Incubator - any life element without a next action (e.g. deferred, someday maybe, fallow project, undefined work, a role focus project activity person place thing ? ~ - * & @ + that is not actionable right now)

When an incubator pops up, you don't have an action to which you can apply the 2-minute rule or do it/drop it/delegate it. You can't switch contexts. You can't defer it. It just stares at you. You have to think.

In Lifescripting, you have to further define this element or advance it.

To further define the element, update the body of the element in ANY way, whether you actually decide on some concrete actions that need to be taken, incorporate more life elements into this element, or change the discussion or supporting materials sections. If you update the body AT ALL, advance the element either 1 or 7 days. Do not advance it further.

If you do nothing to the body of the element, then advance the element either 2, 7, 30, 90, or 270 days. If you only advance it 2 or 7 days, then you are treating the element as "front burner." Advancing the element 30+ days is treating the element as "back burner."

A front burner advance can be done with no admin. Just change the date field.

Back burner advances require a flag (single apostrophe). To do a back burner advance, advance it 30/90/270 days according to flag level ('/''/''') or increment/decrement the flag level and then advance.

Once an element comes due that already has three flags (that means you advanced it 270 days ago), you can kill it and declare it out of your life. Alternately, you could advance it 270 days again. Alternately, you could decrement to two flags and advance it 90 days.

Here's an example:
*.paint my masterpiece.^ comes due 9/19/06. It has no next action and you don't think you'll actually be working this anytime soon so you give it its first flag and advance 30 days.
Now, *'.paint my masterpiece.^ comes due 10/19/06. You add "[] buy a paintbrush" to the body, change status to "buying paintbrush", and advance it to tomorrow.
*'.paint my masterpiece.^ comes due 10/20/06. Today you buy the paintbrush, update the body "[x] buy a paintbrush", change status to "incubating", and advance it 7 days.
*'.paint my masterpiece.^ comes due 10/27/06. You're not feeling it so you increment the flag and advance 90 days.
*''.paint my masterpiece.^ comes due 1/27/07. A month from now you'll have time for this so you decrement the flag and advance 30 days.

NOTE: Although activities are usually defined by a recurring action, you may be in a season of life where that activity lies dormant; apply rules above instead of taking periodic action. An example would be "7.mow lawn" in northern climes. Make it "7'.mow lawn" to kick it through the winter. Take the flag away when the spring thaw comes and start mowing again at the usual periodicity.