Actions without project

Hi GTD'ers,

I doing GTD for almost 2 years now and loving it. But I'm still struggling with something basic.
I have a lot of actions that don't belong to a project. Things like 'Get new book from...', 'Look at...', 'Read...', 'Call...', ...
Especially the errands are difficult to put in a project. So that's why I'm having a Misc project where I put all this stuff. I even have a Misc project for several area's of focus (Misc home, Misc Work,...). But it just doesn't feel right.

Any suggestions on how to handle this better?

Tx.

Jan.

Hi Jan,

Tasks don't need to be allocated to a specific project or higher level goal, they may just be pickup book from bookstore or buy pen refills from stationery store, things that just need to be done but are not related to anything else.

I put these items on my context lists, e.g. @Errands, @Calls etc so that when I out running errands I can get these items or when I am on the phone I can call a friend to catch up.

Hope this helps?
Ross.

We need approval of this Anti-GTD approach from David :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nrgiser

I doing GTD for almost 2 years now and loving it. But I'm still struggling with something basic.
I have a lot of actions that don't belong to a project. Things like 'Get new book from...', 'Look at...', 'Read...', 'Call...', ...
Especially the errands are difficult to put in a project. So that's why I'm having a Misc project where I put all this stuff. I even have a Misc project for several area's of focus (Misc home, Misc Work,...). But it just doesn't feel right.

Any suggestions on how to handle this better?

---

Where did you find a GTD requirement that every Next Action must belong to a Project?

I've never heard or read about this.

"Miscellaneous" is the worst enemy of the organized life since it quickly becomes a catch-all basket.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nrgiser

So that's why I'm having a Misc project where I put all this stuff.

---

What kind of crap is that? Next actions are supposed to be sorted by context, not by project.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nrgiser

But it just doesn't feel right.

---

Of course not. Because it's crap. Your doing is crappy, but you are a reasonable human being, so you automatically feel something's odd.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TesTeq

Where did you find a GTD requirement that every Next Action must belong to a Project?

I've never heard or read about this.

"Miscellaneous" is the worst enemy of the organized life since it quickly becomes a catch-all basket.

---

Couldn't agree more. At one point it became my catch-all and it put me in a slump. Since then, about 2 years ago...all actions go in a project. Even if the project has only one action item.

I do this so on the project level I can type up my intended successful outcome. OmniFocus does have a Misc. section, but I hate using it. Just like if you had one slip of paper to file, you would still file it in a manila file folder; you wouldn't simply throw it into the pile of other manila file folders as well...but that's me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TesTeq

Where did you find a GTD requirement that every Next Action must belong to a Project?

I've never heard or read about this.

"Miscellaneous" is the worst enemy of the organized life since it quickly becomes a catch-all basket.

---

TesTeq,

It's not a GTD requirement but I use Nozbe and in there tasks without an project stay in the inbox. Until it's possible to have actions without a project I will create a project even if has only one action.

Jan.

If it´s your software that forces you to link all actions to a project and "miscellaneous" doesn´t feel right (it wouldn´t for me either), why don´t you name that project "Single actions to take".

At least it says clearly what should go in there and it forces you to think whether you are really dealing with a single action or is it something that should have its own project.

I assume your software lets you view you actions by context, if you can only view by project then I would say that you should look for a different software, the context view is crucial.

As time progressed with my system, so did various techniques...of which I always like to experiment and challenge myself with the little things. I consider every project and action equally as important as a fitting piece my life puzzle. In a sense, everything I do fitting in through a particular lens of my life.

Keeping an eye out throughout weekly and monthly reviews I noticed most, though not all, actions & projects fit in one of the categories pictured. That way, every single inbox item can become a project fitting into any one of the folders pictured, of which contain a small slew of (active) projects in each folder, respectively.

I don't really work out of project view too much (though on a rainy productive Sunday I might), but this all comes in handy when wanting to view the past week's completed projects during the weekly review, to give myself the win of course, knowing the week was well spent.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Flyer

I assume your software lets you view you actions by context, if you can only view by project then I would say that you should look for a different software, the context view is crucial.

---

Definitely.

Working out of the available actions in context view has been instrumental in my day-to-day productivity; It was sort of an "aha" moment when my contexts began to click,..somewhat surreal. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nrgiser

Hi GTD'ers,

I doing GTD for almost 2 years now and loving it. But I'm still struggling with something basic.
I have a lot of actions that don't belong to a project. Things like 'Get new book from...', 'Look at...', 'Read...', 'Call...', ...
Especially the errands are difficult to put in a project. So that's why I'm having a Misc project where I put all this stuff. I even have a Misc project for several area's of focus (Misc home, Misc Work,...). But it just doesn't feel right.

Any suggestions on how to handle this better?

Tx.

Jan.

---

You are doing these things anyway even if you weren't following GTD, right?

All you've done is chose to write them down so you can make maximum use of any context you are in. You are the essence of productive!! the only way to handle this better is to keep doing it!