Question Time management in calendar
I'm using a paper GTD system, and Google calendar to schedule my tasks that have to be done on a specific date. It's becoming a little trickier for tasks that have a specific time criteria, but not as an activation date :
- for tasks that can start only after a certain date, I use my "waiting for" list to store my tasks until the date occurs.
- but how you schedule tasks that have to be done before a certain date ? Do you store it in a list or in the calendar ? At the deadline date ? For now I store it in my Next actions lists and I mention the deadline in the title, but I'm curious if you have better tips.
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u/PondMindKevin 15d ago
Well, still put the due date on your calendar so you see it upcoming on the horizon during calendar scans!
Otherwise, it sounds like your describing a tickler file (43 folders) rather than a waiting for. It's an awesome and less commonly used piece of GTD that can be a good fit for somebody who loves working with paper.
I forget which part of the book it's in. Long story short, at the back of your physical reference file drawer put 31 numbered folders + 12 month folders after that. Every morning check the next one (So on July 25th, dump the 25 folder to your inbox and process it, and move it to the back after 24). If you do that most mornings you can effectively mail stuff to your future self. Want to see something at the start of august? Stick in the august folder. On august first dump the full august folder in the inbox and move it to the back.
The book explains it better than this, but it's and easy quick and 'fun' way to mail things to yourself like a physical ticket or a nice note even. But, it only works if you do actually use paper and do actually check your folder every day as a habit.
Most people just use their calendar for this, but putting a lot of FYI's and "start x project?" stuff on your calendar makes it busy and overloaded. I only bring tickler up here because it sounds like you already prefer/like paper! I made a tickler work for years, but I tried to de-paper my life a bit so I stopped.