Newbie needs help - BEST PRACTICES

[JR]

After years on using MLO here and there, finally took the plunge. Trying to setup my data files and just wanted to see how everyone has set theirs up with examples too of your layouts within for projects, daily stuff, etc,. Also want to know how do you use MLO on a daily basis; via your mobile, at desk, hybrid and keep everything in sync! Liking everything thus far with the Pro version and waiting for my iPhone to get in for MLO for iPhone! Thanks in advance and if this thread is general enough, maybe the mods can sticky it!

[pottster]

I maintain two data files, Tasks and Projects.

Top level in hierarchy for Tasks is: -

ONE OFF TASKS

RECURRING TASKS

TASKS FOR OTHERS

SOMEDAY/MAYBE

Top level in hierarchy for Projects is: -

GOALS

GOALS ACHIEVED

PROJECTS - live

PROJECTS - pending

PROJECTS - completed

PROJECTS - cancelled

SOMEDAY/MAYBE

Why two data files?

1) Better focus on different types of task e.g. dependent/non dependent

2) Allows for different views, formatting and data file settings

3) Better work/life balance, separating stuff you have to do from stuff you want to do

4) Accomodates GTD horizon levels

5) Experience! Just works better for me

You will find that initially you'll need to experiment a lot to find the structure that works for you and your life. Don't forget to review it though as your circumstances and priorities change you may well need a different structure. The beauty of MLO is that you don't have to accept a given template and are fully supported in devising your own way of achievings things.

Good luck - you made the right decision with MLO ;-)

[JR]

Thanks pottster!

[Lisa Stroyan]

My current use model is somewhat driven by the features that I find easiest to use on Android. I don't know if the iPhone has the same features so you may want to wait to finalize your own use model.

My tree is organized by areas of focus (Home, Family, Work, Health...) with subtrees for Someday/Maybe. I've made each of these a project so they show up in the project view but I ended up not using that much.

Before the android app, I was using flags to mark the tasks that I want to keep notice of. I know GTD ( which I try to use loosely but haven't made work yet) doesn't believe in priorities, but I can't seem to get completely away from them. Now I'm using a combination of goals and starred. So for me, weekly goals are ones I want to consider this week. Monthly I look through less often, usually on the desktop so I can drag and drop onto weekly to bump the urgency.

Then I used starred to mark the list of tasks to try to get through today. I use Active Goals or Active Actions to star tasks in the morning and also to work from when I don't have starred tasks I can/ want to work on.

I do most of my planning on my desktop because all of my main views include any Inbox tasks that have not been moved out to their respective tree, which is what I do once I've processed them.  I don't have that feature on Android, to force certain tasks into my views when normally they wouldn't be there (for example, if I look at "Goals" on the desktop, it will be my Goals plus Inbox).

Everything else, I do pretty much on whichever I have handy, using Cloud sync to keep them in sync. 

More and more of my task input is moving toward the "record a task" icon on my Android (sometimes even if I am at my PC!) or "Share" from my email app on my phone. 

I change my process periodically -- it seems to keep me motivated :)  Feel free to ask specifics.

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Lisa

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Lisa Stroyan, mailto: lstr...@gmail.com