Using Bonsai with Getting Things Done: Capturing and Processing

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Using the Outline: Capturing and Processing

When anything comes into my system, I set the filter to 1.1 Processing and enter it directly under the top Processing item. This allows me to make sure I can assign a category and keywords before I move it into the working outlines. Items are either entered into Slap on my handheld, or captured from either my web browser or my on-line notebook. I copy and paste everything in rather than re-entering the text.

Capturing

Here is an example of a recent capture:

1. Give birthday dinner for Rosa
2. Schedule blog writing for SimpleProductivityBlog
3. Review ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’
4. Have filling looked at
5. Buy tickets for trip home
6. Make a bee nesting block–http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,1038908,00.html
7. Mail children’s artwork to grandma

Notice that each of these items is phrased in a way that the end result is part of the task itself.

The last item is directly from del.icio.us. When I come across things I want to take action on, I bookmark it to del.icio.us under the tag @Action and put the action plus the URL in the notes. That way I can quickly copy/paste one line from the browser into Bonsai. After I make the initial paste, I remove the URL and put it in the notes

Processing

Using the first set of filters (1.x), I go through my items.

1.2 Unfiled

Using this filter, I set a category for each item in the processing. I ask, “Is this a single next action (SNA)? Does it have more than one action, and would be classified as a project? Is this something I want to do now, someday, or perhaps never?” Referencing the above list, these are the categories selected:

1. Give birthday dinner for Rosa –> Project; this must be done in the next few weeks and consists of more than one action to bring it to completion.
2. Schedule blog writing for SimpleProductivityBlog –> Project; this has no end date but will give me significant benefits
3. Review ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ –> Someday; I want to review this for the blog, but I don’t want to do it right now
4. Have filling looked at –> Project; this one should be done ASAP.
5. Buy tickets for trip home –> This is actually a NA for a larger project, which is “Visit Parents”. I will change the item and list Buy Tickets as a sub-item.
6. Make a bee nesting block–> This is a maybe. It’s a nice idea, but I don’t know that I want to do it for sure.
7. Mail children’s artwork to grandma –> This is a single next action that is an Errand

1.3 Need Keywords

Next I switch over to the keywords view, and decide to which Area of Focus each of these items belongs. Even if an item is a someday or maybe, I still put in the keyword, since my Someday/Maybe first level item has everything underneath it filed under my Areas Of Focus. I also tag SNAs here.

Remember that if you put in your keywords by right-clicking in a keywords column, as soon as you select the first keyword, the item will disappear from the filter. A better way to approach items where you need to add multiple keywords is to go do the Details screen and enter from there.

1. Give birthday dinner for Rosa –> Family
2. Schedule blog writing for SimpleProductivityBlog –>Work
3. Review ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ –>Work
4. Have filling looked at –>Physical
5. Visit Parents –>Family
6. Make a bee nesting block –>Home
7. Mail children’s artwork to grandma –> Family, SNA

1.4 AOF Filing

This first level of filing takes care of the projects. I fire up this filter, then sort those items under the Processing level by Keyword. I then set the outline to display level 2 items, and start copying cutting branches (Ctrl+B) and pasting (Ctrl+Y).

1.5 AOF Filing (SNA)

This level catches the SNAs that need to be moved. I generally don’t have SNAs in the Someday/Maybe area.

1.6 Completed SNA

This filter shows me the completed items flagged as SNA. I then copy and paste them into the Completed Outline (which is stored only on my computer) if I am at my PC, or into the CompletedTransfer outline on the PDA.

I use this filter to thin out the list. I like to know when I have done things, but I don’t want that clouding my outline or bulking up my file size.

1.7 Completed Projects

This works just like the completed SNA.