08-09-2004, 05:45 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2
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Should You "Prioritize" Your Tasks?
Should you "prioritize" your tasks? I say "no"... and here's why.
The power and functionality of Tasks in most PDAs is far beyond how most of us use them. �Most� people I know use the Task list as a 50+ item list of Prioritized items. These are listed in what the user thinks are the most important item down to the least important item. I mean, who wouldn�t want to work on the most important stuff� right?
Unfortunately, a really important phone call cannot be made when you are not near a phone, and a really important email cannot be sent when you are not near your computer.
The questions I have are:
- Why are you scrolling through, and looking at, the phone call you need to make, or the email you need to send, when you are at the grocery store?
- Why not set up your system so that you are only looking at the things you can DO given the resources available?
Read on for the full details...
Overview
There are several ways to organize Tasks on a PDA. The following method of organizing tasks comes from a portion of the �Getting Things Done� seminar presented by David Allen (www.davidco.com ). His company teaches certain methods/procedures for "Action Management" which are tailored by each individual participant to maximize his or her personal productivity.
The following method allows the user to organize his or her system so they only see the items that can be done in the current location, and with the current resources (time available, location, energy level, priority, etc). By filtering out Tasks that cannot be done, the user can make a logical and prioritized decision on which action to take that CAN be done.
Most people try to keep all Tasks on one or two lists, creating a huge list of things that are not related. Items are prioritized in order of importance. Work, personal, shopping, emails, phone calls, etc., are all being placed on the same list. When it comes down to it, each task can only be completed in a certain location, with certain resources.
What are your lists called?
The Standard lists that come with most PDAs are generic, like Personal and Business.
The following is an example of a typical Personal list.
IE: PERSONAL LIST (PRIORITY)
- Call Bob about school board meeting (1)
- Find the number for the auto store to get new stereo (2)
- Finish assembly of desk in home office (3)
- Oil door in hallway (3)
- Pick up milk (2)
- Paint bathroom (3)
- Print pictures from vacation on home computer (2)
So, again, here�s my question� When you are at the grocery store, why do you have to scan all of these items (feeling bad that you can�t take action on most of them) only to find the Task of �Pick up milk�?
Why not use your PDA to create Lists that you want to look at because you know that you'll be able to get something done? The actions on that list will correspond to the location and resources that you have, and allow you to make the highest priority decision at that time. You�ll actually be able to start crossing things off as �Done�.
For example, why not have a Call list, and an Errand list, and a Home list? Each list would have the actionable items for that location with the resources available there.
IE: CALL LIST (PRIORITY)- Call Bob about school board meeting (-)
IE: ERRAND LIST (PRIORITY)
IE: HOME LIST (PRIORITY)- Find the number for the auto store to get new stereo (-)
- Finish assembly of desk in office (-)
- Oil door in hallway (-)
- Paint bathroom (-)
- Print pictures from vacation on home computer (-)
Setting up your lists like this allows you to go to that list where you will only see items that relate to your current situation.
When you are at home, you open your HOME list. You see the items you can do at home. You are not looking at ERRANDS you need to run. When you have five minute of discretionary time, and you have your cell phone, open you CALL list, and make a call. Don�t spend time scrolling through 50+ items, just look at those items that can be done given the resources available.
Additional Lists
The setting up of list names is a personal thing�
The lists that I have are:
- Call - Items that can only be done on the phone
- Errand - Items that can only be done when I�m out and about shopping
- Errand-Home - Items that can only be done when I�m out and about shopping in my HOME town
- Home - Items that can only be done when I�m at home
- Hotel - Items that can be done from my hotel (four nights a week)
- Internet - Items that can only be done when I�m on the Internet
- Someday - Items that I want to think about sometime in the future, and take note of, and not take any immediate action on
- Waiting For - Items that I�m waiting for (tasks, phone calls, or email from other people)
- Work -Items that can only be done at work
So, when I�m on the road or at the office, I don�t even peek at the 64 items I�ve got on my HOME task list. Why bother! Why should I spend the one second to look at paint bathroom when there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it from my hotel or my office! Over the course of a week, 64 items, one second each� the time really adds up!
Conclusions
Using the application that came with your handheld in a more efficient manner is a quick way to see improvement with the use of technology. Setting up your lists in the manner described above allows users to view those tasks that can be worked on at that time. More gets done in the same (or less) time.
Try it� you just might find something you like� for FREE!
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08-09-2004, 06:01 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 5
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Great article! I am actually reading Getting Things Done by David Allen right now. I have been struggling getting all of the things I need to get done organized and this is perfect! Thanks for the (unsolicited) input! This made my day!
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08-09-2004, 06:07 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 147
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Exactly!
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.
Now if I could just get a GPS receiver to enter those categories automatically based on my actual location...
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Jonathan Rogers
Email
Web
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08-09-2004, 06:20 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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Re: Exactly!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by JonathanWardRogers
Now if I could just get a GPS receiver to enter those categories automatically based on my actual location...
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That's not out of the realm of possibility. There's a guy (pt) that has his media playlist set up to change based on location, so that the right kind of music is playing based on the terrain during his runs. Location based services have some interesting possibilities.
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Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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08-09-2004, 06:47 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 113
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Appointments or Tasks
I think most people do not use the tasks portion well at all. In fact for me making it an appointment with a date and time (with a category) is better than creating a task. It shows up in my appointments instead of getting missed in my list of tasks. I tend to me the tasks if I forget to view them in PI.
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"This is nothing like anything we have yet to experience." - Bob & Ray
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08-09-2004, 06:54 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7
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Very useful! I've been using my task list less and less because it just didn't seem efficent. I think this makes a lot of sense.
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08-09-2004, 07:01 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 193
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Yeah, I figured out a while ago that this was the real way to use your task list. There's just no sense in doing it any other way...you'll have piles of things that you have 'to do' and no way to do them!
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08-09-2004, 07:04 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 275
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this is the main reason why I have ListPro. You can easily sort through your task list which is more prioritized. Good tip by the way... but just to add, you might as well put the priority number in the front (i.e. 1 - buy new pocket pc; instead of buy new pocket pc - 1)... again, it's easier to sort.
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John Cruz
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08-09-2004, 07:26 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 104
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How many of you folks use the Start Date and End Date feature of the Task List? I personally find it very hard to assign start dates and end dates to my tasks. Is this something that I should try harder to do, or am I just setting my self up to fail, when I don�t meet the date and I have to push it back?
--Jim
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08-09-2004, 07:42 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 143
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I personally like the FranklinCovey planning system. You can get an Outlook / Pocket PC plug-in called Plan Plus that does a great job.
There's also a guy named Larry Becker that has a book written for Palm users on time and task management. It carries over nicely to PPC users for the most part.
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