Keys to success
It's important for the success of your system that only the very next step be listed under one of your action categories. Many times when working with people, I've seen their To Do lists flooded with actions that they think they can do but which are really contingent upon something else happening. If I create a To Do item in my Next Actions category that says "Email team about availability," and another that says "Book hotel reservations for trip," then I'm setting myself up to fail or, at the very least, to be confused by my To Do list. I can't book the reservations until I've coordinated available dates with the team. I would keep "Book hotel reservations for trip" in the Note field of my "Plan team-building trip" item until I can transfer it to an action list.

Another key to keeping this system working is to scan your lists regularly. At least once a day I scan my four action categories and one project category. Specifically, I mark items that I've completed, and I re-categorize actions to the Waiting For category as appropriate. This is great for tracking calls I've made when I've left a voice-mail message and am waiting for a response. I also scan the items in my Projects category, checking the plans in the Note field to see what is now actionable. Those are the next actions that I create as new To Do items in the action categories.

A little help from Memo Pad
If you find that the Note field attached to the name of the project on the Projects list is too limited to track some of your larger projects, you may want to consider creating a category in your Memo Pad application specifically for that project.

For example, one of my ongoing projects is sending out a free Palm tips and tricks newsletter. I have created a category in my Memo Pad application for that project. All of the items listed within that category relate to the project, such as my notes and ideas for future newsletter topics. However, I still use one of my four key action categories to track the very next action for that project. And, the project is still listed under the Projects category in my To Do application. Creating a project in the Memo Pad application simply gives me a little more room to expand and build on the project.

Conclusion
I hope this system is useful for you. Adapt it in a way that works for you. I learned this method years ago working with workflow experts David Allen (at http://www.davidco.com) and Sally McGhee (at http://www.mcgheeassoc.com). I found a way to make it work for me. I'm always open to new ideas, so please feel free to share your experience with me at kelly@kelstarrising.com.

Kelly Forrister is a coach and trainer. She has been leading workshops on workflow and time management, on a variety of different hardware and software tools, for over 10 years. Her free Mastery Newsletter offers valuable tips and tricks for getting the most out of the Palm handheld. She offers individual coaching and team workshops for companies throughout the U.S and internationally. For more information, visit http://www.kelstarrising.com.