ForumsGetting Things Done®Toodledo is not for GTD

Posted by Proximo:


If you use folders for projects, then you should use contexts for "home" and "work". The key is to change your default view for the web (and iphone if you use it) to be Contexts instead of Folders. You log onto the web site, you pick your context, and off you go. All tasks for that context are in view, the Folder field lists the project.

This is the way I do it. In addition to the folders I create for projects, I have one folder that I have generically named Tasks. This is where I assign any non-project tasks.

I originally started by using the task-subtask method for projects, but I had too much trouble with it, probably for many of the reasons you do. Frustrated, I decided to try using folders for projects. I'm glad I did. In fact, I'm not even using subtasks now.



I would have a problem with this. For me, work and home are not necessarily exclusive. I may have a home project that includes a phone call that I have to make during business hours, which for me, that means I have to make it at work. More often for me it's the other way around. I sometimes have a need to do work at home, like checking a server over the weekend. I'm sure I'm not alone with this kind of crossing. The Work-Home folder division doesn't work in this case, but Work-Home context does. I can review all the tasks related to the project within its folder regardless of where each task may be performed.

Roddy

Here is my suggestion to Toodledo.

Folders are ares of Focus. Let's keep it simple and just use two. Work Folder and Home Folder.

When I am at work, I can click on the Folder (Focus) and only see things related to work. Now I have a bunch of task that have context assigned. Context are the resources I need to get these task completed. If our Internet went down at work, I know that all task with a context of @Online can't be done at that time. If the email server went down, I know that any task with the @Email context can't be done at that time.

This is where filtering by context comes to life. What if I am talking on the phone and I feel I am on a role. I want to knock out other phone calls right now while my attitude is good. I can filter my task using @Phone to see who else I can call.

I am doing all of this while focused at Work in my Work Folder.

In the settings panel to the left of Toodledo, there is a section called Folders/Context. This is where we need "Projects" added. I click on there and create new Project Titles with descriptions and some other information.

Now back to my Work Task. I just got back from a meeting and realize that one my task will require an additional 5 steps to complete. This by GTD will become a Project. I got to my Projects area and create one called R&D for example. I now have a R&D Project.

Now back to my Work Folder (Focus). I find the original task and click on it. One of my options is called Projects and I see a pull down list. There it is "R&D". I select it and this task is now part of my "R&D" project. The task now has a new label in the front called "R&D" as an indicator that it's a Project. I can still see the task as I normally would.

Now I create the other 4 task that are required and select "R&D" as the project they belong too.

So now let's go to the Projects section that is at the top of the Work Folder View. Not the sections listed on the top of the Toodledo site, but this can also be added there as another view option.

I click on Projects and see a list of Projects in my Work Folder (Focus). I select R&D and there are my 5 task.

This is where some options can be useful. I can choose to only show Project task with a Status of "Next Action" to ever show up on my Work Folder List. As I complete the task, the next one will become "Next Action" and show up automatically. This is how most people would use it, but it can also be flexible enough to allow you to choose which task to show on the Work Folder List. You can have a check mark and be working on two of the task at the same time. Again, some options here would cater to more people.

The task that belong to a project are clearly marked under the Work folder and I can select Projects under the work folder to see all the task required for any project. There is no confusion now since I have never left my Work Folder or Area of Focus as I like to call it.

We can also have the option to select the a Project Task from the Task list and toggle the other task that belong to the same project. This will allow you to quickly see how much progress you are making. You can also click on the Projects button in the work folder to see all your projects in that one view.

What I would like is Areas of Focus with built in Project Management and control over sub-task. This means you can order them as they need to be completed, they show up automatically when the task above it is marked complete.

Sub-task control also means we have some rules that allow us to not see when a sub-task has a due date approaching, regardless if it's not the task marked "Next Action". This is realistic when we are falling behind and there is a time sensitive task in the project that needs to get attention. These type of options will allow sub-task to show up on the Work Folder List to get our attention.

I know others will have great things to add and suggestions of their own. I don't expect that everything we want or recommend can or will be implemented, but I do believe that Projects and Sub-task need to be reworked. I think Folders should remain areas of focus and Projects should be managed inside these areas.

I just got two more friends to become Pro Subscribers, so I do believe Toodledo is a great product.

Thanks.

Posted by roddyt:


I appreciate all the neat work arounds shared here, but that in itself is the problem. There should be no work around for managing Projects and Task. This is at the core of any software that is considered a Task/Project Manager.

You see. I don't believe in the "Home" context or "Work" context. That is not a resource. I can have a work related task that requires me to research online to find the answer. I can also have a home related task that requires me to research online. You see, the context for both of these task is "Online". Not work or home. That is a location. Context should be @Computer, @Email, @Phone, @Meeting, @Online, etc.

Projects should be managed inside of any area of focus. I consider the Folders an area of Focus. Work Folder, Personal Folder, Business Folder.

Now that I have focus, I can filter my task specifically by the resource needed to complete them. If you use folders for individual projects, you will have to jump between Work related task, Work related Projects, Personal Task, Personal Projects, etc. This is why Folders don't work as Projects. This is my opinion of course and I respect the opinion of others.

Proximo

I think I'm with Roddy here, rather than Proximo. If I'm at home and thinking "What should I do next?" I find it very convenient to use Context as "home". I don't particularly care if the thing I'm going to do next will involve the phone, or the computer, or a shovel; I can gather my resources as needed. So I don't think I would like Proximo's @Phone, @Computer contexts. They would not help me get things done. On the other hand, almost everything on my list can either ONLY be done at home, or ONLY at work, or ONLY while shopping. Contexts work really nicely for me here. In fact I wish Toodledo would let me set a "current context" and default new tasks to it, and only show tasks in that context by default, effectively letting me tell it where I am. (Geolocation to come in the Android version I hope :-))

I am not sure I follow - you just go to the context view, and chose "at home" and toodledo will only show you those tasks in that context, and new tasks will default to that context. I use that all the time - in particular I have a "leaving home" context for things I need to remember to take and/or prepare when leaving in the morning which has proved to be a godsend.

About the choice of contexts: Like Proximo I do use Phone and Computer as contexts (as well as location based ones) and do find them useful. Yes, I can ask for those contexts at home or at work or at the coffee shop, but the point is that they enable me to go on a roll - sit down, make a bunch of phone calls and then go do something else. Even though I have a phone at work all the time, I make my phone calls when my officemate is on a break, as hearing somebody on the phone can be distracting. So as soon as he leaves clutching his mug I hit the phone context and go.

So my contexts are: home, leaving home, work, leaving work, in town (what some call errands), phone, computer, project (I think I picked this from Proximo). While this doesn't allow me to make a simple mapping ("I use contexts for location"), in practice it works very well for me.

Today I use folders for projects, and tags for subprojects, but I still miss an easy way to filter home or work projects.