Trigger List For Remembering Tasks
2025-07-15 08:31
In my recent post on how I get work done with obsidian I mentioned in the markdown for a template to reference a "Trigger list for tasks".
This is also a good old throwback to the Getting Things Done days of the 90s. In order to do a full capture (get everything out of your head and into a trusted system) there are a lot of different areas to think about.
Work can come from many many places. So a list is good to use to think point by point: Do I have tasks waiting here?
Alright, please me let me know if you return any tapes to blockbuster after using this table.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | Projects started, not completed | |||
| Professional | Projects that need to be started | |||
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | Boss/partners | ||
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | Colleagues | ||
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | Subordinates | ||
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | Other people in organization | ||
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | "Outside" people | Customers | |
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | "Outside" people | Other organizations | |
| Professional | Commitments/promises to others | "Outside" people | Professionals | |
| Professional | Communications to make/get | Internal/External | ||
| Professional | Communications to make/get | Initiate or respond to: | Phone calls | |
| Professional | Communications to make/get | Initiate or respond to: | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Reports | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Evaluations/reviews | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Proposals | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Articles | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Promotional materials | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Manuals/instructions | ||
| Professional | Other writing to finish/submit | Rewrites and edits | ||
| Professional | Meetings that need to be set/requested | |||
| Professional | Who needs to know about what decisions? | |||
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | Cash flow | |
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | Statistics | |
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | Budgets | |
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | Forecasts/projections | |
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | P&Ls | |
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | Balance sheet | |
| Professional | Significant read/review | Financial | Credit line | |
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Formal planning (goals, targets, objectives) | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Current projects (next stages) | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Upcoming projects | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Business/marketing plans | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Organizational initiatives | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Upcoming events | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Meetings | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Presentations | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Organizational structuring | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Changes in facilities | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Installation of new systems/equipment | ||
| Professional | Planning/organizing | Travel | ||
| Professional | Banks | Receivables | ||
| Professional | Banks | Payables | ||
| Professional | Banks | Petty cash | ||
| Professional | Administration | Legal issues | ||
| Professional | Administration | Insurance | ||
| Professional | Administration | Personnel | ||
| Professional | Administration | Policies/procedures | ||
| Professional | Customers | Internal | ||
| Professional | Customers | External | ||
| Professional | Marketing | |||
| Professional | Promotion | |||
| Professional | Sales | Customer service | ||
| Professional | Systems | Phones | ||
| Professional | Systems | Computers | ||
| Professional | Systems | Office equipment | ||
| Professional | Systems | Other equipment | ||
| Professional | Systems | Utilities | ||
| Professional | Systems | Filing | ||
| Professional | Systems | Storage | Inventories | |
| Professional | Supplies | |||
| Professional | Office/site | Office organization | ||
| Professional | Office/site | Furniture | ||
| Professional | Office/site | Decorations | ||
| Professional | Waiting for... | Information | ||
| Professional | Waiting for... | Delegated tasks/projects | ||
| Professional | Waiting for... | Completions critical to projects | ||
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Calls | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Proposals | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Requisitions | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Reimbursements | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Insurance | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Ordered items | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Items being repaired | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Tickets | |
| Professional | Waiting for... | Replies to: | Decisions of others | |
| Professional | Professional development | Training/seminars | ||
| Professional | Professional development | Things to learn | ||
| Professional | Professional development | Things to look up | ||
| Professional | Professional development | Skills to practice/learn | ||
| Professional | Professional development | Tape/video training | ||
| Professional | Professional development | Resumes | ||
| Professional | Outside education | |||
| Professional | Research--need to find out about... | |||
| Professional | Professional wardrobe | |||
| Personal | Projects started, not completed | |||
| Personal | Projects that need to be started | |||
| Personal | Commitments/promises to others | Spouse | ||
| Personal | Commitments/promises to others | Children | ||
| Personal | Commitments/promises to others | Family | ||
| Personal | Commitments/promises to others | Friends | ||
| Personal | Commitments/promises to others | Professionals | ||
| Personal | Commitments/promises to others | Borrowed items | ||
| Personal | Projects: other organizations | Service | ||
| Personal | Projects: other organizations | Civic | ||
| Personal | Projects: other organizations | Volunteer | ||
| Personal | Communications to make/get | Family | ||
| Personal | Communications to make/get | Friends | ||
| Personal | Communications to make/get | Professional | ||
| Personal | Communications to make/get | Initiate or respond to: | Phone calls | |
| Personal | Communications to make/get | Initiate or respond to: | Letters | |
| Personal | Communications to make/get | Initiate or respond to: | Cards | |
| Personal | Upcoming events | Special occasions | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Birthdays | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Anniversaries | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Weddings | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Graduations | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Holidays | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Travel | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Weekend trips | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Vacations | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Social events | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Cultural events | ||
| Personal | Upcoming events | Sporting events | ||
| Personal | R&D--things to do | Places to go | ||
| Personal | R&D--things to do | People to meet/invite | ||
| Personal | R&D--things to do | Local attractions | ||
| Personal | Administration | Financial | Bills | |
| Personal | Administration | Financial | Banks | |
| Personal | Administration | Financial | Investments | |
| Personal | Administration | Financial | Loans | |
| Personal | Administration | Financial | Taxes | |
| Personal | Administration | Insurance | ||
| Personal | Administration | Legal affairs | ||
| Personal | Administration | Filing | ||
| Personal | Waiting for... | Mail order | ||
| Personal | Waiting for... | Repair | ||
| Personal | Waiting for... | Reimbursements | ||
| Personal | Waiting for... | Loaned items | ||
| Personal | Waiting for... | Medical data | ||
| Personal | Waiting for... | RSVPs | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Landlords | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Property ownership | Legal | |
| Personal | Home/household | Property ownership | Real estate | |
| Personal | Home/household | Property ownership | Zoning | |
| Personal | Home/household | Property ownership | Taxes | |
| Personal | Home/household | Property ownership | Builders/contractors | |
| Personal | Home/household | Heating/air-conditioning | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Plumbing | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Electricity | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Roofing | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Landscape | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Driveway | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Walls/floors/ceilings | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Decoration | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Furniture | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Utilities | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Appliances | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Lightbulbs/wiring | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Kitchen things | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Washer/dryer/vacuum | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Areas to organize/clean | ||
| Personal | Home/household | TV | ||
| Personal | Home/household | VCR/DVD | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Music/CDs/tapes | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Cameras/film | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Phones | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Answering machine | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Sports equipment | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Closets/clothes | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Garage/storage | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Vehicle repair/maintenance | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Tools | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Luggage | ||
| Personal | Home/household | Pets | ||
| Personal | Computers | Software | ||
| Personal | Computers | Hardware | ||
| Personal | Computers | Connections | ||
| Personal | Computers | CD-ROM | ||
| Personal | Computers | E-mail/Internet | ||
| Personal | Health care | Doctors | ||
| Personal | Health care | Dentists | ||
| Personal | Health care | Specialists | ||
| Personal | Hobbies | Books/records/tapes/disks | ||
| Personal | Errands | Hardware store | ||
| Personal | Errands | Drugstore | ||
| Personal | Errands | Market | ||
| Personal | Errands | Bank | ||
| Personal | Errands | Cleaner | ||
| Personal | Errands | Stationer | ||
| Personal | Community | Neighborhood | ||
| Personal | Community | Schools | ||
| Personal | Community | Local government | ||
| Personal | Civic issues |
Enjoy!