ForumsQuestionsSorting tasks in same priority


Sorting tasks in same priority
Author Message
Iain's ToDo

Posted: Dec 02, 2008
Score: 0 Reference
Ok, here goes my question... :)

I would like an easy method for sorting a large number of tasks (maybe in the same priority?). What's the best method for doing this?

For some background.........

Let's say, I have the following:

* Two contexts: Work, and Personal
* Each contexts have anywhere from 10 to 20 'folders'.
(Think as 'which responsibility hat am I wearing this minute' :)
* Each folder may have 10 to 200 tasks/projects listed.

I would like to display/rank the tasks in order of my attention needed. (i.e. could be called 'importance').

Basically something like. Items I need to put my efforts ....

* in current hour
* in next hour
* in current day
* in next day
* in current week
* in next week
* in current month
* in next month
* in current year
* in next year

I could have over 10 to 100 tasks in each one of these, and I'd like a way to further rank them.. so I can 'adjust' which one is "next on the list". If I don't get a task done in one category, it "floats" until I bump it up into the next.

Now I'm been playing with priorities, and that sort of works as

Top Pri 3 = (0 to 7 days) Today / Tomorrow / This week.
High Pri 2 = (7 to 14 days) Next week. (or after the above is done)
Med Pri 1 = (14 to 30 days) This month.
Low Pri 0 = (30 to 90 days) Next few months.
Neg Pri -1 = (90+ to unknown) Future / unsorted / brainstorm / notes

Star = Allows me quick way of escalating a task to the level up for attention. (i.e. in "importance" view, moves it up one level)

I avoid using due dates, because every day/week, task flux, depending on 'emergancies' which come up. (I'm in the IT field, and have two cats, and in the PNW it rains frequently :] )

Like to reserve these for actual hard dates which items need to be completed because of outside influences. (i.e. production dates, person coming to town, order comes in, etc..)

Now. . . . .

I'm in the situation which I have 40 items in the 'Top Pri 3' display on my main view of "importance" . I'll likely get 1/2 of them done. But I'd like to influence how they are displayed, so the 'most important' ones get listed first.

Now in my previous todo method was using Excel and have a column called 'ranking'. And ranked tasks first by priorities,
10+ = top / critical / on fire / someone is yelling
10 = high
5 = med
1 = low
0 = 'forget about it, but have a place for notes'

Then in areas where tasks tended to gather/group/bunch-up, further defined the priorities. I would split them decimally. 10.1 , 10.2, etc.. 10.9 .

So simply sorting on the 'ranking' column, resulted in an 'importance' or 'Todo list' for the day... I would work from the top down...

Now I just moved everything over to Toodledoo, and I love it. Much easier to handle :)

However, now there's a bunch of tasks in the 'TOP' importance 6, and there's no further refinement of order.

Any suggestions on better organization would be greatly appreicated...
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Dec 03, 2008
Score: 0 Reference
You might try using the 'tag' field to further sort your tasks, and you might have some good luck making some elaborate saved searches.
Iain's ToDo

Posted: Dec 03, 2008
Score: 0 Reference
Yeah.. I could just add a 'tag' with the absolute 'rank' value. But that's alot of manual work. How about a 'column' called 'rank', 'rank#' with two buttons ^ (move up) v (move down), and manual input #.

That way I don't need to leave the main view, and I can just use the mouse for everything. :)

(p.s. could also be called 'importance ranking'. )
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Dec 03, 2008
Score: 0 Reference
Thanks for the suggestion.
You cannot reply yet

U Back to topic home

R Post a reply

To participate in these forums, you must be signed in.