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says:All,
Lots of subtask talk round here! Tags can solve everything!
In my "Outcomes sought" list I have an entry called:
"p001 - RTM Annual Fee waved for 2010"
This entry has a tag of "001", as you may have inferred already.
My "Next Actions" list has these relevant entries:
"n001 -1- Document procedures for creating subtasks in RTM"
"n001 -2- Post these procedures on RTM forum"
"n001 -3- Pray emily gives me a free 12 months of RTM"
All of these entries have a tag of "001", among other context tags.
Simply click on 001 in your tag cloud to see the "project plan".
FYI. my weekly review consists of clicking each of these #'s to ensure there is at least 1 next action assigned.
Hope this helps! Well actually, I hope this encourages people into RTM that require "subtask" functionality.
Posted at 11:32pm on April 6, 2009
says:Nice. I like this approach. So, the first project is 001 tagged, the next 002, and so forth, capable of up to 999? "p" for project, and "n" for next action?
Posted at 3:09am on April 13, 2009
I like how you do it, I use a similar method.
Posted at 11:51am on April 13, 2009
I like how you do it, I use a similar method.
Posted at 11:52am on April 13, 2009
says:Just a question, before I try it out myself. What is the actual purpose of the p001 and n001 prefixes? Is it purely for sorting? Wouldn't a tag of "project" or "next action" along with the "001" tag do the same thing?
Posted at 10:07pm on April 13, 2009
says:dan.julian: You got it! p - project, n - next action. Helps you identify projects. vs. next actions when you do the smart search using the project # in the tags filed.
vjcamarena: care to share?!
ajcooper: Yes, but it would be hard to identify what is a project or next action if you used the tags only. Try it out to see what I mean.
Posted at 1:43am on April 14, 2009
says:@mark.thomsen - I can see that would be a problem, hadn't thought of it that way (hadn't finished my coffee).
Posted at 1:57am on April 14, 2009
oh, ok. For my projects I use tags (same as you) but
-I dont have an "outcomes sought" list -the smartlist titles serve me, though I like the idea.
-I do not follow a prefixing convention. I tag, date and prioritise everything, and then I look at what I have to do in a smartlist (several actually: one for when I'm at the university, one at home, etc) based on that values. (May not be efficient for everyone... but I love it!)
Posted at 10:25pm on April 14, 2009
says:vjcamarenea, if smart lists work for you, regardless of their efficiency, then the solution works! :-) I'm constantly changing my setup, but the prefixing has remained through several changes thus far. Will keep all of you updated as time passes.
Posted at 4:26am on April 15, 2009
says:oh yeah, I also use smartlists to filter based on my tags. I just created the outcomes sought and next actions lists so I have clean lines/boundaries between the two.
Posted at 4:27am on April 15, 2009
says:I like this system. Sometimes I prefere to use a character to dictate if a task is part of a project like the plus character + and then add the name of the project after it +example-project.
Posted at 3:30pm on April 15, 2009
says:Thank you for this approach Mark. Unless I'm missing something, it seems to me that you would not even need to have a numeric assignment for projects and next steps. Maybe you were just using p001 & n001 as examples.
Couldn't one use descriptive names instead? Using your example above, it could just as easily be:
p-RTM_Fee_Waiver RTM Annual Fee waved for 2010
n-RTM_Fee_Waiver -1- Document procedures for creating subtasks
n-RTM _Fee_Waiver -2- Post these procedures on RTM forum
n-RTM_Fee_Waiver -3- Pray emily gives me a free 12 months of RTM
And tag everything with "RTM_Fee_Waiver"...that way you don't have to remember which number goes with which project in the tabs. Just a thought.
Thank you for making this contribution.
Posted at 3:08pm on April 20, 2009
says:Seems that tagging tasks belonging to a project with the project name "+project" remains the single best and easiest way to use RTM ofr project-management. And I must say; it does the trick just fine.
Posted at 6:20am on May 6, 2009
says:John.e.hess - That's another great way to do it! Personally, I like to have my projects list separate from my next actions list. Bias to David Allen, I know.
Sometimes entries in my "Outcomes Sought" list are also much longer than a few words that I can prepend to each next action task. So for example, my outcome sought/project name is: "License for software baseline identified and procured". Taking your approach, as I understand it, I would have to append that lengthy project name to each next action. So instead, I just assigned a code to each outcome/project. Simply clicking the #code will list all tasks associated with that project.
Mats.kirknes - i believe my response plays to your point as well. If not, help me understand by provide an example?
Posted at 2:06pm on May 6, 2009
says:To finish my post..
So by creating a code for the project name, I append ### instead of "License for Software baseline identified and procured". It's easier and faster, in my world that is.
Posted at 2:14pm on May 6, 2009
says:Great idea. I'll have to try out the number codes for projects. I especially like the number prefixes (like n001-1) for task names, because this gets them sorted in the list nicely.
Just to share my current solution for the GTD project/next action problem: I use priority 1 (orange) to mark projects. I don't need 4 levels of priority anyway. This makes projects a different color from next actions of any priority, and puts them at the top of each list. My projects list is then just a smart list for priority 1.
If projects are more complex and require more subdivision, then it gets it own list. In my system, tags are mainly for contexts.
I'm going to give the number system a try though, or maybe think about a combination of the two.
Posted at 1:28am on May 9, 2009
says:bubbles68 - let me know how the combination of the two systems work out. I'm always open to blowing up my current system so I can evolve it!
Posted at 7:51pm on May 9, 2009
says:mark.thomsen - if I have three projects I manage; I make them available on various smartlists using tags, such as "+sunflower", "+orchid", and "+tulip".
Now I can keep track of the projects individually, as well as having my complete timeline available.
Some projects are routine production though, so I do as bubble68 describes, using the beginning of the task name (as "01-1" og "step1 a") as the list sorts alphabetically . This comes in addition to tags though.
Posted at 6:58am on May 13, 2009
Seems like a lot of trouble to work around that sub-tasks aren't implemented. It would make life a lot easier if they were just built in.
I am beginning to realise they are frowned upon by the developers, just like folders in gmail, so may have to go elsewhere. I do like RTM a lot otherwise though.
Posted at 10:40am on September 2, 2009
says:sorry to see you go iain. RTM is the best list management tool out there, as that's no only me saying that. Checkout lifehacker and slate - both very reliable and credible sources.
Also, RTM is going to be receiving some new functionality very soon, so maybe you should hang out for a bit ;-)
Posted at 3:47pm on September 2, 2009
My Project Management system (subtasks) is still evolving. I've looked at other's ideas and have been stealing shamelessly. A basic need for any system of mine is to minimize typing (I'm a slow and inaccurate typist). Originally, I had long project titles like some of you that had to be typed each time I created a new task. So I've replaced that with a project tag, so I only have to type the first few characters in the tag field until the project I want autoselects, then hit enter. The project tag actually consists of several codes, The first is "pr" which tells me it's a project. Then there are 3 letters to ID the project itself. My current major project is revising a spreadsheet called the Contact Visit spreadsheet, so the code for that is "CVS". Finally, the current subproject I'm working on is adding a new category of contact, so the subproject code is "NewCat". So the tag for this subproject effort is "prcvsnewcat".
I also have a smartlist for each project. My project smartlists all start with "z" to put their tabs together near the end of my tabs. (I also have a "zzz" list to mimic start dates as originally described by Rojan elsewhere in these forums and a tab labeled "~Check" which is the last tab and also "stolen" from someone in these forums to look for tasks I may not have labeled and taggede correctly). So my list for this project/subproject is "zprCVSNetCat". When I add a new task to a project, I select that project's tab, then hit "t" to create the task and enter the task description, which I also try to keep brief but descriptive.
When I enter it, the appropriate tag is automatically assiged, saving even more typing. I then add any other tags needed and assign a priority and a due date. And there you go. So far, it seems to be working.
If anyone has any ideas on how to improve it, let me know. It's neat that RTM is so flexible so we can have different systems to suit our individual needs. And when new features come out, we can adjust to take advantage. Works for me!
Posted at 4:25pm on September 4, 2009
The best way would be that subtasks are added in the system. I will not star to use RTM before that happens even if the rest looks great.
Posted at 3:51pm on September 26, 2009
says:Well, if we are talking about better PM using RTM, then actual subtasks support would be really handy. Mainly because with project one might want to create multi-level subtasks. This could become too time consuming if we were to use tags and/or prefixes.
On the other hand if you just need to group tasks into flat project lists, it is sensible to create an RTM list per project and then to use smart lists to create task lists from mixed projects using contexts. Lists can be archived once the project is over which makes perfect sense.
Just a thought (and that's what I do)...
Posted at 12:33pm on September 27, 2009
All these suggestions are very labor-intensive and clunky, forcing RTM to do something it really isn't designed to do. Hierarchical task managers (My Life Organized was my favorite) have this set up as part of their design. MLO let you identify projects, tasks, subtasks, etc, and had an easy preference selection "complete tasks in order" so that in a filtered task view (all @Work next actions, for example) you'd see the first task for each project. As you checked off a task, the next task would automatically appear - no constant review of lists required, no laborious & awkward numbering and tagging schemes. I switched to RTM because of easy gmail integration, web access, and the iPhone app. There are a lot of things I like about RTM and I do support it as a pro user. But if MLO gets some of those features, I'll be switching back. Managing my tasks and projects just shouldn't be this hard!
Posted at 6:02pm on October 1, 2009
says:Amanda, I understand your concern, but my methodology works for me In fact, if RTM implemented sub-tasks, I may not use it because I've streamlined my methodology so much with the approach listed above. That's the great thing about RTM - the ability to customize any way you want! Sub-tasks may come along one day. The Smart-Add stuff rocks and is very valuable. Goes to show the development team knows what's important to the greatest # of users.
Posted at 1:38am on October 2, 2009
says:Hey there,
one simple way to to this is, instead of treating sub-tasks as special, you treat the project and the project steps (or milestones) as special.
This way you divide your project in smaller tasks that can be checked of and don't lose track of the rest.
I create a new tag for each project I have (nothing new there), but I name the tag starting with + (important), - (not important), _ (on hold) to group them on the tag cloud.
Projects have also one task that names the project (with the # prefix) and a due date.
Project steps (or milestones) follow the same idea, with naming and due date, inly the prefix here is ##.
This way you can quickly list "sub-tasks" of a project and "assign it" to a step (or milestone) using the due date, wich makes sense if your steps are sequential.
If they are not, they you can pretent they are as a workaround, setting arbitrary due dates to the steps just to group them.
Well, that's pretty much it, any comments, ideas?
Posted at 2:52pm on October 23, 2009
says:sub tasks please.
Posted at 5:43am on October 24, 2009
says:subtask please ;) !!!
Posted at 3:10pm on November 2, 2009
