Best Use of Folders

[John Kelly]

Hello all!

I just finished my trial and am literally "sold" on MLO!  :)  I am pretty clear on when is the best time to make a task a Project and when to just leave it a task (regardless of whether it has subtasks or not), but am curious how people use Folders? 

I've read through the Guide and they only reference how to create, modify, etc. a folder, but doesn't talk about why you would want to use one vs. just making the task a project or leave it a task.

I am using the FranklinCovey template and that prepopulated Roles (Father, Boss, etc.? and Sharpen the Saw (Physical, Social, Spiritual, etc.) as folders. This seems odd to me as when I use them, I tend to put things on my calendar (e.g., schedule time to workout) or put a task in (e.g., buy running shoes). 

Would people please share how they use folders? What do you put in them? Do you stack them (i.e., folders within folders)?

Thanks,

John

[Stéph]

Hello John,

Welcome to the MLO community. Regarding folders: 

Firstly, I structure my outline into areas of my life (personal, home, work, community), then roles (&Father / Family, &Earner / Finances, &Home Improver, &Engineer, &SCADA Specialist... - don't worry about the & prefixes - I just use a range of hashtags to help narrow down text searches), then my projects and tasks under each role.

So, in summary, the first three levels of my outline are Area of life -> Role -> Project

To make the most of some of the advanced filter options (TopLevelFolderName, TopLevelParentName, TopLevelProjectName), my areas of life are tasks, roles are folders and projects are... projects. That way I can use those filter terms to narrow down my view to a particular area, role or project.

The other thing I use folders for is for keeping notes, links and information related to a role or project, distinct from its tasks. A folder item can also be thought of a note item, with no start or due date and which won't get completed and checked off. 

Hope you manage to up a system which works for you, for maximising ease of use and productivity.

Stéphane 

[John Kelly]

Stéphane,

Thanks for that. I will play around with it. I probably am not using the filter to its fullest extent. I tend to keep all my categories of tasks, be they projects, roles, etc. at a top level so I can see everything at once and drill down each when I want to see their individual tasks. I tend not to use views except All Tasks and I have created one I call Today: tasks that started on or before today, and Master Task List: all tasks without a start date. 

Thanks,

John

[Jon R]

I am a new user so not up to speed with the filters etc. But I too like to see what I've got without pressing too many buttons.

I use folders as 'objects' in the broadest sense, and so all my top level items are folders, and a few second level.

Then below are projects for stuff that is intended to end. Maybe when I'm dead, but it's a rule!

I am trying to use 'goal' field systematically for 'big rocks', but that is work in progress...

Other than that, tasks (even 'big' items with many subtasks).

Strictly, anything that isn't a one-off project task would need to be recurring, but I don't always set that.

[John Kelly]

Jon,

Thank you! I like your distinction that a project has a start and expected finish date. I've been a bit inconsistent on what I make a project. I use a combination of GTD and FranklinCovey so its engrained in me that anything with multiple next actions is a Project, but practically is it?

Thanks for your input!

John