Creating flow with OmniFocus

Volume 1
	Acknowledgements
	Foreword
	Welcome
	Versions & Applications
	Other OmniFocus Resources
	Beyond Creating Flow
	A Note on Getting Things Done (GTD)
	A Trusted System
	Building Trust
	Setting The Omni Sync Server
	OmniFocus Backup Exercise
	Aligning Preferences
	Outlining
	Setting Quick Entry Preferences
	Setting Clean up preferences
	Groceries Example
	Setting The Same View
	Use The Quick Entry Window To Enter A Task
	Create An Additional Project
	Organizing By Tag
	The Mind & Task Management
	What Do We Want A Task Manager To Do?
	The Core Principle of Task Management
	Today & Study
	Diving In
	A Quick Today View
	Applying Flags
	A First Study Project
	Last Introductory Notes
	Learn Key Commands
	A Note on Simplicity
	One More Project
Volume 2
	General Layout
	View Modes And Layout
	Layout Overview In Project Mode
	Four Columns
	Navigating Selections Between Panes
	Outlining - Part 1 - Projects & Tasks
	The Importance Of Understanding Project Anatomy
	A Routine Project
	Defining Projects & Actions
	Creating a Project
	Naming And Re-Naming
	Project Anatomy
	Special Comment On The Note Field
	Project States
	Task Anatomy
	Simplifying the View
	Developing the Routine Project
	Preferences going forward
	Storage, Reference, and other Files
	The Note Field
	Managing Documents
	Using iCloud files
	Adjunctive Programs
	Writing & Completing Tasks
	Practice Writing Strong Tasks
	Breaking Down Tasks
	Marking A Task As Complete
	Caution When Marking Complete
	Mind Mapping & OmniFocus
	A Settled System - Part 1
	Settling the System - Part 1
	Outlining - Part 2 - Filters
	Keeping Tasks From View
	Creating Sub-Tasks
	Creating a List
	Other Methods For Grouping Tasks
	Types Of Tasks
	Filtering Tasks
	Next Action And Simple Prioritization
	Ordering Tasks
	Filters And Completing Tasks
	Clean Up
	Clean Up
	A Brief Note On Undo
	Complete with last action
	Completing A Project
	Moving on ...
	Time
	Overview
	Introduction
	Defer Dates
	A Simple Due Date
	Estimated Duration
	Time & Reminder Preferences
	Notifications on the phone
	Additional apps
	The Forecast Perspective
	Cautions with Reminders
	Calendar Integration
	Time Blocking
	From Calendar to OmniFocus
	A Settled System - Part 2
	Settling the System - Part 2
	Repeats, Routines, and Buffers
	Repetition is Key to Flow
	Duties of Change
	Repeats and Routines
	Outlier Repeats
	Flags and Repeats
	Task Groups and Projects
	Cautions With Repeat
	Clearing Clutter & Reviewing Buckets
	Folders & Horizons Of Focus Introduced
	Overview
	Creating Folders
	Organization, Areas Of Responsibility, & Horizons Of Focus
	My Folders & Projects
	Hotkeys and Folders
	Sorting Projects in Folders
	Search
	Quick Open Access
	Tags & The Tags Perspective
	Overview Of Chapter
	Tags In OmniFocus
	On Tags
	Creating Tags
	Auto-Complete
	Multi-selected Tasks
	Multiple Tags
	Introducing The Tag Perspective
	Creating a New Tag
	Assigning Tags by Drag and Drop
	Reordering Tasks
	Show In Tags/Show In Projects
	Re-Ordering And Sub-Tags
	Sub-Tag Creation From Entry Field
	Setting A Tag On Hold
	Tags, Mobile Devices, and Locations
	The Forecast Tag
	Tag Conventions
	Choosing A Set Of Tags
	A Suggested Set Of Initial Tags
	General Tag Sets
	A Note on Today Tags
	Tags As Priorities
	My Tags
	Default Tags for Projects
	Following up and Organizing
	Clients and Projects
	Cautions
	Cautions with Adding Tags
	Cautions with Multiple Tags
	Special Cases
	An Aside: Completing Groups From The Tags Perspective
	Changing Tags for sequential work
	List Hygiene
	Approaching Lists
	Flow Lists
	Simple Adjustments
	An Exercise of Ordered Completion
	Storage Tanks & The Export Function
	Cautions When Working From Tags
	Focus mode
	Diving Into a Project - Part 1- Focus
	Evolution Of Tags
	A Settled System - Part 3
	Settling the System - Part 3
	The Inbox
	Introduction
	The Inbox
	Inbox Hygiene
	Inbox Clean Up Preference Settings
	Recently Changed Tasks
	Quick & Other Means of Entry
	The Quick Entry Window & Its Preferences
	Quick Entry Cautions
	Set a Clipping Command
	Entry by Sharing Menu - macOS
	Entry by Sharing Menu - iOS
	iOS Inbox by Force Press
	iOS Inbox by Siri
	From Bookmark Bar
	Away From OmniFocus
	Multiple Ideas on iOS
	Simple Use
	A Step Before Processing the Inbox
	Inbox Processing
	On The Presence Of Short Tasks
	Next Actions & Quick Open
	Dragging from the Inbox
	Mindful Processing
	Avoid “Miscellaneous” When Possible
	Integrating "Today" items
	The Inbox Considered
	Reviewing Your System  Part I: Built-In Review
	Overview
	The Importance of Review
	Questions to Consider When Developing a Project
	A Therapeutic Process
	Time for Review
	Built-In Review
	Notification Preferences
	Review Process
	Setting Frequency for Reviews
	Review Scheduling
	Adjusting Review While Inbox Processing
	A Settled System - Part 4
	Settling the System - Part 4
Volume 3
	Moving Forward
	Launch Tasks & Ticklers
	The Need to Consolidate
	Regular Links To Tags
	Carving Channels
	Tickler For Projects
	Linking To Default Perspectives
	Tickler File
	Activating a Tag
	Copy as Link & Safari Integration
	Using An AppleScript and Keyboard Maestro For Quick Link Access
	Copy as Link Key Command
	Rivers, Branches, & Cautions
	An Overview of Branching
	A Note on Settings
	A Settled System - Part 5
	Refining Settling
	Support Lists
	Simple Support Lists
	Communications Support List
	Calls
	Emails
	Waiting For & Time Stamps
	Enhancing Time Stamps With TextExpander
	Following Up With TextExpander
	Exceptions & Calls At Certain Times
	Dealing With Agendas
	A Regular Agenda
	Considered Tasks and Support
	The Considered Task
	Where To Place Considered tasks
	Cautions Of The Considered Task
	Advantages
	Building Routine - Part 3 of 3
	My Routine Project
	Ordering & A Secondary Routine Project
	Navigation - A Central System
	Overview
	Engaged Projects
	An Alternate Method of Theming
	Parked Projects
	Upcoming Projects & Lead times
	Using the Activations Project
	Leveraging the Forecast Perspective
	Other Activation Examples
	Adding Major Routines
	Adding "Everything Else" and a Recipe of Habits
	A Tool Against Procrastination
	Streamlining Longterm Focus
	Considerations & Variations
	Handling Deadlines and Multiple Projects with OmniFocus and MindNode
	An Example of Creating a Flow List
	A Settled System - Part 6
	Settling with Navigation
Volume 4
	Introduction
	A First Custom Perspective - Today
	Overview
	Today by Flag
	Today by Tag
	A Combination - Tag and Flag
	Perspective as Tool - Decisions and Transitions
	Custom Perspectives In Depth
	An Overview
	My list of perspectives
	Custom Perspective Anatomy
	Deleting a Perspective
	Refining Perspectives
	Updating A Perspective
	Refining The Today Perspective For Location
	Only vs Any Perspectives
	Example Of A Day’s Flow Of Perspectives
	Accessing Perspectives
	A Navigation Perspective
	A Navigation Perspective
	AppleScript to Add to Navigation
	Single Tag Perspectives
	Listen/Watch
	A Communications Perspective
	A Someday/Maybe Perspective
	Overview Perspectives
	Active Projects
	Next Actions
	Due
	Inactive
	Stalled
	Treading Water
	Future
	Completed Projects
	Recently Added Projects
	Depth Perspectives
	Custom Depth Perspectives
	Creating a Depth Perspective - Added
	Creating a Depth Perspective - Due
	Other Depth Perspectives
	Layered Perspectives
	A "Scratch" Perspective
	Perspectives Reviewed
	Templates & Habits
	Using Templates
	Templates Make Things Easier
	Creating a Template -  An Example with Vacations
	Other Example Templates
	From Routine to Templates & Habits
	Using OmniFocus to Build Habits
	Retiring A Repeating Task
	Other Methods of Using Templates
	The “If-Then” Project
	An External Outliner
	Compiling Outliner Templates
	Using Editorial & TaskPaper
	On Template Use
	Conventions
	From Templates To Guides
	Modular Work
	Example: Modular Work With Dragging And Dropping Templates
	An Example Of Modular Work In Action
	Reviewing Your System  Part II: Fine-tuning
	The Need For  Additional Methods Of Review
	An Example Review Project
	Additional Review Tasks To Consider
	A Dedicated Review Perspective
	Making Adjustments
	Create a link to review
	Flow List Considerations
	Prioritization & Horizons
	Thoughts On Prioritizing
	Prioritization At The Runway
	Overview
	Method 1: Tag View Settings
	Method 2: Manual arrangements
	Method 3: Adding a Flag
	Method 4: Order of Projects
	Method 5: Order of Tags
	Method 6: The Sorting Filter
	Method 7: Tag Selection -  Location-Specific Today Perspectives
	Method 8: Tag Selection - Only vs Any
	Method 9: Ordering Perspective Tabs
	Method 10: Depth Perspectives
	Method 11: Time Estimates
	Method 12: Name Changes  in the Sorting Filter
	Prioritization at 10,000 and 20,000 feet
	Method 1: Ordering Projects & Folders
	Method 2: Placing Projects On Hold
	Method 3: Intuition
	Higher Horizons
	A Need For Higher Horizons Of Focus
	Method 1: Daily Review
	Method 2: Rolling Defer Dates
	Method 3: External Outline
	Method 4: A Navigation folder
	Attention & Meaning
	"Vision" & Meaning
	An Anatomy Of Attention
	Layers Of Attention In Practice
	Procrastination, Problems, & Suggested Solutions
	Overview
	Problem: I Forget to Look at OmniFocus
	Problem: I Feel Scattered
	Problem: I Have to Find Something
	Problem: Task Appears Too Large
	Problem: Over-Crafting The Context
	Problem: Placing Tasks In Unused  Or Over-Filled Lists
	Problem: “I Forgot” Or “I’m Lazy”
	Problem: I'm Procrastinating
	Problem: I'm Procrastinating by Organizing
	Problem: “Falling Off The Wagon” Of OmniFocus
	Problem: Difficulty clearing the Inbox
	Problem: "My System Is A Mess"
	Problem: New Ideas Come To Mind On How To Use Omnifocus While Doing A Project
	Problem: Entering A Task Through The Inbox Does Not Integrate As Desired Into The Project
	Problem: Feeling Overwhelmed
	Problem: Sudden Large Projects
	Problem: "Kicking The Can”/ ”Hitting Snooze"
	Problem: Assigning A Next Action To An Untrusted List or Tag
	Problem: I Don’t See OmniFocus  During the Day
	Handling "Energy" Level
Volume 5
	Introduction
	Creative Work & Conditions
	Play & Work
	Concrete vs. Creative Tasks
	Guiding Play
	Address Time
	Throttling Pressure & Supporting Work
	Using OmniFocus While Doing A Creative Task
	Useful Terminology for Creative Tasks
	Four Techniques for Creative Work
	Overview
	Touch The Keys Technique
	Pomodoro Technique
	On Integrating The Pomodoro Technique
	Considering The Pomodoro Technique
	Closing Technique
	Aim To Simmer Technique
	Patience - The Fifth Technique
	Cautions With Due Dates
	An Example With Music
	Managing School and Other Clear Scale Work
	Introduction
	Creating the Project - Example: Student Project
	Four Focus Areas for Mastery
	An Alternate Example
	Repeats and external systems
	In Action
	Managing Creative and Other Unclear Scale Work
	Growing Projects
	Adjusting Scale
	An Example
	Bringing it All Together & Mastering Productivity
	Defining Success
	Mastering Productivity
	Appendices
	Appendix A: Questions to Hone Your Lists
	Appendix B: Processing Email
	Appendix C: Set Up TextExpander Snippets On The iPhone
	Appendix D: Keyboard Maestro & OmniFocus
	Setting Up Keyboard Maestro and DEVONthink
	Quick Access To Project States
	Using Keyboard Maestro & Moom To Adjust View
	Appendix E: Thoughts On Mind Mapping
	Appendix F : Odds & Ends
	About the Author
	Other Books and Courses By Kourosh Dini, MD
	Feedback, Comments, Corrections?