Moving from projects to next actions

[treelike]

Interesting, I thought most people just had one single next action list like me. My list is sorted by context so I can zoom in on the appropriate actions for where I am. Only possible with an electronic system of course.

[cwoodgold]

For example in the project above, Fred might not be able to give advice and the next action would then become "call a plumber".

Well said, LOL! (And I like trees, too.)

To Canadianian: By the way, I'm Canadian, too. Here's an example to illustrate the usefulness of sorting actions by context, not by project. Suppose I have a bunch of projects, including "organize a party at my house on a certain date" and "fix my bicycle", and also a bunch of single actions -- things that need to be done but don't count as whole projects because they contain only one action. Let's say "buy safety pins" is a single action in my system.

Then, when I go to the hardware store, all I have to do is look at my "list of things to buy at the hardware store" (yes, I do maintain such a list, on part of a page in a paper notebook that's in my pocket all the time). This list might contain an item of kitchen equipment I want to buy to help prepare food for the party; something I need to fix my bicycle; and safety pins. I don't need to worry right then about which project each of those is for -- I just look at the list and buy the things (or, I can change my mind on the spot, knowing what each of them is for.)

Later, I'll be able to use each of them for the next step in whatever project. Actually, I guess the next step with the safety pins is to put them in the place where I usually keep safety pins, but (hopefully!!) I would just do that automatically when I unload the stuff after coming home from shopping. I don't have to write "put away groceries" on any list. Actually, I used to bring (non-grocery) stuff home, forget where I put it, and a week or so later get frustrated when I wanted to use it; I think generally using GTD has helped me think more logically about putting things where I'll run across them at the right times or remember to use them and be able to find them; I think to myself "what's the next step with this thing?" or "where will I be when I want to use this?" as I'm putting it away.

[Suelin23]

It's important that project plans are separate from your next action list. I have large projects, and have to do a lot of formal planning, and find that once I've done the brainstorming I might end up with many parallel open loops for the one project and therefore many next actions per project, as well as many projects all going on at the one time. So when you are generating the next action or actions for the projects, you look at your project plan and decide whether to put a NA for all of the open loops, or maybe just some of them (in order to keep the NA list to a reasonable amount of actions).

I have one NA list in an iPhone app (Pocket Informant) that allows sorting by context, and also viewing by project.