[T-Will]

Originally Posted by JonathanWardRogers

This is exactly why I have categories set up for @Home, @Work, @Car, @Grocery store, etc..

The @ puts them at the top of the list and I can quickly see all the tasks related to where I am or what situation I'm in.

Great idea! I just reorganized my tasks using this method and I can't wait to see how more efficient this makes me!

[T-Will]

Originally Posted by JonathanWardRogers

This is exactly why I have categories set up for @Home, @Work, @Car, @Grocery store, etc..

The @ puts them at the top of the list and I can quickly see all the tasks related to where I am or what situation I'm in.

Great idea! I just reorganized my tasks using this method and I can't wait to see how more efficient this makes me!

[Carlos]

Great topic, and excellent timing since I've been working on making my task handling more efficient. I'm a project manager for IT projects, as well as a contracted IT director for several companies who are too small to have one full time. This keeps me moving from place to place, and shuffling between different sets of needs. It can get complex, and I thought I'd fix that by categorizing tasks by client. That didn't work very well, for all the reasons mentioned in the first post of this thread.

I do take issue with the argument that you need to schedule tasks by available resources. I mean, this is a PPC forum, right? And a wireless-enabled PPC is available to everyone. So...why wouldn't you always have the resources in front of you? I use a Phone Edition, so there is very little that I can't do at any given moment. Sure, some things are less efficient on the small screen; the other day I was reconfiguring a Cisco router while someone else was driving, and found myself wasting a lot of time scrolling. So there should be some prioritization based on efficiency by location, but that's not a major portion of it.

What I find very useful is organizing by location AND by time required to complete the task. This is where Pocket Informant's letter labels really help. I assign an "A" through "D" based upon time I expect it to require. I can do an "A" task while standing in line for five minutes, and a "D" task will take hours. I can do a "B" while waiting for an oil change, a plane to board, etc. With PI's quick view changes, I can find a 5-minute task every time I find mayself waiting for any reason. And if my wait is going to be of an unknown time, I can use the category (task type) to find something that can be interrupted without loss. I wouldn't make a phone call, for example, while in a client's waiting room.

My current categories list is this:
Calls
Errands (do while out around town)
Home
Low priority (things to do "whenever")
Office work (can only be done with my laptop available)
Research (must have internet access, IE, can't do on a plane)
[various client names] (can only do while at their site)
Waiting (waiting for another person, usually PI-linked to a "call for status item)

So far I've not found a very efficient way to use multiple categories for items. I could see a way to use them as limiters as well as permissive. In other words, view tasks that can ONLY be done if two or more conditions are met. Or...view tasks that meet any one of several conditions. I can see need for both types, but don't think that's possible to set up.