In GTD the hierarchy is first the tool or location you must be in to do something, then the time available, then priority and energy needed. Now that OF3 supports multiple tags, I will set this as a way to track that a task was set up but not done. I find that assigning tags in OF should be a вЂњset once and forget itвЂќ approach. After tasks with due dates (of вЂњtodayвЂќ), I work on flagged tasks. Alternatively, I set flags on tasks that follow an Action Group as вЂњclean upвЂќ tasks (so they clean up is not forgotten). I set flags on tasks (or Action Groups) inside Projects that are in an Active lane of my Kanban board. The вЂњfirst things firstвЂќ mantra naturally means that tasks with due dates get handled first.

I use a modification of the Urgent/Important matrix (which I never am able to fully understand).ДЎ - required (this Project is a demand that must be met above all else)Дў - duty (this Project is a demand by others that should be met with due haste)ДЈ - need (the Project is a demand by me that must be met with due haste)ДҐ - dream (this Project would be nice to do) I assign the priorities outside of OF (in Kanban boards). I assign priorities to Projects not tasks. They are essential to resolve conflicts or decision-overload when all else is equal. How do you solve these kinds of problems? ThereвЂ™s almost never anything in there, but I want to get in the habit of checking that tag because on days when there is something there, IвЂ™m disappointed when I donвЂ™t get to it. I have a reminder in Due to check that every day at 8:30 am. Maybe I should tag it вЂњeveningвЂќ instead.ДЄlso, I have a tag called вЂњearlyвЂќ for things I want to get to first thing in the morning. Maybe IвЂ™ll try to review the вЂњcurrentвЂќ tag in the evening. This evening I added a fifth - a tag called вЂњcurrent.вЂќ ThatвЂ™s for tasks that I know I donвЂ™t want to even think about tomorrow, but which I donвЂ™t want to have fall into the available/untagged list, where I wonвЂ™t see that task until Sunday.

Like, one of the items on my вЂњwaitingвЂќ list is reviewing a few 2019 events calendars for every conference IвЂ™m going to want to go to next year. IвЂ™d like to go to China! IвЂ™d like to write a novel! Items on my вЂњwaitingвЂќ list are more commonplace. I think of someday/maybe as more like a bucket list. I mark the status of that tag as вЂњon hold.вЂќ That sounds like a GTD someday/maybe list, but I donвЂ™t think of it that way. This weekend, I started a tag called вЂњwaitingвЂќ for stuff I know IвЂ™m not going to get to this week. You can simply have tasks that are available. I think most people who use flags use them something like that. The flagged perspective is the only one I check many times a day I check other perspectives in the morning and evening and thatвЂ™s that. IвЂ™ve been using flags lately to keep top-of-mind the tasks I want to at least consider doing that day.

It gets tricky because sometimes the commitment is to myself. Sometimes the penalty is as small as my failing to meet a commitment to someone. There will be a penalty if I fail to get them done. Tasks with the deadline of today are top priority. It occurred to me the other day that OmniFocus does do a kind of prioritization, and has all along: However, I donвЂ™t assign a tag to that task вЂ“ I just put it off to the next day after IвЂ™ve had a good nightвЂ™s sleep. On the other hand, sometimes IвЂ™ll put off completing a task until IвЂ™m fully awake and fresh so maybe I do do energy levels after all. If IвЂ™m low energy, I just move slower, but I do the same things that I do when IвЂ™m high energy. I feel the same way about assigning energy levels. Prioritizing tasks seems to me like one of those activities that has more to do with managing the task list than with actually getting things done. IвЂ™m no GTD purist, but I reject priorities too. With tags, you can now create priorities. Now, with Version 3, OmniFocus is designed as a general-purpose task manager, which can be used for GTD or any other system. ThatвЂ™s because OmniFocus was initially based on GTD and GTD rejects the idea of priorities. There was no reasonable way to assign priorities in OmniFocus until Version 3.

Omnifocus gtd