Lists with many high-priority tasks in +GTD

Question:

I have several lists with almost 100 tasks that are all high priority - what should I do?

Answer:

Your first choice (or actually non-choice) is: What context am I in?

Then work from THAT list.

E.g normally you will not be in the contexts

• Office
• Home and
• Errands

at the same time.

IF your list contexts are "messy" you might want to fix this first. Have as few as possible any only as many as you need to say: I can all these things here/with this person/with this tool.

For example I have no "calls" list. (Instead I use the verb 'CALL' in front of (alphabetically sorted) tasks on my "Next Action @ Office" list to group all those together.) I usually want to concentrate on people when I call them, so I do this from my office (also for confidentiality reasons) and not from 'just anywhere where I have a phone'. I also want to make notes or consult webpages during calls. Your preferences might vary here.

So say you are in the office.

Consider say ... the first 5-10 tasks (they are all high priority, you say, so just start with those) and check for the limiting factors:

• context (Can I do this here? Is it on the right list?)
• time (Is there enough time to do this before e.g. a meeting?)
• energy (Am I concentrated, awake, creative enough right now?)

If more than one task is left - ask yourself:

"Finishing which task would make me feel best?"

Do that one.

Rinse and repeat.

You might have several lists you can work on in the office (like a calls list). So as soon as you did 3 from one list: switch.

The trick is to focus on one appropriate list, narrow down the decision and then go for whatever feels right.

I usually try to go top to bottom to not waste "decision energy". After all they should be all " next actions". Pondering if something is more 'top priority' than anything else is a waste of time and energy that you can spend working instead.

Regarding the tips above: re-reading the book (or reading the two others) also helped me getting the method clearer and my lists more 'overlap free' and to the point.