[POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Xavier Maillard]

Hello,

This is a serious question. I have no success at all (it is even worse than 
before) with the GTD methodology and I am pretty sure it has to do with the way 
I manage toenter new todos in my system. I almost only use remember for that. I 
guess I'm wrong using this method.

So what is the way you do ? The same apply for your "diary", do you solely use 
org-mode or do you also happen to use the calendar/diary ?

Optionnal question: does anybody successfully use org-mode and GTD ?

Regards,

Xavier

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Leo]

On 2007-08-17 11:01 +0100, Xavier Maillard wrote:
> Hello,
>
> This is a serious question. I have no success at all (it is even worse than 
> before) with the GTD methodology and I am pretty sure it has to do with the way 
> I manage toenter new todos in my system. I almost only use remember for that. I 
> guess I'm wrong using this method.

I use remember to enter items, but I also directly edit the .org file.

> So what is the way you do ? The same apply for your "diary", do you solely use 
> org-mode or do you also happen to use the calendar/diary ?

Calendar/diary is a very powerful tool so I am using it together with
org.

> Optionnal question: does anybody successfully use org-mode and GTD ?

I am happy with org for GTD, or I haven't found something better.

> Regards,
>
> Xavier

-- 
Leo <sdl.web AT gmail.com>                         (GPG Key: 9283AA3F)

         Gnus is one component of the Emacs operating system.

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Jason F. McBrayer]

Xavier Maillard <maillaxa@gmail.com> writes:

> This is a serious question. I have no success at all (it is even worse
> than before) with the GTD methodology and I am pretty sure it has to
> do with the way I manage toenter new todos in my system. I almost only
> use remember for that. I guess I'm wrong using this method.

I use both remember and directly editing my main org-mode file.  Things
from remember only go into my Inbox.org, which I manually process into
my Projects.org.

> So what is the way you do ? The same apply for your "diary", do you
> solely use org-mode or do you also happen to use the calendar/diary ?

I don't use diary-mode.  I did use it for recurring appointments and
such, but org supports those natively now.

> Optionnal question: does anybody successfully use org-mode and GTD ?

Yes, mostly.  I'm very successful with it at work; not so much at home,
but that is a motivational problem, not an organizational one, and GTD
is not a motivational system.

I'm working on a detailed whitepaper on my org-mode/GTD usage, but it's
not my highest priority right now.

-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Jason F. McBrayer                    jmcbray@carcosa.net  |
| If someone conquers a thousand times a thousand others in |
| battle, and someone else conquers himself, the latter one |
| is the greatest of all conquerors.  --- The Dhammapada    |

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Dan Griswold]

Xavier,

I don't pretend to be a GTD expert. But I find myself doing the
following things:

   - using keywords that fit my work style (MAYBE, TODO, NEXT,
     INPROCESS, and DONE)
   - Explicitly scheduling tasks when possible
   - Regularly reviewing my org files

More helpful to you may be a review of a couple threads discussed on
this list:

   - One started on Aug 3 2006 by Joshua McBray
   - Another from late September 2006, entitled "Another GTD question"

Plus:

   - A post from Joshua Gillilan on 23 May 2007

If you can't access the archive, tell me and I'll email these to you.

Peace,

Dan

-- 
--------------
Dan Griswold
Rochester, NY
--------------

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Xavier Maillard]

Hello,

Jason F. McBrayer <jmcbray <at> carcosa.net> writes:

> > So what is the way you do ? The same apply for your "diary", do you
> > solely use org-mode or do you also happen to use the calendar/diary ?
> 
> I don't use diary-mode.  I did use it for recurring appointments and
> such, but org supports those natively now.

I did not know that; I will have to check the manual ;)
 
> > Optionnal question: does anybody successfully use org-mode and GTD ?
> 
> Yes, mostly.  I'm very successful with it at work; not so much at home,
> but that is a motivational problem, not an organizational one, and GTD
> is not a motivational system.

I mainly failed at work. Dunno if it is because I am at a sys admin position.
Tasks/projects/whatever goes all day long and it is always urgent. Hard to keep
organized ;)

> I'm working on a detailed whitepaper on my org-mode/GTD usage, but it's
> not my highest priority right now.

I am impatient even if I know, a working system for you is not likely to work
for me :)

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Renzo Been]

,-----
| Well,
| 
| My org/GTD usage would be as follows:
| 
| I do not use remember and I do not use the
| calendar/diary. I just keep it simple...
| 
| I have one main .org file and edit that
| directly.
| In this file I've made top level
| headings that cover all the things I'm busy on
| (they are named: * work, * shopping, * Internet
| etc)
| 
| These headings kind of make up for the "context"
| choosing part of GTD
| 
| I try to schedule most of the TODO's that I
| enter into the .org-file. In that way I can use
| the org-agenda to see what I should do next.
| 
| But what I find the biggest advantage of using
| org-mode is the fact that everything can be done
| by editing a simple plain-text document...
| That's useful for me because I've got a MAC at
| home, Windows at my work and in the library, and
| an old PDA (that's also happy with plain-text)
| for on the road...
| 
| I also export the .org file, so I can get a nice
| overview of what I need to get done in a html or
| pdf document.  Another good thing about org-mode
| is that you can also use it as a
| word-processor-look-a-like. By using .css-files
| or latex it's very easy to produce a good
| looking document from a plain-text org-file...
| 
| The only thing I'm not so sure about yet is on
| using tags or priorities in my org-file. I have
| not found a good way to use those yet... And I
| also wonder how they could fit into GTD... As
| long as I can schedule most of the TODO's, I
| don't think I need to set priorities
| anyway... And my use of very obvious headings,
| kind of excludes the use of tags...
| 
| That's how I do it... but I think everyone will
| find their own way of using org/GTD...
| 
| Ciao,
| Renzo
| 
| Bytheway, another good option for practicing GTD
| would be http://www.tiddlywiki.com I
| think they even have discussions about GTD, just
| search for GTD in they group-archives at
| http://groups.google.com/group/TiddlyWiki/
`-----

Re: Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Jason F. McBrayer]

Xavier Maillard <maillaxa@gmail.com> writes:

> I mainly failed at work. Dunno if it is because I am at a sys admin
> position.  Tasks/projects/whatever goes all day long and it is always
> urgent. Hard to keep organized ;)

That may be it --- GTD assumes you are keeping track of the next actions
needed to acheive a project.  But often your "project" in sysadmin work
is just keeping your head above water.  The one thing I think a GTD-type
methodology could help with in sysadmin work is to convert all your
inboxes (mail, trouble ticketing system, etc.) into tasks that can be
dealt with on the same level.  If /everything/ is in the trouble
ticketing system, you may not really need org-mode for doing GTD at
work. 

-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Jason F. McBrayer                    jmcbray@carcosa.net  |
| If someone conquers a thousand times a thousand others in |
| battle, and someone else conquers himself, the latter one |
| is the greatest of all conquerors.  --- The Dhammapada    |

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Rainer Stengele]

Renzo Been schrieb:
> ,-----
> | Well,
> | 
> | My org/GTD usage would be as follows:
> | 
> | I do not use remember and I do not use the
> | calendar/diary. I just keep it simple...
> | 
> | I have one main .org file and edit that
> | directly.
> | In this file I've made top level
> | headings that cover all the things I'm busy on
> | (they are named: * work, * shopping, * Internet
> | etc)
> | 
> | These headings kind of make up for the "context"
> | choosing part of GTD
> | 
> | I try to schedule most of the TODO's that I
> | enter into the .org-file. In that way I can use
> | the org-agenda to see what I should do next.
> | 
> | But what I find the biggest advantage of using
> | org-mode is the fact that everything can be done
> | by editing a simple plain-text document...
> | That's useful for me because I've got a MAC at
> | home, Windows at my work and in the library, and
> | an old PDA (that's also happy with plain-text)
> | for on the road...
> | 
> | I also export the .org file, so I can get a nice
> | overview of what I need to get done in a html or
> | pdf document.  Another good thing about org-mode
> | is that you can also use it as a
> | word-processor-look-a-like. By using .css-files
> | or latex it's very easy to produce a good
> | looking document from a plain-text org-file...
> | 
> | The only thing I'm not so sure about yet is on
> | using tags or priorities in my org-file. I have
> | not found a good way to use those yet... And I
> | also wonder how they could fit into GTD... As
> | long as I can schedule most of the TODO's, I
> | don't think I need to set priorities
> | anyway... And my use of very obvious headings,
> | kind of excludes the use of tags...
> | 
> | That's how I do it... but I think everyone will
> | find their own way of using org/GTD...
> | 
> | Ciao,
> | Renzo
> | 
> | Bytheway, another good option for practicing GTD
> | would be http://www.tiddlywiki.com I
> | think they even have discussions about GTD, just
> | search for GTD in they group-archives at
> | http://groups.google.com/group/TiddlyWiki/
> `-----

Hi Renzo,

using well selected top level headings is also what I do.
My setting is:

One org file for work, named it "WORK.org", one for private stuff
"PRIVAT.org". In the WORK org file I also cover customer projects.
If these get too big in size I save the contents in a "<CUSTOMER>.org" file.
Working at the customers site for example I can easily document all
stuff in that file separately and can also easily htmlize it afterwards
as a report.

My GTD contexts are indicated by tags.
Big advantage: I am not forced to have my todo sorted under the right
toplevel heading.
Sometimes it takes a long time to determine if a todo should be sorted
under "* work" or "* internet" or whatever.
I just tag it with "@WORK" and "@INTERNET" and find it wherever I am
just sitting in my org file.
If in a hurry I just even do not think about the toplevel heading but
just write the todo (org mode does make it so easy!) anywhere in the
file and tag it with the context where I want to do the stuff.
Agenda view will find the todo no matter wher I placed it!
With custom agenda view I easily get to see all todos for my current
context. A dream!

Thats part of my setting and my thoughts, I hope I did understand your
setting correct. Maybe this was helpful.
If anybody has a comment I will be glad to read it.


My TAGS are: (german)

#+TAGS: @DIPLAN(d) @HOME(h) @IGN @KUNDE(k) @UNTERWEGS(u)
#+TAGS: BESORGEN(b) COMPUTER(c) EMAIL(e) INFO(i) LESEN(l) MEETING(m)
PROJEKT(p) SOMETIME_MAYBE(s) TEL(t) WARTEN(w) ULLA(x)

translates to:

#+TAGS: @WORK(d) @HOME(h) @CHURCH @CUSTOMER(k) @ONTHEROAD(u)
#+TAGS: BUY(b) COMPUTER(c) EMAIL(e) INFO(i) READ(l) MEETING(m)
PROJEKT(p) SOMETIME_MAYBE(s) TEL(t) WAIT(w)

TODO States: ("INARBEIT" = INPROGRESS)
#+SEQ_TODO: TODO INARBEIT | DONE CANCELED DELEGATED

I still struggle with the definition of stuck projects.

Rainer

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Rainer Stengele]

Renzo Been schrieb:
> ,-----
> | Well,
> | 
> | My org/GTD usage would be as follows:
> | 
> | I do not use remember and I do not use the
> | calendar/diary. I just keep it simple...
> | 
> | I have one main .org file and edit that
> | directly.
> | In this file I've made top level
> | headings that cover all the things I'm busy on
> | (they are named: * work, * shopping, * Internet
> | etc)
> | 
> | These headings kind of make up for the "context"
> | choosing part of GTD
> | 
> | I try to schedule most of the TODO's that I
> | enter into the .org-file. In that way I can use
> | the org-agenda to see what I should do next.
> | 
> | But what I find the biggest advantage of using
> | org-mode is the fact that everything can be done
> | by editing a simple plain-text document...
> | That's useful for me because I've got a MAC at
> | home, Windows at my work and in the library, and
> | an old PDA (that's also happy with plain-text)
> | for on the road...
> | 
> | I also export the .org file, so I can get a nice
> | overview of what I need to get done in a html or
> | pdf document.  Another good thing about org-mode
> | is that you can also use it as a
> | word-processor-look-a-like. By using .css-files
> | or latex it's very easy to produce a good
> | looking document from a plain-text org-file...
> | 
> | The only thing I'm not so sure about yet is on
> | using tags or priorities in my org-file. I have
> | not found a good way to use those yet... And I
> | also wonder how they could fit into GTD... As
> | long as I can schedule most of the TODO's, I
> | don't think I need to set priorities
> | anyway... And my use of very obvious headings,
> | kind of excludes the use of tags...
> | 
> | That's how I do it... but I think everyone will
> | find their own way of using org/GTD...
> | 
> | Ciao,
> | Renzo
> | 
> | Bytheway, another good option for practicing GTD
> | would be http://www.tiddlywiki.com I
> | think they even have discussions about GTD, just
> | search for GTD in they group-archives at
> | http://groups.google.com/group/TiddlyWiki/
> `-----

Hi Renzo,

using well selected top level headings is also what I do.
My setting is:

One org file for work, named it "WORK.org", one for private stuff
"PRIVAT.org". In the WORK org file I also cover customer projects.
If these get too big in size I save the contents in a "<CUSTOMER>.org" file.
Working at the customers site for example I can easily document all
stuff in that file separately and can also easily htmlize it afterwards
as a report.

My GTD contexts are indicated by tags.
Big advantage: I am not forced to have my todo sorted under the right
toplevel heading.
Sometimes it takes a long time to determine if a todo should be sorted
under "* work" or "* internet" or whatever.
I just tag it with "@WORK" and "@INTERNET" and find it wherever I am
just sitting in my org file.
If in a hurry I just even do not think about the toplevel heading but
just write the todo (org mode does make it so easy!) anywhere in the
file and tag it with the context where I want to do the stuff.
Agenda view will find the todo no matter wher I placed it!
With custom agenda view I easily get to see all todos for my current
context. A dream!

Thats part of my setting and my thoughts, I hope I did understand your
setting correct. Maybe this was helpful.
If anybody has a comment I will be glad to read it.


My TAGS are: (german)

#+TAGS: @DIPLAN(d) @HOME(h) @IGN @KUNDE(k) @UNTERWEGS(u)
#+TAGS: BESORGEN(b) COMPUTER(c) EMAIL(e) INFO(i) LESEN(l) MEETING(m)
PROJEKT(p) SOMETIME_MAYBE(s) TEL(t) WARTEN(w) ULLA(x)

translates to:

#+TAGS: @WORK(d) @HOME(h) @CHURCH @CUSTOMER(k) @ONTHEROAD(u)
#+TAGS: BUY(b) COMPUTER(c) EMAIL(e) INFO(i) READ(l) MEETING(m)
PROJEKT(p) SOMETIME_MAYBE(s) TEL(t) WAIT(w)

TODO States: ("INARBEIT" = INPROGRESS)
#+SEQ_TODO: TODO INARBEIT | DONE CANCELED DELEGATED

I still struggle with the definition of stuck projects.

Rainer

Re: [POLL] How do you enter your tasks/todos ?

[Renzo Been]

Rainer Stengele <rainer.stengele <at> yahoo.de> writes:

,-----
| Thanx for the reply Rainer,
| 
| My work does not require so much organizing, And
| as yet my main .org file is not that big... but
| if it gets bigger in the future, then splitting
| the file up in parts might be a good option
| indeed.
| 
| I'm not using the TODO States at the moment, but
| they look use-full to me, I'll check them out.
| 
| Ciao,
| Renzo
`-----