One of my favorite things on OmniFocus are the Flags. OmniFocus allow you to put flags on Projects as well as in Actions. In my particular case, I only used Flags for Actions, but let me explain the concept as I understand it for Projects.
Using Flags for projects generate that all actions bellow that project contain the flag, if you are wishing to have a way to make the project or all their actions different or easier to filter, this may be a way to go. As you can see in the image bellow, when you flag the Project, all actions get flagged, therefore is you use a FLAG filter, all will show.
As I said, I don’t use flags for Projects, but I use them extensively for actions. I had said before that in the morning I do a review, every morning, and the first things I do is remove all the items with flags on it. In order to do that I open a the Flag Perspective, and if any item is there I just remove the flag. After all flags are removed, I begin my morning review. The morning review consist on read all the actions that I have on my list, and mark three to five actions with the respective flag. The result is a short list, of things that will show up on the different perspectives, because they are flagged.
Somedays after I review, I end up with more than five, I am not counting how many flags, I am just trying to set priorities on the day. When that happen, I just clean based on the final list and leave three to five. In the great days, those in witch I mark those flag items as complete, if the speed allow me, I go and do another mini review, and select more items to be flagged, other times, I just work on my lists based on the contexts. One of my favorite things of this method, is that I can consider my self successful when I finish those things that I mark on the morning, even if it’s only nine am, and can evaluate my day at the end of the night or the next morning when I didn’t finish.
Another trick I have learn is to be kind with myself, even if you mark three things, the day can go crazy, insane and in the opposite direction of your original plans, the cool thing with a complete system is that you can be sure that everything is captured, and even if you couldn’t accomplish anything on that list, you can build a new one the next morning and continue playing, for example if you mark three items, for witch context is @Office, and at nine in the morning you got the call that your kid is sick. Well you will pack the computer, go home and those items will not be done that day, even if you accomplish many more, those will be there in the morning, you just need to learn the difference between that, and procrastination.
The final trick, is to remember that the list is nothing else than that. You can go in the morning, mark three things and do other three in your list, and it’s fine, you make a different decision based on later feedback, and that happen, and it’s ok.
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