Context-Based Action Lists
Organize your next actions by where you are and what tools you have, not by project
Context-Based Action Lists represent Allen's solution to the fundamental question of how to organize the dozens or hundreds of next actions that emerge from processing all your open loops. Rather than organizing by project (which forces you to scan irrelevant items when only certain actions are possible) or by priority (which ignores the physical constraints of location and tools), Allen recommends organizing by the context required to perform each action.
The most common context categories are: Calls (all phone calls to make), At Computer (actions requiring a computer), Errands (things to do while out and about), At Office (requires being at your workspace), At Home (can only be done at home), Agendas (items to discuss with specific people or at specific meetings), and Read/Review (longer reading material to process). Some people add more specialized contexts: At Computer - Online vs Offline, Errands - Local vs Anywhere, or contexts for specific people they interact with frequently.
The organizing principle is simple: when you find yourself with a phone and ten minutes, you want to instantly see all possible calls without wading through computer tasks and errands. When you're running errands, you want all errands visible without being distracted by calls and office tasks. This context-based organization also provides a secondary benefit: it forces the next-action decision at the organizing stage. You can't put something on the 'Calls' list without knowing that the next action is a phone call, which means you've completed the crucial thinking about what 'doing' actually looks like.
- Context is the first practical filter for action choice. What you can do is determined first by where you are and what tools you have.
- Organizing by context forces the next-action decision. You can't categorize an action by context without knowing what physical behavior is required.
- Lists should fold in or out based on your current context. Seeing only relevant options prevents unproductive mental scanning.
- The number and specificity of context categories should match the volume of your actions and how often you change contexts.
- Identify your primary contextsExamine your typical week and identify the distinct environments and tool sets you work with. Common contexts include Calls, At Computer, Errands, At Office, At Home, and Agendas. Add or modify based on your specific situation.Pro tipIf you travel frequently, consider separate lists for 'At Computer - Online' (requires internet) and 'At Computer - Offline' (can be done on a plane). If you live in multiple locations, separate errand lists by location.
- Create a list or folder for each contextSet up the physical or digital infrastructure: pages in a planner, categories in a task app, or file folders labeled with each context. Each must be easily accessible when you're in that context.Pro tipWrite phone numbers next to items on your Calls list. If the number is right there, you're much more likely to make the call when you have a window.
- Route each processed action to the appropriate context listAs you process items from your in-basket, determine the next physical action and place the reminder on the context-appropriate list. 'Call vendor for quote' goes on Calls. 'Draft proposal outline' goes on At Computer. 'Buy printer ink' goes on Errands.Pro tipIf you can't immediately identify which context list an action belongs on, you probably haven't defined the next action specifically enough. Revisit the clarify step.
- Review context-appropriate lists when in each contextWhen you're at your computer, review the At Computer list. When you have a phone window, review the Calls list. When heading out, review the Errands list. This takes seconds and ensures you're considering all relevant options.Pro tipCreate Agenda lists for people you interact with regularly -- boss, spouse, assistant, key reports. When you have a moment with that person, you can efficiently cover all pending topics.
Allen himself maintains separate lists for Calls, At Computer, At Computer - Online, Errands - Ojai (his home base), Errands - Anywhere (items he can pick up while traveling), At Home, and multiple Agenda lists for regular contacts. When waiting for a flight, he pulls out his Calls list and his At Computer - Offline list to see what's doable in that context.
A manager maintains separate Agenda lists for her boss, each direct report, her spouse, her attorney, and the weekly staff meeting. When she thinks of something to discuss with any of these people, she adds it to the appropriate Agenda list immediately.
Allen discovered through years of coaching that the people who maintained their productivity systems most effectively were those who organized actions by the context in which they could be performed. He observed that knowledge workers move through multiple contexts throughout a typical day -- at a desk, on the phone, in meetings, traveling, at home -- and each context enables different types of action. Organizing by context eliminated the constant resorting and scanning that made single-list or priority-based systems impractical for people with large action inventories.