Ask the Readers: What happens to “Do it Now” Actions?

I'll start with my thoughts

I don't really do this now, but I would probably look at my complete actions if I had the chance. Sometimes what has been done can trigger a useful action that still needs to be done. When in the middle of org-fu battle sometimes its easy to forget to next action something.

So in my ideal world I'd like to have the option to attach the completed action to a project, then go back and add a second action for that piece of stuff . So forth and so on.

If the stuff doesn't belong to a project, I just junk the stuff. If it won't provide value later, why keep it?

If the stuff is just the shell after you've eaten the peanut (to use Merlin's phrasing), throw it away. If it serves some reference or other purpose, it needs to be filed. If you just need to keep a record that you did the action, perhaps a log such as Matt Cornell's Big Arse Text File, the Backpack Journal, or a Moleskine notebook is in order. And if in doubt, throw it out.

Thanks, Jaimie. So it sounds like the your answer is “maybe/depends” to all four points? With a heavy leaning to junk it!

I'm wondering how often actions actually deserve being kept?

I definitely lean toward junking it. If it's a one-off task, I say junk the trigger. Even if it's project related, unless there's some valuable info in the stuff, I can't see keeping it. If you just need to keep a record of having completed the item, a simple date next to the action in the list should suffice.

I think moreso than “maybe/depends” my answer is that if it's not immediately obvious that I should keep something (for instance my tax returns after completing the taxes) then I throw it out. I don't keep my utility bills after I pay them. I don't keep my shopping list after I go to the store. (Nevermind that it's on Backpack.) I don't keep my syllabi after the school semester is over. Each of those should be immediately obvious as to whether the artifact should be kept or not.

If you're not sure, a good exercise is to get a banker's box and anything that you aren't sure of, put it in there. Every time you retrieve something out of that box, refile it in a second banker's box. After six weeks or six months or some other suitable amount of time you should have two banker's boxes, one more full than the next. If you're too liberal in throwing things out, your second box will be more full. If you're too conservative, the first will be more full. Throw out whatever is in the first box. You haven't needed it by now, you're likely not going to. In addition, you should have some real experience that will help you make better choices about what to keep and what to throw out.

That's great. Really it's a tough to say. But I've to think about it. After doing the action, how do you handle the piece of stuff and the action that was just processed & done? Anyway thanks for sharing this in your post with us.

Cross it off and forget about it. Unless you use a digital system with the facility to search and duplicate a task.

Hi Dan, Thanks for the opinion.

Lets suppose you do use a digital system. Is it worth 2 clicks and maybe a few keystrokes per action to attach to a project/file it?

For me, if it can be truly done in the 2 minutes, it gets axed and never visited again. On the other hand, if it does create further actions that need to be performed, I scope those out and get them into my system. At this point I delete the item, but I rarely empty my email trash bin so I guess I do keep a fail safe in there.

I am also using Evenote for some of my archival so I might keep it in there if it is informational. If not, I just axe it!