"Lost" might not be the most correct word in this case, as of course your weekly reviews (at least) should pick up anything that's stalled -- that's rather the point of them.
Still, while I respect your desire for such a granular methodology, I see it as a case of spending more time managing my system than actually using it. With apps like OmniFocus there's a serious temptation to spend so much time tweaking the system that you never actually get anything done. Speaking for myself (only), such a granular arrangement would send me spiraling down that particular rabbit hole with little hope of ever returning :)
I look at contexts as resources that can be readily available, as opposed to resources that are available. So, for example, if I need to talk to Mary about something in my office, and I know that Mary works down the hall, then it makes sense to me to flag that item as "Office" and then just either call Mary in or go find her and bring her back to my office once I reach that task. Conversely, if Mary happens to be unavailable at that particular moment, then I just drift by that task to the next one. IMHO there's no harm in having it on the list, and it keeps it top of mind in terms of things I have to do in my office.
Conversely, as I noted above, if Mary is in my office on a regular basis, then the task could go in the "Mary" context instead as a list of things to be brought up when I'm speaking with Mary.
The other method of using an "Office" AND "Mary" context strikes me as inefficient since I'm then waiting for that exact moment when Mary happens to be in my office before the task appears.
Again, different approaches for different folks, of course.
Still, while I respect your desire for such a granular methodology, I see it as a case of spending more time managing my system than actually using it. With apps like OmniFocus there's a serious temptation to spend so much time tweaking the system that you never actually get anything done. Speaking for myself (only), such a granular arrangement would send me spiraling down that particular rabbit hole with little hope of ever returning :)
I look at contexts as resources that can be readily available, as opposed to resources that are available. So, for example, if I need to talk to Mary about something in my office, and I know that Mary works down the hall, then it makes sense to me to flag that item as "Office" and then just either call Mary in or go find her and bring her back to my office once I reach that task. Conversely, if Mary happens to be unavailable at that particular moment, then I just drift by that task to the next one. IMHO there's no harm in having it on the list, and it keeps it top of mind in terms of things I have to do in my office.
Conversely, as I noted above, if Mary is in my office on a regular basis, then the task could go in the "Mary" context instead as a list of things to be brought up when I'm speaking with Mary.
The other method of using an "Office" AND "Mary" context strikes me as inefficient since I'm then waiting for that exact moment when Mary happens to be in my office before the task appears.
Again, different approaches for different folks, of course.