Comments on: Tip of the Week: Try Listing Problems Instead of Next Actions http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/ Fri, 25 May 2012 04:51:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Patrick Allmond http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58560 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 12:55:40 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58560 Boy I am a day late and dollar short.

The only thing I’d suggest is a change in terminology. Problems will tend to put a negative spin on things for you and those you work with. Instead try using the words “challenge” or “issue”. It will still apply to software and most other subjects as well. It may seem trivial but the actual words you use will affect your attitude when working with the item.

Patrick

]]> By: My Get Things Done List » Blog Archive » Problems or actions, it's still a list [What's the next action] http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58559 Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:04:15 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58559 [...] Daily published an interesting article. A programmer decided he would not list his next actions but his problems. While reading the [...]

]]> By: Listing Problems Instead of Next Actions http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58558 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:03:02 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58558 [...] at Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Tip of the Week: Try Listing Problems Instead of Next Actions «, the question is asked, “can this be applied to more than just [...]

]]> By: Padraig O'Morain http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58557 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:47:02 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58557 A value I can see to this approach is that I think I sometimes put off doing next actions because at some level I’m hung up about the problem it’s meant to solve. By making the problems explicit I might be able to stop fooling myself. I’ll try this and let you know how I get on!

]]> By: Matthew Cornell http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58556 Mon, 14 May 2007 12:26:39 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58556 Nice article. I’ve been thinking about how lean programming techniques merge with GTD, and the idea of early vs. late decisions is interesting. On the one hand, deciding action when things show up is a very deep central concept in GTD. On the other hand, putting off excessive project planning is also there…

Regarding problems, you’ve probably heard that “every problem should be a project” – see Why every problem should be a GTD project.

]]> By: Productivity links for May 8th http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58555 Wed, 09 May 2007 00:30:32 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58555 [...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Tip of the Week: Try Listing Problems Instead of Next Actions … – “Postponing decisions on what action to take allows you to optimize the action at the time you do it.” [...]

]]> By: links for 2007-05-08 http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58554 Tue, 08 May 2007 07:20:41 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58554 [...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Tip of the Week: Try Listing Problems Instead of Next Actions « “Postponing decisions on what action to take allows you to optimize the action at the time you do it.” (tags: GTD lifehacks organization productivity self-improvement) [...]

]]> By: Paul Veltman http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58553 Tue, 01 May 2007 21:40:05 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58553 I like the idea of keeping a list of problems, but would not throw away the ‘Next Actions’ list yet.

The ‘Next Actions’ are a list of thought-through actions designed to solve problems. All the thinking has been done, and the widgets just need to be cranked.

To replace this with a list of problems which still need to be solved or thought about seems to undo the usefulness of this approach, and might be better described as ‘Getting Things Thunk About’ rather than ‘ Getting Things Done’.

One is geared towards Action, the other geared towards Purpose and Direction.

These need to be kept distinct, and as previous commentators have said, the Weekly Review of the ‘Projects’ list already provides room for this thinking and processing.

PV

]]> By: raincoaster http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58552 Tue, 01 May 2007 09:44:36 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58552 Actually, it’s a damn useful perspective shift, moving from “next action” to “next issue to face.” I teach personal growth courses to people in crisis, and circumstances change for them so quickly that sometimes the identified next action is impossible or inappropriate by the time it’s supposed to happen.

Hey, for grocery lists for those on a tight budget, it makes no sense to write “go to store” but it makes plenty of sense to write “need breakfast cereal, entrees, milk for a week…” then buy what’s on sale instead of specifics you stuck on there days ago. This is the kind of flexibility that the shift can provide.

]]> By: Richard http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58551 Tue, 01 May 2007 04:07:53 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/30/tip-of-the-week-try-listing-problems-instead-of-next-actions/#comment-58551 As a programmer myself, I kinda combine the methods. Initially, I’ll tag an action with “bug” or “feature” in my list, and then when it’s closer to being worked on I’ll change it to an action, if I have a specific solution in mind.

Also, those bugs etc really don’t need contexts…I’m fairly sure I know where I’ll be when I do them ;)

]]>