When To Schedule NA's? And, when NOT to Schedule NA's?

[KC in KS]

Trusting my mind to make the best decision in the moment, but I need to prompt it with those deadlines so it's not trying to remember them all.

I simply name my projects with the deadline first. So my next few are:

04/08 Easter
04/12 Beth Moore Conference
04/20 MPE Conference

and so on.

The software I use brings the project names into my NA list; if it didn't I'd likely prefix my NA tasks with the deadlines, too.

This way, when I'm scanning my @Computer context, I can easily see which items are coming due soon.

The Weekly Review catches me up on the really long-range projects -- usually I've managed to tick one or two NAs off. If not, I'm prompted to take a closer look at the project.

HTH
KC

[Almost Done]

KC, I like the deadline idea, thank you.

During my weekly review, I look at my calendar, and put the projects in my tickler file. I feel so serene when I go into work, put out the folders/actions/projects for that particular day, knowing that someone in their infinite wisdom picked this particular day to get this particular action or project done.

[cwoodgold]

KC, I like the deadline idea, thank you.

During my weekly review, I look at my calendar, and put the projects in my tickler file. I feel so serene when I go into work, put out the folders/actions/projects for that particular day, knowing that someone in their infinite wisdom picked this particular day to get this particular action or project done.

Hi again, "Almost"! And innovyse.

I use a mish-mash of systems, but I apply David Allen's rule for calendars to my tickle file: I don't put in anything that I just don't have time for right now. I try to use the principle: if something has a deadline, just do it pretty soon: don't wait until near the deadline. I don't have anything near infinite wisdom. I like pulling things out of the tickle file that have an actual reason to have been delayed; it's like getting emails from myself. But I'm pretty sure I would find it dreary to pull things out of the tickle file that I just didn't have time to do the day I put them in. If I didn't want to do them then, what would have made me think I would want to do them now?

For some things with deadlines, I put two or three reminders in the tickle file that the deadline is approaching, so that just in case I haven't done the thing yet I get reminded that it's getting pretty urgent to do it.

I've divided my lists of actions into "things to do before the trip" and "things to do after the trip". It's amazing the amount of clarity I have on that. Maybe I should schedule some extra trips, or pretend to myself I'm going on a trip, to get that clarity. However, I found that after getting back, the "things to do after the trip" list was kindof boring to address. If I didn't think it was all that important to get done before the trip, maybe I still didn't find it all that motivating.