I have different ‘miscellaneous’ single action lists for tasks that are not really project based, divided into areas of responsibility (trying to follow GTD principles). So I have one for Work, one for Family, etc.
These multiple miscellaneous lists appear in the Review section, along with “proper” projects, but they don’t need a periodic review. Because they are not really a project.
I can’t find any way of marking a single action list project thingie as ‘do not review’? Is this even possible? Or is my OF workflow wrong?
If I don’t add an action to a project or a single action list, it stays in the Inbox, and I don’t want that either. I want my Inbox to be a place to review collected task thoughts.
not really an answer to your question, but why don’t you want to review single action lists? Personally I like to have a look at them during review, to ensure that all the tasks are still relevant.
If I don’t want to review something, my approach is just to set the review date to the year 3000. I don’t expect to see it on my review list ever again. (And if I do, well, maybe it’s worth reviewing at that point. :) )
@bruvik There’s all sorts of reasons. I have a SAL that is a grocery shopping list. I don’t want a time-based review on that list. I only need to review it when I am at the grocery store. I need a location-based review for that list, and OF does that well.
@kcase I’ve started to do that too, thanks to @Nick, but it does seem a silly workaround. A simple ‘Do not review’ checkbox in the ‘Review’ section of the project inspector would be more appropriate.
I find it useful to review all my lists at least occasionally, just to review “Is this list still useful?” Maybe I’ll realize that the grocery list should really be split into two, as I’m now shopping at both a regular grocery store and occasionally a warehouse store. Or maybe I’ll just see that it’s working quite well, mark it reviewed, and move on.
That’s cool @lizard. But it should be an option. I shouldn’t be forced into using OmniFocus the way you do, when a simple checkbox would allow us both to use it the way we want to. All other options are a kludge.
a simple checkbox would allow us both to use it the way we want to. All other options are a kludge.
I disagree. A checkbox is never simple, since each checkbox adds a little bit of clutter to the interface and makes the application harder to use. If there are easy and workable solutions available to problems of a few users, it is better not to add another configuration.
If it is just one checkbox for you, you’re correct. But I also want a checkbox for another feature, another user needs a drop down list… and before you realise it OmniFocus is more complicated than Microsoft Word.
I think we should differentiate between what is requested (ability somehow to mark a project as non-reviewable) and how (checkbox or other method). Let the Omni people figure out whether ti can be done, and the best way to do it
OF2 already has this (through the application of the review interval setting) as @kcase pointed out.
@ianjukes, I get what you’re saying, but why not just set your “do not review” projects to review rarely (every quarter or bi-annually) - or not at all? As Ken rightly points out, setting it to review again in Y3K is pretty much setting it to never review. I disagree that is a kludge. It is a legit setting, supported by OF2, and which easily satisfies your use case. It is a precise and revealing example of how the interval setting can be bent to meet many different use cases. No kludge there.
Another thought: If you are never reviewing a project, I’m not sure how compatible that is with GTD - but then again, perhaps that is not a priority with you. And that’s fine, no criticism is implied! :)
Anyhow, I’d prefer the OF2 dev team spend their efforts on other initiatives - such as resolving the obvious concerns with data density (just one example of higher priority concerns - there are others).
EDIT: I am editing this to point out that your idea of a “location based review” (in place of an interval based review) is terrific. I hope you submit it to ofpreview as a feature request. Great idea.
@mr_rique You can (kind of) do a location based review already. You can assign a location to a context, and then review all available tasks for that context.
I agree. Within the GTD methodology projects should be reviewed. But a Single Action List is not a project. That’s the point I’m trying to make. Therefore it does not need a review.
And therefore I personally think it is a kludge, because OG have equated Single Action Lists with non-sequential projects. Which they are not.
@ianjukes, thanks for the tip! Although I am not finding a way to associate a context with a location in OF2. Do I need to change a setting in System Preferences? TIA for any help!
I use OmniFocus for actioning events e.g. incoming Birthdays appear in my view which I then go and purchase presents etc. I very rarely want to action these for obvious reasons although setting 10 years in the future isn’t a huge bother.
