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how do i deal with simultaneous 'next actions' in a project Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
hi, im new to omnifocus and GTD and am in the process of setting everything up. i was hoping one of you mofo's (master omnifocus organizers) could help me come up with a solution to a workflow problem.

my basic issue is this: parallel projects just use the top item as a next action. i guess this just keeps the ball rolling on a project and i then need to make sure i more or less organize the actions inside it in a priority type fashion. what do i do however when there are 3 or 4 steps that need to be done for a project that are equally important and would therefore all qualify to be chosen as 'next actions'?

if i could put a single action list as step in a project it would work great because i could then just choose from the actions and pick the one that would be best to do next in that moment, but i dont seem to be able to do this.

ex. the project is sequential as it is to be done in order and the group is an example of what im referring to. i would like both the a and b sub actions in the group to be next actions as they are equal in every way. if the group was a single action list instead, it would work this way and they would both be next actions.

PROJECT: get van detailed

- group: get tel. numbers of various detail shops
. . sub action: get list of carwashes online
. . sub action: get list of carwashes in yellow pages

- action: call all shops for prices

- action: take car for cleaning


the solution ive found is to move the items in the group to a single action list called "SAL get van detail numbers" that way they are all on my next action list and then i change the 'group' in the project to another action that just says "complete SAL get van detail numbers" so now its

SAL: SAL get van detail numbers
. action: get list of carwashes online
. action: get list of carwashes in yellow pages


PROJECT: get van detailed

- action: complete SAL get van detail numbers

- action: call all shops for prices

- action: take car for cleaning


any advice on a better way to handle this? thank you so much
 
You want to view Available actions rather than Next Actions. In a parallel project, all actions are available, but only one is the next action.

My sense is that most people when in "doing" mode show a context view with available actions showing. If that produces an overwhelming number of actions, then they switch to showing just next actions, which narrows the list substantially.

Hope that helps.
__________________
Cheers,

Curt
 
yeah that makes sense. i shouldnt let my anal semantics get in the way of the functionality that is already present and suits my needs. ill work in available mode and figure a way to make the next action view special and useful.

thanks curt
 
(If I'm understanding you right) you're missing the fact that an action group within a sequential project can be set to be parallel. In fact, changing from sequential to parallel (or vice versa) is really the main reason for action groups to exist.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig View Post
(If I'm understanding you right) you're missing the fact that an action group within a sequential project can be set to be parallel. In fact, changing from sequential to parallel (or vice versa) is really the main reason for action groups to exist.
hey craig, no, i do understand that an embedded action group can be parallel. i was just getting hung up on the actual term 'next actions' in cases where there were two or more actions that could both be 'next actions' but only the one that happened to be on top was chosen. i was imagining something like a SAL as a step in a sequential project so that all the actions would show up. as it turns out, however, this is exactly how it works when in 'available' mode instead of 'next action'. i just got distracted by the semantics of it all.

all said though, i did end up finding a nice little workflow that did alowed me to utilize a SAL as a step in a sequential project so that multiple actions would indeed show up in the 'next action' mode. so maybe i will be able to find a creative way to use 'available' or 'next action' that will make it give me a little extra value.

thx for the reply
 
 


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