Question: Where do I put deferred tasks that are due, for example, in three days? If I’m processing my Inbox on Monday, and I know the next step to completion is a two hour task, “at Computer” that is due on Thursday, do I make a decision to do it at a specific time, and put it on my calendar? Or do I put it on the @Computer list? Or Something else?
David Allen: In your environment [Editor: David has coached at this fast-paced Fortune 100 company], if you have something that requires two hours of time, and HAS to be done within the next couple of days, I would schedule that two-hour block for yourself and hold yourself to keep your appointment with yourself. That way it gets off your mind the rest of the time. Not a bad idea to do that for ANY action that requires more than an hour of uninterrupted time, in your interrupt-driven kind of world, if it really has to get done within the next week or so.
The other option is to keep it on your At Computer list, with the due date right beside it. You’d have to have the discipline, however, to be looking at that list ANYtime you have discretionary time (which takes a lot more engagement with the lists than most people are doing).
The third option would be to double-enter it–put it on the At Computer list, and drag the Task entry over your Calendar button in Outlook and make it a day-specific reminder on Thursday (or perhaps Wednesday, to be safe) that it’s due on Thursday.
Of course none of this works if you don’t stay appropriately engaged in reviewing the lists as needed.
I have just started reviewing my action lists and based on what needs to get done, I put it on my calendar – kind of the double entry method that David describes here. I am probably thinking about things more often than I need to, but at this stage of my journey with GTD, I feel like this is a step of progress. This article helps me to see that I am at least on the right track. Thanks, David.
Brandy, that’s smart. Better to think about your calendar and lists a bit more while you build trust in your system. You’ll know when the habit of checking calendar and lists is in such a groove that you don’t need the double-entry method.
– John
I do some combination of options 1 and 3… I do keep all the tasks on my Next Actions list, but I’ve begun to schedule those next actions (or the projects) into 1-hour blocks on my calendar. Since I work from home, this creates the structure I need to get myself going (otherwise I do nothing all morning because I haven’t decided what to work on next, and then freak out in the afternoon).
Actually, I just realized I do some of option 2, too… When a task is due Thursday, I write (WEDNESDAY) next to the task on the Next Actions list (or whatever date I HAVE to start working on it).
Since I use my NA list each evening to schedule the next day, this helps me quickly see which things I really need to put in the schedule, and then I can fill out the rest of the day with other tasks from the list.
Option 2 works well for me. I have such tasks listed in MyLife Organized, which is always open at work. By looking through the available next actions at the start of the day and whenever I have discretionary time, tasks like this are always taken care of in time.
Anything I need to do that is date/time specific goes in the calendar. The items scheduled for the week are also added to an end of week review, just in case any are missed (as we all have those weeks). As mentioned to put items on a list requires discipline as it requires you to check all the necessary lists/buckets and that takes time and I don’t trust that system.