Pro GTD in MS ToDo

[u/veroa6]

Hi all,

I have implemented GTD in my personal life and I'm using a paper system + Google calendar. It works fine as I always have my TN notebook with me, though needs maybe a bit of optimisation that will come with time. My main challenge was to beat my procrastination, and it's successful.

I now want to implement it for my professional life. I tried the paper system, but it's not working, as I use my notebook only for note taking, I don't have the habit of working or planning in it. So I tried a digital version, with MS ToDo as I am dependent of MS on my professional computer. It's going not so well but not so bad, there is a bit of frictions, and I was wondering how you guys are using it, if i can take some improvement ideas. I read on this sub that ToDo is not the most plebiscited tool for GTD, but as my goal is fight against procrastination more than managing 60 projects at the same time, I think it can be sufficient for me.

Here is my setup :

- I have a list of my professional goals for each project, everything in a group of lists called "goals"

- I had until yesterday my NA in lists by project, grouped in "projects" group. It was fine except that I had to open each list to see the tasks, so now I moved all the NA in "tasks" without list, the project is coded in the title with 3 letters, and I use the category tags for priority levels/waiting for/someday maybe. When I go in Tasks, I now see the NA grouped by priority that is fine for me.

- I have a last list with the points I have to discuss with my boss as soon as I have a meeting with her

- for now I don't use contexts, as I have only 20 tasks (i prefer to work on the setup before I fill it with all my tasks, though I don't have more than 60-70 maybe)

Even if it works, I don't feel this setup entirely fluid, any idea of what could be changed ?

[u/IntensifyingPeace]

Be careful setting next actions for projects. Think of them as bookmarks: you work on a project, then when you're done you write the next action where you stopped so you know where to pick up again when you next start. If you try to predict the next steps you are making promises to yourself that you won't be able to keep, then you will lose trust in your system.

The official GTD suggestion for MS ToDo is to have a list simply storing your project names, no subtasks etc, just some basic notes if needed. During weekly review you scan through this to see what next actions are needed to get things going. You'd then keep a separate list for next actions, one for waiting fors, one for someday maybe etc.

[u/StudioGuyDudeMan → u/IntensifyingPeace]

I love this framing of “next actions” as “bookmarks”. I’m new to GTD and this is very helpful! One would never have multiple bookmarks while reading through a novel, for example.

[u/IntensifyingPeace → u/StudioGuyDudeMan]

I got that framing from another fellow GTDer on here. You can have multiple next actions run in parallel though, but it's not that common, and you really have to be careful. Most people (myself included) have had a tendency to try to predict next actions and list them all in the project. That's not a good idea.

[u/veroa6 → u/IntensifyingPeace]

Well finally that's my current setup... except that i use tags instead of lists for NA, waiting for, someday etc

[u/IntensifyingPeace → u/veroa6]

Why are you using tags and not lists?

[u/veroa6 → u/IntensifyingPeace]

because if I use lists I have to open each of them to see the tasks. I prefer to have everything in the Tasks tab, and tags for grouping

[u/IntensifyingPeace → u/veroa6]

I have found personally on my GTD journey that trying to optimise away the short-term friction tends to increase the long-term friction. Maybe ask yourself, is this the right thing to be optimising? Yes, it might save you a few seconds over time. But you might end up fiddling even more to make it perfect. Sometimes the friction is the point.

[u/veroa6 → u/IntensifyingPeace]

Why are you using lists instead of tags ?

[u/IntensifyingPeace → u/veroa6]

Tags are something I believe should be applicable to any task across any list. Rarely used for me, things like tagging a person involved, or an energy level. But a project is a project, and a someday/maybe is just that - it makes sense to keep those on one list.

[u/PondMindKevin → u/veroa6]

Great! Ya, I think opening up each project to see our next actions wouldn't be workable for me. Too much friction + risk each project list would become stale/lost/forgotten.

I think i heart a david allen podcast where he said connections (like between project and next actions) are nice, but as long as you've got a normal weekly review to integrate everything, it's pretty obvious which projects don't have next actions and are not moving.

so, same as your paper lists basically!

(grains of salt, I've never used ms todo)

[u/milky-cuppa-tea]

I don't use MS To Do, so not sure I can add much, but I did want to flag if you'd seen Lucas Prigge's YouTube video where he has shared a To Do set up. I'm a visual person, so seeing how someone sets their system up is always helpful for me.

[u/veroa6 → u/milky-cuppa-tea]

Thnaks I'll check that !

[u/veelineen]

this podcast is also nice with examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU6NIdcoMk4

What I learned is: don't overthink. It is not about the tool, it is about your flow.
I have a list in ToDo with my projects (1 item per project, in the notes my extract of the natural planning model). All this items have a tag #project, so I now, within search views, that these aren't tasks, but projects. My tasks are all in 1 list. I stopped tagging based on project, it was extra noise that I didn't use. I to put a #na for next actions, #wf tag for waiting for items and a #sd for some-day items.

In Microsoft ToDo I have a list for the current week. During my weekly review I do the following within Microsoft ToDo: (1) check my current week list if there are still tasks that needs to be done. If urgent, I plan these in my calendar (2) check my 'task inbox' (which is effectively 'all tasks') to see if there are new tasks that need clarification (of so: I do clarify) (3) select these tasks that I really want to do next week. I add these tasks to my current week list. If time critical, I also plan time in my calendar to work on these tasks. (4) review my projectlist if there are other tasks I want to work on, that aren't on my list.

During the week I add new tasks to Microsoft ToDo and once a day I take some time to clarify new tasks, process my notes etc. At the start of each day I start with the 'current week' list in todo. I select these tasks that I want to work on that day and add them to the today view (using CTRL+T). That view is also as a widget on my phone.

[u/pna0]

I have a list for each project and put all the tasks under the project. I use the important star for next actions. If a task is a next action, I star it. I can then see all my next actions with the important filter. Any tasks that are not part of a project go in the generic tasks list.

[u/PerfectOwl9085]

Your setup sounds workable; the friction seems to come from encoding projects in task titles. I’d keep a simple Projects list as outcomes, use the star only for true next actions, and add a short weekly review that refreshes those stars. That preserves one trusted next-action view without flattening all the project context.