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Put in a New Context - Part III - Project and Actions Setup
Put in a New Context - Part II - The Agent
Put in a New Context - Part I - The Prototype
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2005
Put in a New Context - Part III - Project and Actions Setup 2/2/05 ::permalink::
Now that your new Finance Agent is ready to collect @Finance notes, you can create an @Finance context container in your input outline in the Personal Actions in Context container note. This will be for the one-off actions that don't constitute a project by themselves.
Create the note @Finance and fill in the OnAdd so that subsequent child notes will be properly attributed to the @Finance family and will be collected by the Finance Agent.
OnAdd: Prototype=*Finance; Importance=5
Similarly, you can create new finance projects in your Personal Projects and Objectives container. Because I have a number of projects, I created a Finance Objectives container note first. Each of the notes added to this container will be assigned to the Project prototype using OnAdd.
OnAdd: Prototype=*Project
Previously, one would then fill in each new project's OnAdd field separately so that the project's child notes would be properly assigned to the *Finance prototype.
But now I can pre-fill each projects OnAdd from the Finance Objectives note with a nested OnAdd.
OnAdd: OnAdd="Prototype=*Finance; Importance=5; "; Prototype=*Project
Each new project note will now be assigned to the *Project prototype and it's OnAdd will be pre-filled with Prototype=*Finance; Importance=5;.
To make things even more automatic, the prototype note for *Objectives has a common generic nested OnAdd statement that I can change when I create new Objective container notes and assign them to the *Objective prototype.
I use *Office because it is the context I am most likely to use when creating new objectives.
OnAdd: OnAdd="Prototype=*Office; Importance=5"; Prototype=*Project
Now when I add a new Objective assign to the *Objective prototype, OnAdd is pre-filled. I simply change Prototype=*Office to whatever context the projects will most likely use. This prototype will now cascade down from the Objective container note to the project and action notes within it.
Once it is set up, it's easy to use. New projects and actions will be automatically assigned to the *Finance prototype. And you can rest assured that your trusted system is capturing and displaying all your *Finance action items. All you have to do is get it done!
Put in a New Context - Part II - The Agent 2/2/05 ::permalink::
Each Context has an Agent that collects all the notes whose prototypes link to that Context. So the next step is to Create the new @Finance context agent in the appropriate parent note.
I separate my Personal and Professional Actions, and my Agents are similarly separated. Therefore, I created my new @Finance Agent in the Personal Actions container which contains all my personal action Agents: Menu/Note/Create Agent, brings up the Agent tool.
I supply the name @Finance, then copy and paste the query from another Context. Now the query is modified to collect the new Context Actions.
In the end, it should look something like this:
numbersigndescendedFrom(Personal)
&Completed=false&OnHold=false
&Action=true&Prototype=*Finance
all as a single line where numbersign (shift 3) is immediately before descended (see Tinderbox manual).
This query says that the Agent will collect notes contained within the Personal section of the project planning outline as defined by the #descendedFrom argument. It will also collect those notes which are not yet completed, not on-hold, and which are defined as action items. Finally, the agent will collect all those notes linked to the new prototype *Finance.
I use the Explorer View to enter and edit my new agent queries into the note portion of the view. This way, I can easily copy and paste the query of another agent and edit it as needed. I then paste the final product into the Query attribute of the new Agent. This is a useful when creating new customized attributes for Prototypes and leaves helpful footprints for future troubleshooting efforts.
Next post, we'll create new Finance Projects and Actions in the project planning portion of our outline and test out our new Context. Stay tuned.
Put in a New Context - Part I - The Prototype 2/2/05 ::permalink::
One way to define Context in the GTD sense is "a place you need to be, or something you need to have with you to be able to do that action". But I have found that context can also be about a consistent set of actions or projects surrounding a unified theme.
Take personal finances for example. Most of the actions and projects will happen in the @HomeOffice. But the specifics of personal finance have their own actions separate and distinct from most of the other actions that might take place in the @HomeOffice context.
So, while most of my @HomeOffice actions are finance related, I nevertheless transfered all tasks and projects having to do strictly with personal finances into their own context - @Finance. But first, I had to create the new Context -- a multistep process that begins with the creation of a new prototype.
I created the prototype *Finance within the parent container note Prototype and placed it in logical order beneath the *HomeOffice prototype. As is my habit, I used the singular form - "*Finance" making it easier to remember should I need to add the term manually to any note's attribute from within Explorer view. All my prototypes are written in the singular; *Item, Action, Project etc. You might also notice the notes named "-" which serves as handy-dandy separator in the prototype pulldowns of the note naming tool.
Next, I set up the various attributes for the *Finance prototype.
-IsPrototype=true; this provides for the inheritance of attributes for all the notes that link to this prototype note
-Prototype=Prototype; allows one to globally change the prototype notes if needed by linking to a prototype note called, yes; Prototype. It's a bit like a master style sheet. Change the color of the note Prototype and all the linked notes will change accordingly.
-OnAdd= Prototype=*Finance; the children of any @Finance notes that call *Finance their prototype note will also use the *Finance prototype automatically. Automation is good and I try to make as much happen automatically as I possibly can.
-Action=True; this is my standard GOTCHA! Because the agent will look for Action Items - notes where Action is true - it is essential that the prototype has Action=true. When your first test notes don't end up in the new agent, check the prototype to see that Action is true.
Now with the Prototype note set, all that needs to be done is set up the Agent to collect the new notes in their new Contexts. I'll break that down in Part II -- Ready Set Action!
Step by Step 2/2/05 ::permalink::
If you want to follow the creation and modification of a GTD template in a logical linear order, check out the "Step by Step GTD" page highlighted on the left sidebar. It's the same notes sorted in Normal Order. It was easy to set up, thanks to Tinderbox.
Attributes of a Tinderbox User 2/2/05 ::permalink::
User attributes, like system attributes, describe key features of each note. Here they are customized for GTD and include characteristics such as whether the note is actionable (Action=true), important (Important=10) and when an action item is due, if ever (Due=never). These attributes are also visible within the Explorer View and the values of these attributes are modified by the user during the Input and Creation process.
Here is a list of the user attributes and their purpose within the GTD template:
- Due - A completion date
- Importance - Agents sort actions based on Importance
- Action - Is it an action item?
- Repeating - Some actions are regular occurrences
- OnHold - Keep it in the project outline but removed from Agents
- Completed - Remove it from the Agents and mark for deletion during the Weekly review
These attributes are all used by various Agents to evaluate, collect, sort and mark the individual and project derived actions, displaying them in a context sensitive manner.
The values of these attributes are actively modified by the user in the Daily and Weekly Review as new actions and projects are defined, modified and completed. They are gatekeepers between the project outline and the action list and are another essential component to getting things done.
A System for Success 2/2/05 ::permalink::
Attributes are the detailed features of each note; everything from the color of the note to how a note will affect it's parents, sibling and children. Many of the key attributes are visible for each note in Explorer View. That visibility is controlled overall by the system attribute called KeyAttributes as well as by the selection of attributes for individual notes using the pulldown within the note region above the scrollbar.
Several system attributes are essential for GTD and are important in the Creation, and Input or Processing phase of the daily or weekly review. Creation is the customization you will do to transform this tool to meet your needs and Input is the daily or weekly management of projects and actions. Input and Processing is the construction of specific action items for a given project.
As an aside, remember, creation and input should be discreet and separate from the doing. It's all too easy to fall into the tinkering trap. This should be done during a daily or weekly Review that you schedule with a Repeating note in @Office.
System attributes include settings useful for the construction of new locations or Contexts. These contexts are assigned using a system attribute called Prototype. For the note which is the prototype note for a given context, such as *Office or *Darkroom, the attribute IsPrototype is set to true. This attribute is what allows Agents to collect and sort notes by context through a search that collects all notes which are linked to specific prototype notes. Those links are achieved through another system attribute called Prototype, where the name of the prototype note is supplied.
The organization and assignment of Contexts takes place in the main body of the outline. For instance, it is where @Office and @Darkroom will assign the appropriate prototype to new child notes through another key system attribute called OnAdd. OnAdd sets the Prototype attribute for the added note to reflect the appropriate context reflected by the parent of the new child.
In addition, now in Tinderbox 2.4 the newly added note may act on its parent, siblings or children through a new attribute called Rule. In other words, a note can act on other notes much as OnAdd, but in the reverse direction and, in some cases, with continuous effect.
The power that is built into Tinderbox derives in large part from the power of the attributes. Attributes add a critical dimension to the multidimensional world that is Tinderbox. Understanding how attributes work is one of the keys to harnessing that power.
A Document with a View 2/2/05 ::permalink::
One of the powerful features of Tinderbox is is the ability to enlist different Views for navigation and modification of your document. Importantly for Getting Things Done, these Views can work together or independently, depending on the View. This allows one to separate Project input from Action output so that you can work with uninterrupted flow. You can always move to a more appropriate View to see a particular note in context or modify the note as needed.
What you do to a note in a particular window all depends on your point of View.
I keep five Views open at all times:
- Outline:Professional Agents
- Outline:Due Today and Past Due
- Outline:Repeating Projects
- Outline:GTD Rules Template (collapsed outline serving as index)
- Explorer View (fully expanded)
I'll go into more detail soon about where in the outline these Views come from.
In the meantime, I use Expose to reveal all the Views, which are labeled for quick selection. Then, depending on whether I'm in Input mode or Output mode, I select my next action, or navigate to Explorer View with a quick Select, Spacebar, and Command R sequence.
Though it may seem like a lot of windows, when you are in the flow, your next action item is clearly presented in one of three Outline Views; Due Today and Past Due, Professional Agents, or Repeating Projects. When it's time for your daily or weekly review, the GTD Rules Template and Explorer View are open for finding, inputing and organizing your projects and actions. In time and with the help of Expose, moving between Views becomes an effortless part of GTD with Tinderbox.
Tinderbox - In Color 1/31/05 ::permalink::
When I was very young, there was a TV show called "The Invaders". It was notable for the underlying theme of Communist infiltration but the thing I remember the most was the announcer proudly declaring that the show was "IN COLOR"! This was important for all the red glowing effects that dominated scenes highlighting the threat of the invading aliens.
Well now it can be told. Tinderbox outlines are IN COLOR! The color extends beyond the color of the note in map view to include the text. This is yet another way to convey additional information in an information rich outline view.
Color can be applied manually, or automatically through the action of agents. I use color to mark notes that meet specific Due date criteria. It is valuable addition and helps me quickly identify critical action items.
Still Getting Things Done 1/24/05 ::permalink::
Originally, *protoTyping was just my development site where I learned how to use Tinderbox to build my own personal weblog. Eventually, I reached a point where the site met my needs and "The Fridgedoor" was born.
A short while later, I began exploring David Allen's classic "Getting Things Done". Tinderbox was perfect for Allen's task management approach where Action Items could be displayed simultaneously in outlines or in windows indicating the context of the actions.
Time is precious and *protoTyping had served it's purpose. My weblog was working independently and I was Getting Things Done with Tinderbox. It's been over a year since I posted to *protoTyping and the cobwebs prove it. I've made a few changes to both the Fridgedoor and to my GTD document and now they just work for me. No prototyping needed. Everything has been cruising along just fine.
Or so I thought. Then I stumbled across a post about personal productivity on kuro5hin.org. Suddenly, without warning, I have been galvanized and my efforts to Get Things Done has been elevated to a new level. And for some strange reason, I feel compelled to share my discovery. Perhaps it's something about giving back to the community that inspired me. Perhaps it's a need to cement these new productivity principles into my workflow. Perhaps it's unrealistically optimistic to think that I even have the time to convey my new discoveries. In any case, I'm going to try.
But it will take a little time. Because I have to start at the beginning. I have to start by describing how I use Tinderbox to Get Things Done. And it's a little bit more complicated than keeping a To Do list on a yellow pad. So bear with me.
While I'm at it, I'll be working to clear out some of these cobwebs too.
A Shed with a View
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Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal
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