How to deal with a project / action that is due at some point in the future

[macgrl]

Hi.

How do you deal with a reminder for a project or next action that is due at some point in the future

In my case I thinking about car insurance renewal or booking an appointment like the dentist. How do you set a reminder that by may 15th I need to renew. I would want to start looking at prices a week or two before but it need not be on s specific date. So would it be tickler file? Or a date on calendar to start project or next action (phoning dentist)


Thanks. Macgrl

[mcogilvie]

Hi.

How do you deal with a reminder for a project or next action that is due at some point in the future

In my case I thinking about car insurance renewal or booking an appointment like the dentist. How do you set a reminder that by may 15th I need to renew. I would want to start looking at prices a week or two before but it need not be on s specific date. So would it be tickler file? Or a date on calendar to start project or next action (phoning dentist)


Thanks. Macgrl

Both work. If you use software that supports start dates (omnifocus, things, Toodledo all do), you can just use that feature.

[macgrl]

Wonderful thank you so much for your reply.

Can the same be used for waiting for items that you don't need to worry about that you are waiting for until some time off in the future...i.e. those things that you are in no rush for or should they just go on the regular waiting for list to avoid complications?

[mcogilvie]

Wonderful thank you so much for your reply.

Can the same be used for waiting for items that you don't need to worry about that you are waiting for until some time off in the future...i.e. those things that you are in no rush for or should they just go on the regular waiting for list to avoid complications?

Yes, but remember your brain has to be comfortable with "delegating" the task of remembering and reminding to wherever you put things. I would typically put long-term waiting for's someplace visible because not everyone is a gtd black belt and may need follow-up, and also situations change. I might schedule a reminder to check on the progress of something I'm waiting for.

[Oogiem]

How do you deal with a reminder for a project or next action that is due at some point in the future

I use start dates in Omnifocus for those types of things and I set them far enough in advance to get at least one weekly review in before they are due so I can catch up if I missed the actual start event. In Omnifocus those are pending projects and I have about a hundred of them in my system as of today.

[macgrl]

Thank you all very much for your replies..how do you set up start dates in omnifocus? Do they then not get shown until the start..if so how can you see them so that you know you have set them up?

[mcogilvie]

Thank you all very much for your replies..how do you set up start dates in omnifocus? Do they then not get shown until the start..if so how can you see them so that you know you have set them up?

You can set start dates to show as a column in any view on the desktop, and they are always available in the inspector. Items with future start dates show up in the "blocked" font; they show up as remaining but not available tasks.

[Oogiem]

how do you set up start dates in omnifocus? Do they then not get shown until the start..if so how can you see them so that you know you have set them up?

click on the calendar icon in the start date section of a project or action or set it in the inspector. Or just enter them in via words or test (tuesday, tomorrow, 9/26/12 etc)

Review them separately as pending projects during weekly review time, or they will show up if you are in projects mode and look at all projects with a small clock superimposed over the project icon.

[macgrl]

Thank you for that much appreciated

How far into the future do you set these reminders to start projects?

Do you ever add them to your diary to start the project at a certain date or just in omnifocus?

[mcogilvie]

Thank you for that much appreciated

How far into the future do you set these reminders to start projects?

Do you ever add them to your diary to start the project at a certain date or just in omnifocus?

I think my furthest out items are to renew my driver's license and my passport, both several years away. I just have them scheduled as a project with a future start date, not in my diary (calendar in the US).