Two questions - regular actions and ongoing "projects"

[earthfriend]

Hi everyone, I'm new to GTD and I would like to know your thoughts on actions that must be done regularly, such as meditation or exercise or piano practice or checking the mail - should you create new next action lists marked "Daily" and "weekly" and not cross items off these lists when you've done them? How would you differentiate these actions from "one-time" next actions?

My second question is about project lists - I have set up different project lists for "short term", "long term", as well as "ongoing projects" - the last one isn't really a list of projects as such, but ongoing commitments that don't have a tangible goal in sight where I can say "finished". Am I on the right track or is there a more efficient way to do this?

Thanks in advance!

[TesTeq]

Create daily/weekly/monthly/yearly checklists. Do not clutter NA lists with recurring actions.

[Cpu_Modern]

thoughts on actions that must be done regularly

I like to distinguish between future habits and maintenance work. Future habits is a constant battle. There are always habits I want to improve on. Maybe this is the essence of life with ambition > 0. I have a list with all those future habits and conquer it one habit at a time. An article I'd liked to have recommended (http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/04/30-days-to-success/).

Maintenance work is about things where really, really no improvement is the goal. Like taking out the trash. The perfect situation / successful outcome is already there: I have a trashcan I like. I put these on a checklist the way and the why TesTeq already mentioned.


ongoing commitments that don't have a tangible goal

Can you mention an example? Many of these commitments serve indeed a goal. Maybe this is a long term 30,000 ft thing. Maybe it is smart to invent a tangible goal as form of motivation if you will.

[Brent]

Hi everyone, I'm new to GTD and I would like to know your thoughts on actions that must be done regularly, such as meditation or exercise or piano practice or checking the mail - should you create new next action lists marked "Daily" and "weekly" and not cross items off these lists when you've done them? How would you differentiate these actions from "one-time" next actions?

I have a separate checklist for daily habits, and weekly tickler items for weekly habits (on different days of the week).


My second question is about project lists - I have set up different project lists for "short term", "long term", as well as "ongoing projects" - the last one isn't really a list of projects as such, but ongoing commitments that don't have a tangible goal in sight where I can say "finished". Am I on the right track or is there a more efficient way to do this?

My short-term projects go on my Projects list. Long-term projects go on my Someday/Maybe list, as they're not done yet (but will be done Someday). As Cpu_Modern asks, could you provide some examples of ongoing commitments with no tangible goal, that don't have regular habits associated with them?

[dschaffner]

... thoughts on actions that must be done regularly, such as meditation or exercise or piano practice or checking the mail

.... ongoing commitments that don't have a tangible goal in sight where I can say "finished".

The regular recurring stuff can be a challenge in a paper-based system. These sorts of activities can often be handled by an electronic system better.

The "commitments that don't have a tangible goal in sight" sound more like "areas of responsibility" in the GTD system. You may want to read up on horizons of focus or the "vertical" aspect of GTD.

- Don

[Brent]

The regular recurring stuff can be a challenge in a paper-based system. These sorts of activities can often be handled by an electronic system better.

On the other hand, the tickler and paper-based checklists can work just as well as an electronic system.