Choosing next action in light of everything else???

[Jamie Elis]

My question is similar to that of Prouddad's in the previous thread but either I amjust not getting something or my life is more complex.

While I can easily work from a context-based next action list when I am "stuck" in a context, for example, I am on an airplane, or waiting at the doctors or when I have collected a small number of actions that can only be done at a certain location and I need to be there because one priority action leads me there(we are having friends over, so I must go to the grocery store) but by many orders of magnitude the greatest number of next actions can only be completed either at home or at work. How do I choose my next action from these really large lists?

I have done the Weekly Review on Friday, but by Saturday morning, I am in a state of utter confusion choosing between @ home, @ errands, or @family.

I look at my lists and Ijust cannot tell from it what is the priority-

Which project do I most need to move forward on?

What action will open the way to the other ones that then become problems that have a time factor? Like, if I remove the lock to fix it will I need to go to the hardware store before it closes at 3:00?

What do I have to reserve my energy level/state of mind for?

Where am I on the project anyway?

Is it more important/valuable/suitable for me to be executing routine-type activities today? And, if not today, when would I do them anyway?

Help?

[Oogiem]

by many orders of magnitude the greatest number of next actions can only be completed either at home or at work. How do I choose my next action from these really large lists? .....Help?

If the long lists are repelling you then make more contexts so that the lists are shorter and you can see them and work with them more easily.

If nothing jumps out at you then just pick a context and start working.

I live and work in the same place and I can usually change contexts by just moving outside or inside willy nilly. When I can't figure out what to do I just pick the context with the most actions on it and start and try to stay there until a natural break point (bathroom break or lunch or something like that)

At least I am getting something done and progress is being made and I usually find that after a few of those episodes things get a lot more sorted out.

If you need to do a weekly review every 2-3 days, at least at first, until you get better at it and can see where you need to go based on your lists.

I tend to end up doing a mini review every morning, a medium review about mid week and a full review on Sunday.

[dkv]

Had the same problem. There's always going to be overlapping priorities until you divide your time into time zones (your areas of focus). Answer that: 'what's more important - your family or your work?'. The answer is both. So botg should have it's time. Try to use a simple time schedule, ie:

9 am work time
6 pm family time
9 pm self time

you can also make schedule inside of each area of focus.

[bishblaize]

Im reminded of something David Allen says in his GTD Fast seminar - GTD will not do your thinking for you. Ultimately all GTD can do is help you make decisions by showing you very clearly what work you have in the whole of your life.

In terms of making priorities, that has to be a gut feeling about whats right.

[productivity]

Im reminded of something David Allen says in his GTD Fast seminar - GTD will not do your thinking for you. Ultimately all GTD can do is help you make decisions by showing you very clearly what work you have in the whole of your life.

In terms of making priorities, that has to be a gut feeling about whats right.

I agree, you usually resort to gut feeling on what priorities you need to do first. Maybe you're just making everything, even the slightest task, become something big. Weigh things out if they're really essential for that particular time and choose those which matters to you the most, you cannot always do all the things on your list (especially if there's a lot on it). But always make sure to render time for the family, even during dinner or bedtime. Goodluck!

[dkv]

Just to expand on how you can split further Work time:

- 9 am Processing
- 10 am High priority project doing
- 11 am Doing
- 12 am Doing work as it shows up (meetings, etc)