Comments on: Break the Evil Curse of Task List Categories

By: Eric S. Mueller

Eric S. Mueller — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:57:30 +0000

My category system is fairly convoluted, but it sort of works. I keep my calendar under the old system I used to use based on Franklin Covey’s roles, and my tasks go under contexts which I got from David Allen’s GTD system. There is occasional crossover, such as when I schedule a task on my “hard landscape”, or when I input a task specifically for a role. Somehow it is working, but you’re right that a system like this can be confusing. I sync between 2 PCs with my Pocket PC, and I’ve learned that I can only assign one category per Outlook item unless I want ActiveSync to start duplicating entries.

By: seda

seda — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:39:46 +0000

Sort of. Only when using the first category. Since they have to be done today, I make them my priority and focus on these only. Some would think that this category would be full but you would be suprised when you spread them out throughout all 4.

By: Brad Isaac

Brad Isaac — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:00:44 +0000

ahh…I see so it’s simple for you then? Do you schedule these tasks?

By: seda

seda — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:44:46 +0000

The categories are based on priority. More on time management. None of the tasks have to be related. Only when they need to be done.

By: Brad Isaac

Brad Isaac — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 17:16:45 +0000

BradTrupp, looks like you’ve got yours more optimized than mine

seda, so what you are saying is that the 4 categories interfered with priorities? I’m not sure I understand. I agree you gotta be very careful about what you pick to do each day. Again, I suggest picking 6 or less major tasks each day to prevent confusion.

By: seda

seda — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 19:22:38 +0000

I had a teacher tell me of the 4 category method to task planning. However it went my priority. 1. What needs to be done today? 2. What can be done tomorrow? 3. What can be done this week? 4. What has be done but not critical? (Like future goals)

By: BradTrupp

BradTrupp — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:17:51 +0000

Good advice. I use tasklists to keep myself organized and have it down to 3 categories now — work, personal, and future tasks — on my main list. The work and personal are “do it right now” tasks and the “future tasks” eventually get moved into the work or personal lists when they become due.

By: Brad Isaac

Brad Isaac — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 19:14:32 +0000

Premek, that sounds like David Allen’s tip. I tried that, but my work style didn’t adapt well to location based tasks namely because I am only in one place (at the computer. )

By: Premek

Premek — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 12:36:40 +0000

I sort my tasks by the things necessary to complete them. Telephone, Office (means office suite – writing), Computer (coding, design etc), E-mail, Personal (meetings and errands) and (because I sync to PDA) Shopping. That way I just look at what I have at hand and do what I can. When I’m waiting somewhere, I look into telephone category and make some calls, or write some e-mails …

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:41:03 +0000

I’m in the middle of… well, actually I’m over two thirds of creating an online version of todotxt.com. It’s an online ‘command prompt’ in which you can add tasks and add projects (or categories if you will) to a task. Also you can add contexts to a task (as GTD suggests). So you can print a task lists belonging to a certain context (“show me all things I have to do on the phone”), a certain project or category, or both.

A pitfall I encounter is what you describe: you can easily add too many projects and contexts. I’m don’t know if I want to cap the number of projects and contexts per user though.

I’ll let you know when the tool is publicly available, I’m interested in hearing what you think about it.