The problem with this approach is that it becomes difficult to distinguish between what’s actually due, and what you’d like to have accomplished by a specific date, even though it’s not technically due. It’s tempting to use due dates for things that you’d like to get done by a specific date, even though they’re not technically due on that date. Issue: Overwhelming Number of Overdue Items Overview You’ll find links to this book, as well as other books, articles and videos to support your GTD learning, in our GTD Resources page.Īlso check out our Best Practices for Naming OmniFocus Projects article ( Membership Required), an in-depth guide for naming projects and best actions.
OMNIFOCUS INBOX MANUAL
If you haven’t already, I recommend reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done book, which is essentially the manual for the Getting Things Done approach to productivity. For added clarity, consider including the names of single action “projects” in square brackets to clearly differentiate them from projects that have a specific destination. Unlike parallel and sequential projects, single actions lists don’t have a defined outcome and are instead used as a container for related one-off actions. Nibble’s contact information in the note field of this action. For added convenience, include a reference to Dr. Nibble to book an appointment” in a single action list called “”. For example, if the action is to book an appointment with your dentist, you could create an action such as “Phone: Dr. Store one-off actions that aren’t related to a specific outcome in single action lists. Next, define specific actions that will move you towards this outcome, using OmniFocus’ Groups feature to group related items, as needed. For projects, you might also want to consider including a checklist containing conditions that need to be satisfied before the project can be called complete (e.g. Consider adding a summary to the project’s note field that elaborates on the outcome (e.g. “Prepare for Board of Directors Meeting”). In keeping with GTD best practices, be specific when naming projects (e.g. There’s a tendency to feel stuck if your next actions and project outcomes aren’t clearly defined. I often see projects with names such as “Board of Directors” that don’t define the intended outcome and contain actions that are equally vague. Issue: Unclarified Projects and Actions Overviewĭavid Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology stresses the importance of clearly articulating actions and outcomes.
OMNIFOCUS INBOX MAC
Resourcesįor some specific suggestions on how and where to store non-actionable materials, check out the Best Practice: Make OmniFocus a Sacred Space article (Free) and the Integrating OmniFocus and Evernote on Mac & iOS video (Free). If you’re capturing on iOS, consider using the Drafts app to collect what has your attention, and only direct those items that are actionable to OmniFocus. OmniOutliner or Evernote) to minimize the number of items that end up in your OmniFocus inbox. Better yet, get into the habit of storing non-actionable things elsewhere (e.g.
If things like ideas and incomplete thoughts end up in your OmniFocus inbox, either take the time to clarify them before adding them to your OmniFocus library or, if they’re not actionable, store them elsewhere. I recommend that you reserve OmniFocus for projects and actions that you’re committed to completing and that you store ideas, project support material and incomplete thoughts elsewhere, referencing them from OmniFocus, as needed, to make sure that they’re not forgotten. OmniFocus quickly becomes unmanageable and concerns arise over important tasks and projects getting lost in the shuffle. Typically, the inbox is overflowing with everything from random thoughts to important commitments and projects contain a potpourri of actions, ideas and reference material.
The most common issue that I observe is people trying to use OmniFocus for too many things. Issue: OmniFocus Has Become a Dumping Ground Overview
OMNIFOCUS INBOX HOW TO
I’ve also included some suggestions on how to surmount these challenges or, better yet, avoid them in the first place. When people contact me for the first time they often compliment OmniFocus’ outstanding design, and quickly add that they don’t feel like they’re using it as effectively as they could be.īased on these experiences, here’s a synopsis of the the most common pitfalls that people tend to encounter when using OmniFocus. Did you start out using OmniFocus with a great deal of enthusiasm, but end up getting bogged down along the way?įor years I’ve had the privilege of providing OmniFocus coaching and consulting to people all over the world.
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