When a project is set to repeat, the new instance will contain exactly the actions listed at the point when the copy is made.
Often, I will have added actions to the project which I do not want to repeat.
For example, I have a project for a meeting. The first action is to call someone and make an appointment. I make the call and check off the task. However that person is unavailable this week, so I add another action to call them again next week. The next time this project repeats I don’t want to see two actions to make the same call, nor do I want to have any notes repeated.
I could make a template, which I copy manually every time I need to use it. However with dozens of such projects repeating at regular intervals, this does not seem efficient.
Has anyone else encountered this issue?
I understand your issue and have dealt with it as well. I recommend automating the templates a little more using Chris Suave’s script. That way, anything added after the repeat instance would have to get added manually to the template for it to show up again.
An alternative is to not have the project repeat, and duplicate it once completed, deleting the added one-off actions before setting the duplicate to a fresh, incomplete state.
Thanks. That’s very practical. Maybe I should take the view that repeating projects should be a rare breed. I’ll go with your last suggestion to repeat manually.
My suggestion for this specific case is this. First, define the task this way
- set meeting time [context: ☎️ contact]
When you make the first call and get a voice mail, set a defer and flag on the task. It will pop up again later as a reminder. Once the task is done, clear the flag and defer settings. Then, check it as complete.
You may have other tasks that are defined as “if-then-else” approaches. Rather than setting a new task in the “else” option, find other creative ways to handle the need. Keep you template clean at the point it is to repeat.
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JJW
Thanks DrJJWMac. That’s a very good suggestion.
I guess I need to keep in mind that any notes will get repeated with the project too.
