How exactly do you suggest using status and priority to indicate "context", Frank. I use priority to push things to the top of my task list on the BB and "deferred" to indicate items that I decided, while using the BB, belong in Someday/Maybe.
When I first started using the BlackBerry (after using a Palm for about 5 years), I found: 1. The Category feature of the BlackBerry was a pain. Assigning categories to tasks, changing categories, and looking at a context list were harder than on the Palm. 2. The status icon is going to show on the task list whether you want it or not. Ditto for the priority field. 3. I found that I really don't need that many contexts. (Office, Home, Somewhere else, and Waiting for Someone Else.)
The Status field seemed the perfect fit: Not Started=Office In Progress=Home Deferred=Errands Waiting For=Waiting For
A quick look at the task list shows me what items are to be done where. Also, the status field is easy to access on both the BB and Outlook.
I keep the BB sorted by due date. (To me, that seems to be the only practical way.) I sort Outlook the same way.
The more I use the BB, the less I really use the priority field. What is working best for me is "playing around" with due dates.
What I mean by that is this: I look at my task list and think in terms of tasks that will fit well together. Maybe I have five tasks that all involve talking to the same person. I may have several errands all to be run in the same part of town. I may have a dozen very quick "swatting mosquito" type items that I want to knock of all at one time.
I go through the list and re-assign due dates so that like items have the same due date. That puts like items together on the task list. Even though today is March 29, I will look through the list and change the due date to March 20 on a items I want to hit first thing, March 21 to another group, and so forth.
This procedure has helped more than anything else in keeping something from getting lost in the list. If something comes to mind that HAS to get done tomorrow, I can put it in the BB task list, assign a due date a couple of weeks in the past, and rest assured that it is going to be sitting at the top of the list (and when I sync with Outlook at the top of the list there as well).
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are finding some stuff you can use!
2 comments:
How exactly do you suggest using status and priority to indicate "context", Frank. I use priority to push things to the top of my task list on the BB and "deferred" to indicate items that I decided, while using the BB, belong in Someday/Maybe.
When I first started using the BlackBerry (after using a Palm for about 5 years), I found:
1. The Category feature of the BlackBerry was a pain. Assigning categories to tasks, changing categories, and looking at a context list were harder than on the Palm.
2. The status icon is going to show on the task list whether you want it or not. Ditto for the priority field.
3. I found that I really don't need that many contexts. (Office, Home, Somewhere else, and Waiting for Someone Else.)
The Status field seemed the perfect fit:
Not Started=Office
In Progress=Home
Deferred=Errands
Waiting For=Waiting For
A quick look at the task list shows me what items are to be done where. Also, the status field is easy to access on both the BB and Outlook.
I keep the BB sorted by due date. (To me, that seems to be the only practical way.) I sort Outlook the same way.
The more I use the BB, the less I really use the priority field. What is working best for me is "playing around" with due dates.
What I mean by that is this: I look at my task list and think in terms of tasks that will fit well together. Maybe I have five tasks that all involve talking to the same person. I may have several errands all to be run in the same part of town. I may have a dozen very quick "swatting mosquito" type items that I want to knock of all at one time.
I go through the list and re-assign due dates so that like items have the same due date. That puts like items together on the task list. Even though today is March 29, I will look through the list and change the due date to March 20 on a items I want to hit first thing, March 21 to another group, and so forth.
This procedure has helped more than anything else in keeping something from getting lost in the list. If something comes to mind that HAS to get done tomorrow, I can put it in the BB task list, assign a due date a couple of weeks in the past, and rest assured that it is going to be sitting at the top of the list (and when I sync with Outlook at the top of the list there as well).
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are finding some stuff you can use!
Frank
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