Case 1: I need to remember to buy superglue. I can do it at the "Warehouse, or the "Supermarket". If i'm in the "Warehouse" buying stuff, I need to hit the "Warehouse" Context and find "Buy Superglue" included in my list of tasks ... This will give me an opportunity to tick superglue off my list sooner.
I would not like to create a Context "Warehouse or Supermarket" since any task in there will not show up under the lists for "Warehouse" or "Supermarket". It's not a case of my trying to nest Contexts either, those are two different top level contexts I can be in and need to get relevant lists of Tasks.
I could tweek it with Tags, but than, Why even using contexts? And the Filter by tag button is not as close to hit as Context on a daily basis.
Case 2: I need John to show me how to do a handstand properly. But Michael also knows and can teach me as good as John. When I'm with Michael and I bring up things I need to do when with him, the question about the handstand wont come up as it's under John's list of tasks. And I'll miss the opportunity.
I could use tags for people, but again it's quite a few steps away in the mobile app to filter by tag.
I could put both under "With people" Context, but, obviously that's too broad...
A people list would be an idea?
Any suggestion on how to handle those two cenários. I don't belive I'm the only one with this kinds of trouble.
Situational filtering (context, energy etc) is certainly an area in need of some serious innovation in most apps. Most apps do not cater for it well at all. To be useful it is necessary both to mark the tasks and to be ably to find the ones you are interested in. Usually the filtering, sorting etc is even weaker than the marking features.
Some apps (Doit and Toodledo and possibly others) have two different marking features (called Context and Tags) that work differently - you can have only one context but many tags. Most apps (Nirvana, Zendone, GTDNext ...) have just one feature and allow multiple context tags that are clearly visible in the list. That is cleaner, I think. In Doit you are more or less forced to use the Context feature, because the Tags are not visible in the list, so it is hard to know whether you have tagged your tasks correctly. And you cannot group your list by Tag. So I use Contexts, despite all the limitations.
This is how I do it - a very different approach from yours:
- I have as FEW contexts as possible (and therefore less specific).
- All contexts describe a necessary situational REQUIREMENT (not possibilities like Warehouse, Supermarket etc)
- They have a ranking, because I am only allowed to apply one context and want to consistently apply the most "difficult" requirement
These are my contexts:
@Person - requires some specific person to be available in real time. Who that person is is usually obvious, but if not I write it in the task title - I do not use tags because I cannot see them
@Out - requires me to leave my base location (and do an errand etc)
@Clearheaded - requires me to be in a calm and stress-free mood
@Base - requires me to be in one of my normal locations (home or offices). Which location that is is usually obvious (from the project name), but if not I write it in the task title
@Info - requires very little other than clothes, wallet, notepad and pen, iPad, computer etc, i.e. stuff that I usually have available
So, if I need to sit with John and have a computer handy I mark the task as @Person (the most "difficult" context required) because I find I have less control over where and when I can get hold of a person than I have over my own tools.
But I agree with you: I too would like to see some innovation in this area.