GTD and project management

[dalante]

Hello all!

I have a question for those who have implemented the GTD system succesfully and have been using it efficiently.

How do you use the system to manage your projects ? (especially when the project has a deadline)

For example, I have a project called: "apply for MBA scholarship". The application must be submitted by April 15th.

So I broke down all the steps I needed to do. In this case: brainstorm the scholarhip essays-deadline: March 31st. Write 1st drafts- deadline: April 2nd. Write second drafts- deadline April 11th. Proofread- deadline: April 14th. Submit application- deadline: April 15th.

All those are @anywhere actions (except the last one which is @computer)

I entered all those tasks in outlook with their deadlines in their categories. Now if I look at the @anywhere category, I see all the tasks. But really, what I would like to see is only the Next action, so that I don't have to worry about the actions after and focus on this one only. And once I have completed an action, how do I make sure the next one shows up on the @anywhere list.

I know it's a bit technical, but those who use GTD will understand. Hope someone has a solution.

Have a great day!

[dalante]

All right, I posted a similar thread on the official GTD forum, and here is the response I got:

They're not all Next Actions

Quick answer on this is they're not all Next Actions, as for instance, write second draft can't be done before writing first draft which can't be done before brainstorming, etc.

Thus, due to their dependencies, they wouldn't be placed in your context lists at the current time, as they aren't yet do-able.

My solution for these dependent actions is to keep them with the project support material. When action A is completed, and action B now becomes doable, at THAT time I transfer Action B to my context lists.

The key is to remember that the context lists are meant to only hold actions which are the very next phyiscal doable action. Because these actions are farther down the line, they don't fall into that category. Provided you are reviewing the project support material at the appropriate times, such as when you complete one action and at your weekly reviews, everything should still fall into place.