43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Dealing with fuzzy repeating tasks

Hey all, I'm relatively new to GTD, and I've run into a problem which my favorite search engine hasn't resulted in any completely satisfying answers for.

How do you guys capture repeating tasks that have relatively fuzzy intervals for getting done? Specifically, I'm not talking about things like paying bills with a fixed due date. My driving example of this problem right now is laundry. Immediately after I've done laundry, it doesn't need to be done, so it should definitely be removed from my next actions list. It needs to be added back on in a week or two, but I have a huge amount of flexibility in when I do laundry. (I have several loads worth of clothing, so once I get a load worth I have the option of doing laundry, but it's not imperative that it be done for another few weeks.)

So far, the best treatment of this problem I've found was a recommendation for Sciral Consistency or a feature of Entourage here at 43f, but I'd rather solve it with a process-based approach rather than another piece of software I'd have to interact with.

I'm thinking maybe I need to have the task sitting constantly on my Someday/Maybe list (or a new list) that I look at during each weekly review, and decide whether it needs to go on the list every week. Does anyone have a better system that they use?

TOPICS: Ask 43f
bob43's picture

Re: Dealing with fuzzy repeating tasks

In addition to a someday/maybe list, I also have a Templates list, and the latter is where I place actions I do repeatedly but which don't have a fixed time frame.

While I think reviewing lists is useful, in the case of things like laundry, I just let the need be the trigger for placing this kind of action into an active status, i.e., you notice the laundry baskets are full, or you've run out of clean clothes.

I haven't actually put laundry in my lists. When the basket(s) are full or I need clean clothes, I just take 2 minutes (i.e., just do it) to put them in the wash. Using a laundromat would be a different story.

Bob

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »