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No obvious next action

This has been bugging me for some time.

Let's say my project is "Stop drinking coffee"
What is the next action? Not drinking coffee? This
is hardly an action. Not drinking coffee for one day?
Again, it is too long to be an action and it is more
not acting than acting.

There are several of those projects where I do not
find actions and those are the ones that do not get done.
Other example : Changing my diet.
Or one as simple as "shave everyday". Next action? Shave tomorrow?

Maybe I'm missing something. Thanks for your help.

Todd V's picture

re: Ambiguous Next Action

This is something you need to be reminded about but may not necessarily have a next action. The next action may just be reminding yourself about this on a more frequent basis.

If you have a digital implementation, put it onto a calendar and set an alarm to automatically email you or pop a window up periodically to remind you of this goal.

If you have a paper implemenation, put it on your next actions list and just know that this is where you will be reminded of it even though there is no next action connected with it.

Berko is right about the higher levels connected with this goal as well. There is more vertical thinking that needs to be done. Answering the question why you want to stop drinking coffee will no doubt make you aware of higher level outcomes and goals related to this desire of yours. And those higher level outcomes will have projects and next actions that need to be taken with them.

But it is good to recognize that not drinking coffee is something you need to be reminded about more than it is something you need to do. So it's really a question of where in your system it is best to remind you about it -- and how often you need to be reminded about it. Wherever that place and frequency fits the best is the place where that item should go.

Hope that helps.

 
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