1/27/2024 0 Comments Omnifocus gtdSome tasks need to be done at certain times, and OmniFocus provides due dates and defer till options for each task. Although I haven't really found this useful up until this point, I've dealt with relative task priorities by deferring the due dates for less important tasks. Projects are nice too, because it's not immediately important to establish all the steps to complete a project - just the next action - I really like this.ĥ. Priority. GTD + OmniFocus handle this well through the creation of projects. Some things I can knock out in five min, some five hours, some could take all week if I allowed them to. OmniFocus also includes a great "on hold option", and you can choose to defer tasks until a certain date - super handy!Ĥ. Variable Task Lengths. Allen emphasizes identifying the next action for the project, claiming that not knowing the next action means that the project isn't well defined yet, and the "open loop" in your head won't be closed until you do this. The GTD philosophy deals with this pretty gracefully by making any to-do list item with more than one step into a "project". This really sucks for tasks with dependencies, multiple steps/stages, or where I'm waiting on someone else. According to my to-do list, a task has either been completed or not. I generally prefer to do and am only really effective at creative work when I have at least 3 unobstructed hours in the morning to work, this is when I can switch on my creative context on OmniFocus, and all my other shit that doesn't fit in this context isn't there to divide my attention. One context I created that I'm enjoying using is "creative". Context can be all kinds of things, such as "errands", or "at work". OmniFocus provides some great tools for this as well, all tasks can be divided across projects and context, and you can choose to show tasks from only certain projects or certain contexts. This organizational scheme is a great tool for dealing with the inherently inhomogeneous tasks we must all deal with. If GTD was summarized in a single figure it would be this one: GTD generally addresses this issue through the processing of "stuff" from the "in box". I can genuinely say that this process alone, emptying my head and environment of all the things I was keeping track of, was immensely helpful, and immediately create more head space for creativity.Ģ. Allen's first big step in getting things done is to "capture" all this "stuff" floating in your head and around your life. The way I was using my to-do list compounded this, reminding me of all my 'open loops' throughout the day. His theory goes that as long as there are incompletes floating around in your head (subconsciously or consciously), you won't be performing at your best. David Allen refers to incomplete tasks floating in our heads as "open loops". Here's way to much information on how GTD + OmniFocus has helped me address my issues with my to-do list:ġ. Stress. OmniFocus is a well-put-together application for OSX and iOS that generally follows the philosophy of GTD, although it certainly can be used in other capacities.įor those interested in saving some time, I recommend David Allen's course on from, as well as the OmniFocus course available from, although it is a bit out of date. He brings no big agenda or overpowering philosophy, just lots of little things that, taken together, can make a big difference. I can happily say that these approaches and tools address many of my grievances with my to-do list and have already allowed me to be more focused and productive.ĭavid Allen is a very practical guy presenting a very practical framework for time management. In the several weeks since then I have read most (I think all the relevant parts for me) of David Allen's book, Getting Things Done, and begun using OmniFocus to manage my time. After writing 17 Reasons I Hate My To-Do List in late march, a couple of very nice folks (Thanks Sam and Alex P) suggested I look into OmniFocus + GTD ( Getting Things Done).
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