ThinkingRock Forum

I just started using it, so I might tweak my methods a bit as I go along, but so far this is how it is.


Both.


Only one, for sure. Two or more would create horrible problems with accidental duplication, omissions, two calendars to deal with.


@Home, @Office, @Phone, @Computer, @Internet, @Downtown, @Midtown, @OnTheRun, @Grocery Store


My topics are fairly broad. Not quite as general as "Work", because I have a few different jobs, but each job gets only one topic. Then I also have a topic for each of my main hobbies, fitness, finances and household chores.


I love nesting! 3-4 layers deep is fairly typical for me (usually not more though). This way I can kind of see the scale of things I'm working on at any given time, and how they relate to everything else in the projects.


Actions. Of course.


By default I like to have everything in there. Sometimes I use filters (e.g. for a specific context). I also rely very heavily on the calendar view.


It's open most of the time, and the file is very conveniently accessible. Most of the time it is minimized.


Scribbles on pieces of paper. Sometimes e-mail.


Yes. Mozilla Sunbird.


ASAP. Or inactive if I know for sure I won't be getting to them for a while.

1)Do you mainly use TR for work, personal, or both?

Both

2) Do you use just one data file or do you separate them?

One

3) What are you contexts? If the list is too long then some primary examples would suffice.

Office, Home, Calls, Train, Computer, Errands, Anywhere

4) What are your topics? For example do you use general topics like Work and Personal or do you have specific topics like Work - ClientName.

Work, Personal, Freelance, School

5) Are your projects highly hierarchical such as Work->Clients->ClientName->ProjectName->Subproject or is it more flat? If it is more flat do you organize it some other way, perhaps with topics, or do you just not need the extra logical levels?

Very Flat and then I use Topics (ie Work, Personal, Freelance) to filter

6) What screen do you spend the most time in?

Actions with my Today tab

7) What options do you use for the review actions screen? Specifically do you like to only see ASAP items mainly or do you see everything but rely on sorting or colorization to differentiate?

My actions Today tab shows all ASAP, Delegated (used as a @WaitingFor list), and Scheduled actions. I use this tab every morning to see what needs to be done such as who I need to talk to move some thing from Waiting for to ASAP also switching scheduled items to Do ASAP.

Do you leave TR open all the time? If so do you minimize it?

Open all the time unminimized

9) Do you use another system or program to record thoughts and then import them into TR? If so, what system(s)?

Pen and paper

10) Do you use the iCal synchronization? If so, with what program(s)?

Nope

11) How do you deal with things which could be done "whenever"? Are they ASAP, inactive, scheduled, etc.?

If they don’t need to be done in the next few days I put them into Someday Maybe until they are at a more ASAP state and I want them to done more immediately.


On a side note
I have different environments for doing my Work stuff and my Personal & Freelance stuff. My work environment has me infront of a computer most of the time. Personal and some freelance does not so I use print outs. It would be great to be able to have the option to print out project reports by Topic.

1. Do you mainly use TR for work, personal, or both?

Both.

2. Do you use just one data file or do you separate them?

One.

3. What are you contexts? If the list is too long then some primary examples would suffice.

Computer, Home, Phone, Nature, Work, Bus, Prayer, City

4. What are your topics? For example do you use general topics like Work and Personal or do you have specific topics like Work - ClientName.

Home, Administration, Art, Health, Craft, Relationships

5. Are your projects highly hierarchical such as Work->Clients->ClientName->ProjectName->Subproject or is it more flat? If it is more flat do you organize it some other way, perhaps with topics, or do you just not need the extra logical levels?

First level of projects are my topics. Then here and there folder in case lot of entries.

6. What screen do you spend the most time in?

Actions.

7. What options do you use for the review actions screen? Specifically do you like to only see ASAP items mainly or do you see everything but rely on sorting or colorization to differentiate?

My customized Actions screen. I have only four tabs here:

* Tickler File
* Next Actions
* Waiting For
* Done

I also removed lot of columns in these views.

8. Do you leave TR open all the time? If so do you minimize it?

Of course. Yes.

9. Do you use another system or program to record thoughts and then import them into TR? If so, what system(s)?

Mobile phone. So, good synchronization with ThinkingRock is really missing.

10. Do you use the iCal synchronization? If so, with what program(s)?

No. I have Tickler File tab in Actions view. It shows next 2 weeks.

11. How do you deal with things which could be done "whenever"? Are they ASAP, inactive, scheduled, etc.?

My rule is have as few as possible of scheduled and ASAP actions. And I like someday-maybe stuff.

_________________
The height of ability consists in a thorough knowledge of the real value of things. -- François de La Rochefoucauld

Emanprinting has no life goals

1) Do you mainly use TR for work, personal, or both?
For the benefit of "Stress Free" in productivity only kicks in when you cover 100% of your life.

2) Do you use just one data file or do you separate them?
I use one data file; however, to do that you need a reliable system for syncing and accessing.

Ideally it would be running on a Ubiquitous Capture Tool, which would go every where.


3) What are you contexts? If the list is too long then some primary examples would suffice.
Essentially:
Work
Home
Moving
Phone
I suspect each person has some more personal contexts ex. Gym/Studio/Garden. I started with more contexts, but have found it better to reduce the list, when possible.

I also carry a Ubiquitous capture tool to track Home and Moving items that are current. I spend a few minutes each day transferring things from my wallet to TR. While my wife loves the fact that I do GTD, she does not like me looking at the computer, when we talk.

4) What are your topics? For example do you use general topics like Work and Personal or do you have specific topics like Work - ClientName.

Topics are likely very personal
Acquire (buy, beg, borrow, or steal)
Dating
Family
Finance
Friends
Home
Vacation
Personal
Software
Themelody (my production company)
Kodak (major commitment)

For contractors, Client Name as a Topic, would definitely make sense. The Action search is great, so it will find all actions, if you include the Client name in the action/note.

5) Are your projects highly hierarchical such as Work->Clients->ClientName->ProjectName->Subproject or is it more flat? If it is more flat do you organize it some other way, perhaps with topics, or do you just not need the extra logical levels?

Both, I prefer not to have hierarchical structures, but if you have a project that will take 1000 hrs, you will want to break that up. I produce albums, and in that case I use a hierarchy

6) What screen do you spend the most time in?
Overwhelmingly: Actions. I highly recommend customizing the Actions Screens, in Tools, Options, and Action Screens. I've set up a couple of addition action screens: Phone, and Quick. It's really nice to see the few calls, or things you can do at you computer in just a few minutes.

7) What options do you use for the review actions screen? Specifically do you like to only see ASAP items mainly or do you see everything but rely on sorting or colorization to differentiate?
I mostly like to only see ASAP, and scheduled actions. For inactive and delegated, I have customized Action Screens that let me see the much longer lists only when I have additional time.

Do you leave TR open all the time? If so do you minimize it?
Yes, when I'm at a computer Thinking Rock is open 90% of the time, often minimized.

9) Do you use another system or program to record thoughts and then import them into TR? If so, what system(s)?
Sometimes a simple text editor, using the import thoughts.
I also paid for a membership, and with that you can e-mail thoughts. I find that quite useful.

10) Do you use the iCal synchronization? If so, with what program(s)?
No, but I'm interested. Currently Outlook rules my Calender world, because of corporate edict. It would be awesome to get that working, so the Today Action Screen would also include my Calender events.

11) How do you deal with things which could be done "whenever"? Are they ASAP, inactive, scheduled, etc.?
Definitely not scheduled. David Allen really pushed the idea of only schedule things that will die, if not done on that day. When I schedule actions that do not fit in that category, I often disappoint myself. So if it is important, then I make it ASAP. If it unimportant, I make it inactive. I then have my action items set up so I can see quick unimportant, low energy inactive items. So when I'm toast, I take a look. Hey maybe I should spend 15 minutes in TR forums.

That's brilliant, I think I will adopt that.

1) Do you mainly use TR for work, personal, or both?
Both - but because I work at a computer, it's open more at work.

2) Do you use just one data file or do you separate them?
One data file to rule them all.

3) What are you contexts? If the list is too long then some primary examples would suffice.
Agendas (to track who I need to talk to), Computer, Desk, Errands, Home, Media (to track videos and books I want to read/review), Office, Phone

4) What are your topics? For example do you use general topics like Work and Personal or do you have specific topics like Work - ClientName.
Career, Community, Finance, Fitness, Housekeeping, Personal Growth & Fun, Relationships, Spirituality. I find if I have tasks in all these topics, I'm living a fairly balanced life...

5) Are your projects highly hierarchical such as Work->Clients->ClientName->ProjectName->Subproject or is it more flat? If it is more flat do you organize it some other way, perhaps with topics, or do you just not need the extra logical levels?
Fairly flat - hierarchical if it needs to be.

6) What screen do you spend the most time in?
Actions! I hit F6 for thoughts constantly at work.

7) What options do you use for the review actions screen? Specifically do you like to only see ASAP items mainly or do you see everything but rely on sorting or colorization to differentiate?
I filter by context, action date <= today, and leave everything else in there.

Do you leave TR open all the time? If so do you minimize it?
I leave it open all the time and minimize it when I'm getting things done (TM).

9) Do you use another system or program to record thoughts and then import them into TR? If so, what system(s)?
If I'm not at my computer, I write things down into a notebook or whatever scrap of paper I have on me at the time, and then transfer them into ThinkingRock. I do have a paper calendar because I so often need it when I'm not at my PC.

10) Do you use the iCal synchronization? If so, with what program(s)?
No I do not. I synch up my paper calendar once a week and try to keep it up to date though.

11) How do you deal with things which could be done "whenever"? Are they ASAP, inactive, scheduled, etc.?
ASAP. I do have lots and lots of "routines" that I schedule and then make reoccurring, especially for housekeeping purposes.

1) Do you mainly use TR for work, personal, or both?
Currently I have TR at home and MLO at work. I'm still testing TR to see if does what I need to.

2) Do you use just one data file or do you separate them?
I had one MLO file for home and another for work. If I move to TR, it will still separate them.

3) What are you contexts? If the list is too long then some primary examples would suffice.
Standards like home, online, phone. But I also have contexts for my two kids and my wife. We have every different schedules, so when I work a late shift, I'm home but my kids aren't. Thus, the home context is not sufficient. I'm also the webmaster for a sports club and I have one context for the club for things that I need to deal with while I am there.
Here I would like the ability to either have multiple contexts or include one context in another. For example, the context for email, phone and online are included in the home context automatically. That is, when I am home, I can also be on online, send email or make a phone call. So when I have a list of just the home context, it also contains email and phone calls, for example.

4) What are your topics? For example do you use general topics like Work and Personal or do you have specific topics like Work - ClientName.
A mixture of both. I manage one website that has it's own topic, but then WebAdmin for all of the rest. My sports club has its own topic. I also have Personal, Finance, and separate topics for my Wife any my kids. I do tech writing, so I have a topic Publish.

5) Are your projects highly hierarchical such as Work->Clients->ClientName->ProjectName->Subproject or is it more flat? If it is more flat do you organize it some other way, perhaps with topics, or do you just not need the extra logical levels?
Somewhere in the middle. WebAdmin->SiteName->Subproject, Personal->Finance->Insurance, Personal->Home->CleanAttic. More than three levels and I start to loose my orientation.

6) What screen do you spend the most time in?
I just started using TR, but it seems like I have been and will spend more of my time in the Actions screen.

7) What options do you use for the review actions screen? Specifically do you like to only see ASAP items mainly or do you see everything but rely on sorting or colorization to differentiate?
I work with the ASAP actions and the rest I manage through the windows at the bottom of the screen.

Do you leave TR open all the time? If so do you minimize it?
Open

9) Do you use another system or program to record thoughts and then import them into TR? If so, what system(s)?
I would like to be able to send myself email or submit thoughts via a web form and be able to include more than just thought and topic, most importantly notes. To this end a nice API or documentation about the XML file format would be nice. I could then create my own script to parse the email or create my own web form.

10) Do you use the iCal synchronization? If so, with what program(s)?
not yet, but eventually I will. I currently use eGroupware.

11) How do you deal with things which could be done "whenever"? Are they ASAP, inactive, scheduled, etc.?
ASAP and inactive. ASAP are for those "whenever" tasks which I have decided to do in the near future. The inactive tasks are ones between "soon" and someday/maybe. I then make changes during my weekly review.

I think that's a valid concept about taking the two seconds. However, I have been thinking a lot about two minute tasks lately. I have loads of them that I have marked as inactive so that they do not show in the ASAP list. When I come home at 9PM I have little energy and sometimes even making the decision of how long a task will take or how much energy I need it simply to much. I want/need something to tell me what do to. So, If I have a list of all two minute tasks that require low or medium mental energy, I would get probably get more done as I am more inclined to simply read the list and "follow orders" as opposed to having to make the decisions.