PALM and next action in a project

I'm new to PALM and recently bought the PALM ZIRE .I have set up categories in the To Do list to include projects alongside @Context lists.I like the idea of having a next action view for each project eg PROJECT A --draft summary @.Write. Now,i open up the project Note for planning subsequent steps.So far so good.I then copy the project name with next action and Paste this into the project note,so i know where i left off but also paste this into the NA context list @write.I feel i am making things more complicated than i need to, but can't so far come up with a more streamlined process.Without pasting the project heading into the context NA list along with the next action may result in not always remembering which project the next action applies to.I've read some palm posts and applied David's PALM article.However,i still feel i need to simplify.
Can anyone help me clarify my approach and any suggestions which may prove helpful?

Ray

Let me take a stab at this, but others will probably write more clearly about it. I'm not exactly what your contexts in todo are - could you elaborate? [I've gone ahead and answered anyway, based on what I understood, but you may need to redirect your question if I didn't answer it.]

You said: "I have set up categories in the To Do list to include projects alongside @Context lists.I like the idea of having a next action view for each project eg PROJECT A --draft summary @.Write. Now,i open up the project Note for planning subsequent steps.So far so good"

This sounds like what some of us do: The title to the NA is PROJECT X: draft summary. The category is @write. In the note, then, after you get done writing it and give it (say) to boss to review, you add "1/8/03: gave summary to boss to review". When he gives it back, and you revise it and send it out, you then add "1/10/03: revised summary and sent to client." That way, as long as your "project" only has linear (not paralell) tasks, you can look at that one todo item on the palm and instantly see the status of the whole project.

You then said: "I then copy the project name with next action and Paste this into the project note,so i know where i left off but also paste this into the NA context list @write.I"

I don't understand the second half of this sentence.

It sounds like you want the same thing I (and others) wanted when getting set up in GTD, and what Palm really needs: a way for a Next Action to be in two separate categories. One category could be the context (@calls, @computer, @waiting for, etc), and the other category could be for the project name (you would have one category for each major project with multiple todos).

That way, if you wanted to see all of your @computer NAs, you'd just choose the category "@computer".

If you wanted to see the outstanding todos for Project X, you'd choose the category "Project X".

I haven't found a tool to do this cleanly, so instead have resorted to including the name of the project in the NA text somewhere. That way I can use the palm's very handy "find" feature to get a list of all the next actions for Project X. Once you get it, however, the list isn't very userfriendly.

I heard Zoot might do that particular task, but haven't looked into it. Perhaps somebody else has? Also, I heard Outlook might do this, but we don't use Outlook at my firm.

Susan

Outlook will definitely allow you to do this (multiple categories per item ) but only one category per item will sync to palm.

Agendus for windows has a very good find feature--much better than palm d-top. It uses "automatic find" all you have to do is hit control F and start typing --as you type the results start appearing on the screen based on your words.

I've started putting the project name in the note of the appt or task or memo or contact and all I have to do is search for the project name and all the associated items pop up. It sorts by type and you can limit the search to mtgs only etc.

search window is full screen also--not down-sized like palm dtop. --you can easily "go-to" any item in your search results and come right back to search again.

I don't work for Iambic --but they did the desktop right --perfect sync.

I do sympathise: only only category per item must be a real constraint. (Or discipline!)

As my big nasty multinational employer has lent me a pocketPC, I don't have this issue.

At the moment, I use a list manager to hold my (rather scanty) projects. (I had ANOTHER attempt at a weekly review and shocked myself with just how little I am even trying to drive as a project.) Maybe I DO need to link tasks to projects better: perhaps I'll try using the categories list as a working projects list...

Rgds,

FBA

pocket pc/pocket informant3 along with microsoft outlook works very well for multiple categories. I too struggle with multiple layered tasks but have found the combination of categories useful when working with clients... a client has his/her own category but the task for the client is also in @computer or @calls, if the client calls and needs an update or if I call for things I need from the client I just pull up the client category and run through all I need from them. Does anyone else do this???

I did that when I was using a ppc --but you gotta have discipline there also --or you'll find yourself with more categories than you can handle effectively.

I still keep tabs on the ppc world --the latest version of Pocket Informant allows you to set up " saved views" so you can choose some frequent categories etc and set them up in a view like "at work" etc.

Wow, I didn't know ppcs had all this extra functionality. When it's time to upgrade, gotta consider those now!

Thanks for the replies.I like the suggestion of tracking in the note attached to the context next action list.I will need to do some further practice to find my way around PALM and start applying some of the techniques suggested.

Ray

One thing that the vanilla ppc won't handle easily is pulling up, for example, your @agenda items with category "client A". For this, I believe that you need something like Pocket Informant (one of the few applications I've spent money on - well worth $20!!).

Sorry to drift back off topic...

FBA

I noticed that DA says that he uses a Tungsten right out of the box, no added software. How does the man who develped GTD do this? Perhaps that is the better question.