ways to accomplish this. Let's say I go through my lists: contexts, projects, folders, etc. and flag 6 or 7 items I'd like to work on. Pulling items out of unrelated lists like this results in a list of items without any kind of obvious sorting. Therefore this is likely a non-GTD concept. So my question would be how does GTD handle something like this?

Thanks as always for your thoughtful answers.
George

[whpalmer4]

My approach is that anything I have flagged is something I want to get done as soon as I have finished what I have to get done today. Therefore, I can pick anything out of the flagged list that is feasible to work on in my current context and feel good about working on it, provided I keep the flagged list up to date. If I really need to do them in a specific order, I'll jot down a list, but I can't recall the time I last did so. YMMV, of course.

[cammonro]

@whpalmer4, that is exactly what I do as well or I will go through my review process and flag items I consider doable or highest priority and then go to my flagged view and schedule them accordingly. This enables me to easily work cross project. A sortable flagged item list would sure be nice but I wonder how that would work as items are added to it. Right now it mirrors the order of importance I've established for my projects which I actually like.

However I sure as heck wish there was an easier way to flag items on the iPad. On the desktop you can Cmd-Shift-L. On the iPad it is a cumbersome 3 step process for each task.

[whpalmer4]

You can also flag projects, which treats all actions as flagged.

I wouldn't object to having a quicker means of flagging, in principle, but I find the effort involved to be inconsequential in my practice. OmniFocus takes long enough to respond for many of the things that I do that a couple of extra taps is nothing. Your mileage may vary...

[gorringe]

I too submitted a feedback to Omnifocus.

But I'm with you, @GeorgeV. How can one be Omnifocused, (or just... 'focused'), if you have 10 flagged items of what you need to do from dawn till dusk, but you have no quick way to deciding which sequence that you'll order your items to Get Things Done?

I simply don't believe any real productive person could stay sane using a "pick & choose" philosophy— using the flagged system. (...I know it's starting to drive me a little nuts).

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by gorringe

I too submitted a feedback to Omnifocus.

But I'm with you, @GeorgeV. How can one be Omnifocused, (or just... 'focused'), if you have 10 flagged items of what you need to do from dawn till dusk, but you have no quick way to deciding which sequence that you'll order your items to Get Things Done?

I simply don't believe any real productive person could stay sane using a "pick & choose" philosophy— using the flagged system. (...I know it's starting to drive me a little nuts).

Actually, the Getting Things Done system described by David Allen has you pick your next task from the list each time, no making lists of things you're planning to do today (a practice he specifically discourages).

One of the underlying tenets of GTD (and OmniFocus) is that it is easier to make a selection from a small list than a large list. You've gone to the trouble of making a short list by flagging some items. What makes it difficult to pick an item (already decided to be relevant and timely) from your short flagged list, do it, and repeat until the list is empty? If you really, really need them done in a specific order, put a number at the beginning of the task name when you flag them:

1: Finish proposal for new web site
2: Call graphic designer about new layout

and so on. Even if OmniFocus isn't showing them to you in the desired order, you'll still be able to pick out the next one with ease, especially if you are showing only available actions (the completed ones will disappear from sight when you mark them complete).