Tips & Tricks Tuesday: Use a "Tickler" list to organize your upcoming tasks
Keeping organized with GTD can really help focus on what you can do, but another aspect is keeping track of upcoming and “anytime” tasks with a “tickler” list. This week’s tip is shared by sunilgtder and focuses on keeping track of those tasks that don’t need a due date without letting them go ignored.
I use a “Tickler” Smart List to keep all the tasks with future start dates (tomorrow onwards).
• Tasks with start date but no due date (tasks which can be deferred or scheduled for the future).
• Tasks with start date and due date. (I always assign a start date for a task with a due date. It provides me with a heads up, and enough preparation and planning time. I assign the start date one week before the due date.)
Query for the “Tickler” list:startAfter:Today
On the day of the start date, these tasks will be moved to another Smart List “Today*”. Based on my daily review, either:
• I assign a focus tag “star” to do the task if I need to complete the task as soon as possible, or
• I remove the start date so that it goes to another Smart List of actions “Anytime”, or
• I postpone the task by changing the start date to a future date if I think no action is required in the near future.
This way, the “Tickler” Smart List helps me not to worry about future tasks because it moves these tasks to my focus list “Today*” at the right time when my attention is required.
Following is my set up for the Smart Lists “Today*” and “Anytime”:
Query for “Today*”:tag:star OR dueBefore:tomorrow OR start:today
Tasks falling under the following categories will be listed here:
• Tasks due today (my tasks, waiting for tasks)
• Tasks overdue
• Tasks with tag “star” (these are focus tasks chosen from Smart List “Anytime”)
• Tasks start today (from Smart List “Tickler” for review and further planning)
Query for “Anytime”:not tag:someday and start:never and due:never
Tasks falling under the following category will be listed here:
• Tasks without start date and without due date
Thanks for sharing this tip, sunilgtder! You’re our Tips & Tricks Tuesday winner this week.
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