Next actions & filing issues

I write next actions but they stay on my list because I don't know how to do them. Or they generate too many other additional thoughts that overwhelm me.

For example, one on my list is - Send Richard the stakeholder engagement plan.
But when I look at it I think - where is the plan? In my email? or is it in my H drive? Did I save it into the document management system? Maybe I should do that while I'm at it? Did I put a copy into the hardcopy filing system and on P drive? And what about the other supporting documents that go with that?

And then I think - I really can't be bothered thinking about this, it's stressing me out.
But almost every other next action I have is like this or worse (I did pick an easy one) so I'm very stressed out at the moment.

Yes, there really are 5 different places to store things.
So how can I setup my next actions so they are better? Should I have had a different next action in the first place (eg - look for stakeholder engagement plan and file)
Should I go as detailed as 'file stakeholder engagment plan on document management system?' or just 'file stakeholder engagment plan on all systems' or just do the filing as I complete each next action?

One of the things that really stuck with me from David's GTD Fast CDs was when he talked about how to determine what the next action really is.

The question he asked (paraphrased) was "If you had absolutely nothing else to do right now except for this one thing, what would I see you do? Where would I see you go?" In other words, what is the true next action?

In your example, I'm guessing I would see you go to your computer and check through your email to look for the document in question.

Therefore, I would put "Check email for stakeholder engagement plan" in the @computer list.

I ask myself these questions all the time when I'm processing. Somehow the idea of having "nothing else to do except for this one thing" really clarifies my thinking about true next actions.

HTH,
Margaret

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Originally Posted by Suelin23

For example, one on my list is - Send Richard the stakeholder engagement plan. But when I look at it I think - where is the plan? In my email? or is it in my H drive? Did I save it into the document management system? Maybe I should do that while I'm at it? Did I put a copy into the hardcopy filing system and on P drive? And what about the other supporting documents that go with that?

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Hi, Suelin23!

I know from your past posts that you are a seasoned GTD practitioner... so I KNOW you know that a next action is the very next action, not, perhaps, a more important step down the line. So how did non-next actions end up on the list?

I know I sometimes do the same thing. If I put the step "write business plan" on the list, I'll anticipate that feeling of accomplishment when I check it off. I might not feel the same way if my next action was "search email" - even if that really is the next action. Completing that action isn't as fulfilling... but it's the one that has to be done first.

I'm interested in your thoughts...

Dena

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Originally Posted by Suelin23

I write next actions but they stay on my list because I don't know how to do them. Or they generate too many other additional thoughts that overwhelm me.

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These 2 statements say to me that they are not the real next actions and they may have hidden projects in there. I use the trick of playing a movie in my mind of exactly how I would do the action and often discover that the action I wrote down isn't the real next action. Sounds like you need to spend a bit more time with those actions and ferret out what the true real next action is and also tag where the related stuff will be filed.

I often have actions like that and I need to be really specific about them or I ignore them entirely. One of my current ones is "Update Sheep NSIP data for 2010 drop - list of sheep, id & lambing ease in folder Sheep NSIP September in small cabinet" and the context is @Mac LibreOffice

IOW I make the next action so simple that all I have to do is read the action, go grab the folder and get to work. Now in my case it turns out that next action, which I thought would take about 6-8 hours, is already at 14 hours and counting but at least it is a granular next action. :-)

When I started my action was "Update NSIP Data" and I'd been avoiding it for weeks. When I tried to do it I realized I needed a list of sheep to update, what their lambease scores were, what their ID numbers were and so I had a series of next actions to do before I could get to the update data one. I had to decide which sheep to update, assign new id numbers if required or verify existing ones, locate lambing records for 2010 to determine lambing ease scores and so on.

I bet your problem actions are equally as vague as mine were and once you get to a true next action you'll sail right along getting them done.

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Originally Posted by artsinaction

So how did non-next actions end up on the list?

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At the time I put it on, I really did think 'send Richard the stakeholder engagement plan' is the next action. And I still do. I can envisage myself going to the inbox and forwarding the email.

But that in itself is the problem - it brings up so many other thoughts to capture.
And since I can't even capture and process today's emails, I don't really want to capture and process all the other thoughts that come up too.
I could and have taken whole days off work and try to capture and process to zero and not even finish working out how to organise my system.
I'm not a 'seasoned GTDer', I'm still a white belt trying to organise.

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Originally Posted by Suelin23

But that in itself is the problem - it brings up so many other thoughts to capture.
And since I can't even capture and process today's emails, I don't really want to capture and process all the other thoughts that come up too.

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The projects, ideas and thoughts are still there dragging you down. It's rough but you have to try to capture everything. When I get totally overwhelmed with too many thoughts coming at me at once I do a full mind dump onto paper. It can take an hour or 2 to dump and another hour to do minimal processing. Here's what I do:

Grab a bunch of scrap paper roughly 4x5 inches in size. I use the backs of the tear off desk calendars we have. You can also use letter paper cut into quarters or even 3 x 5 cards. The idea is make it cheap, disposable and not too big. If you're like me you won't write half baked thoughts on good paper so it's important for it to be scrap.

Keep a stack along with a pen or pencil or 2 everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. I have a stack in the bathroom, one on my bed stand, one by my desk, one over by my loom and I carry around a notebook too.

When faced with that sort of overwhelming run thoughts put each single one on a separate piece of paper. So in your example I'd put the following items each on a separate piece of paper.

1. Send Richard the stakeholder engagement plan.
2. Where is the stakeholder engagement plan?
3. Look in email for the stakeholder engagement plan.
4. Look on my H drive for the stakeholder engagement plan.
5. Look in the document management system for the stakeholder engagement plan.
6. Put the stakeholder engagement plan into the document management system.
7. Decide whether the stakeholder engagement plan needs to go into the hardcopy filing system.
8. Decide whether the stakeholder engagement plan needs to go on P drive.
9. Make a list of the supporting documents for the stakeholder engagement plan.
10. Decide storage location for supporting documents for the stakeholder engagement plan.

I might also add additional items based on those things like:

• Define rules for filing documents based on access needs (hard drive H, hard drive P, document management system, e-mail reference folder, hard copy filing)
• Create standard list of supporting documents needed for a stakeholder engagement plan. (This presumes that these plans are a recurring item for you with similar support document needs.)

Then for organize it's clear that from the top list, that number 2 is the project. Or at least for me I'd separate out Find stakeholder management plan from who it goes to as 2 separate projects.

So 2 is the top project, 1 is the project currently on hold because you can't do it until you finish project 2 and the next items are 3-5. Then items 6-8 are actually separate but they really belong as actions after you've finished the define rules for filing project because if you don't know how you are going to look for it you won't know the best place to file it. So I'd put all those as on-hold and instead make the define rules an active project. In my system I'd put items 6-8 as support material under the define filing rules project. Dealing with the support materials is also a whole separate project. Item 9 is the real project and also action. Deciding the storage location is a separate project and so is creating a standard list. They are probably both on hold for now if you've got too many projects to work on.

But by defining them you maybe able to delegate one or more of those projects to someone else to reduce your load.

Does that help?

Thanks Oogiem, really comprehensive answer.
I think I'm avoiding making new projects - and the define filing rules would be a good one to tackle soon as it would streamline the process for many other action loops.

I think I avoid making new projects because I already feel overloaded with the ones I have in my system, but I think I like your idea of putting projects on hold. I can load them all into my lists, but put some on hold so the NA list is still manageable.

Also I think I've been suffering because my projects are too high level - eg I have one project called 'GTD', and not small enough, so I think I'll change to doing them at the smaller level despite that increasing the number of projects.
(seems to be a recurring theme - a phobia of too long a project list)

thanks heaps

I have lots of things to say on this, Suelin, but no time because I need to go to sleep -- and that brings me to one of my suggestions, which is that if you get more sleep you may feel better about all that stuff. Sleep helps with memory (remembering where you put that document), being able to do things more thoroughly or with fewer mistakes (so you might have written down the location of the document as part of the next-action) and with having the oomph to go ahead and do things even if they're somewhat difficult.

Next action could be "Find out whether or not the document is easy to find in email". Then if you write "no", it's still "this action is done" and you can check it off and feel a sense of accomplishment -- OK, Dena, maybe not as big a sense of accomplishment as doing the whole thing, but still a sense of accomplishment, and I think it's important to stop and feel good about that for a second or two, and once you've done that, step 1, sometimes the rest just flows naturally. ... gotta go

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Originally Posted by Suelin23

I think I'm avoiding making new projects....
(seems to be a recurring theme - a phobia of too long a project list)

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Embrace the thoughts of so many projects that are exciting and fun to do you'll need 2 or 3 lifetimes to get them all done :)

And get used to big project lists. I feel really accomplished when I can get my projects down to less than 150 active ones, closer to 200 is my norm ;)

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Originally Posted by cwoodgold

Sleep helps with memory (remembering where you put that document), being able to do things more thoroughly or with fewer mistakes (so you might have written down the location of the document as part of the next-action) and with having the oomph to go ahead and do things even if they're somewhat difficult.

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You've suggested this to me before, and I have taken it on board. I now try to get 8 hours sleep each night, and it does help, I am finding I have more mental stamina, and can work for much longer.
I also find that first thing in the morning I'm having a lot more creative light bulb moments, when ideas come to me and I get some great new insight on things I've been working on, so thanks, it has been great advice.
I've also had some great ideas in the morning on how to organise things, which is really helping.