I just started working out the best way to apply GTD. I’ve found that Outlook’s Task list is really useful once I configured it and learned how to work it. It took me a little while to figure out the best way to VIEW it but here’s what I came up with. Some varying may be helpful to you depending.
Veiws: You can manage your views by going to View, Arrange by, Define Views, Create or Modify and existing view.
My_view (create your own personal view by doing above then using or these parameters. I took the default on all other settings but some modification can be made for what’s useful to you)
Fields: Icon, Priority, Attachment, Subject, Status, Due Date, Actual Work, % Complete, Categories, Complete, Recurring
Group By: Due Date (decending)
Sort: Recurring (descending), Complete (ascending), Due Date (descending), Priority (descending)
Filter: Tasks: Advanced = Due Date (today), Due Date (in the next 7 days) Due Date (does not exist), Status (Not Started), Status (In progress), Status (Waiting), Status (Deferred)All other options are default.
The only other views I use are Completed and Overdue (though the other views could be helpful)
Overdue:
Group by: Due Date (Decending)
Sort: Due Date (desc), Priority (desc)
Filter: Tasks:Advanced – Complete = no, Due Date – on or before yesterdayCompleted:
Group by: None
Sort: Date Completed (desc)
Filter: Tasks: Status Completed
Again the other views can be useful AND modified to make things that are important to you easier. The above is what works for me.
I’ve also come to find that because of the way my brain works I often start a task and realize that there are a few other tasks I need to do before I can actually start it. It’s helped me realize I need to set aside time to double check my task items and make sure they don’t need to be broken down any further in order to be done.
Example: Pick up prescription.
I might not have thought about it but when I do I realize I need to:Call Dr to phone it into pharmacy
Check pharm that they received presc.
Check prescription ready to be picked up.
For those of you who’ve been doing GTD for a while you probably already know this…but for those of you who want to electronically keep track of what you’ve done for the day, you end up adding tasks and then checking them off AFTER you’ve done them.
Hope that some of this is useful.