This list is from Getting Things Done and is useful for when doing brain dumps to trigger your memory about open loops that might be floating around in your head.
Professional
- Projects started, not completed
- Projects that need to be started
- Commitments/promises to others
- Boss/partners
- Colleagues
- Subordinates
- Other people in organization
- “Outside” people
- Customers
- Other organizations
- Professionals
- Communications to make/get
- Internal/External
- Initiate or respond to:
- Phone calls
- Voice-mail
- Pages
- Faxes
- Letters
- Memos
- Initiate or respond to:
- Internal/External
- Other writing to finish/submit
- Reports
- Evaluations/reviews
- Proposals
- Articles
- Promotional materials
- Manuals/instructions
- Rewrites and edits
- Meetings that need to be set/requested
- Who needs to know about what decisions?
- Significant read/review
- Financial
- Cash flow
- Statistics
- Budgets
- Forecasts/projections
- P&Ls
- Balance sheet
- Credit line
- Planning/organizing
- Formal planning (goals, targets, objectives)
- Current projects (next stages)
- Upcoming projects
- Business/marketing plans
- Organizational initiatives
- Upcoming events
- Meetings
- Presentations
- Organizational structuring
- Changes in facilities
- Installation of new systems/equipment
- Travel
- Banks
- Receivables
- Payables
- Petty cash
- Administration
- Legal issues
- Insurance
- Personnel
- Policies/procedures
- Customers
- Internal
- External
- Marketing
- Promotion
- Sales
- Customer service
- Systems
- Phones
- Computers
- Office equipment
- Other equipment
- Utilities
- Filing
- Storage
- Inventories
- Supplies
- Office/site
- Office organization
- Furniture
- Decorations
- Waiting for…
- Information
- Delegated tasks/projects
- Completions critical to projects
- Replies to:
- Letters
- Memos
- Calls
- Proposals
- Requistions
- Reimbursements
- Petty cash
- Insurance
- Ordered items
- Items being repaired
- Tickets
- Decisions of others
- Replies to:
- Professional development
- Training/seminars
- Things to learn
- Things to look up
- Skills to practice/learn especially re:computers
- Tape/video training
- Resumes
- Outside education
- Research–need to find out about…
- Professional wardrobe
Personal
- Projects started, not completed
- Projects that need to be started
- Commitments/promises to others
- Spouse
- Children
- Family
- Friends
- Professionals
- Borrowed items
- Projects: other organizations
- Service
- Civic
- Volunteer
- Communications to make/get
- Family
- Friends
- Professional
- Initiate or respond to:
- Phone calls
- Letters
- Cards
- Upcoming events
- Special occasions
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Weddings
- Graduations
- Holidays
- Travel
- Weekend trips
- Vacations
- Social events
- Cultural events
- Sporting events
- R&D–things to do
- Places to go
- People to meet/invite
- Local attractions
- Administration
- Financial
- Bills
- Banks
- Investments
- Loans
- Taxes
- Insurance
- Legal affairs
- Filing
- Financial
- Waiting for…
- Mail order
- Repair
- Reimbursements
- Loaned items
- Medical data
- RSVPs
- Home/household
- Landlords
- Property ownership
- Legal
- Real estate
- Zoning
- Taxes
- Builders/contractors
- Heating/air-conditioning
- Plumbing
- Electricity
- Roofing
- Landscape
- Driveway
- Walls/floors/ceilings
- Decoration
- Furniture
- Utilities
- Appliances
- Lightbulbs/wiring
- Kitchen things
- Washer/dryer/vacuum
- Areas to organize/clean
- TV
- VCR/DVD
- Music/CDs/tapes
- Cameras/film
- Phones
- Answering machine
- Sports equipment
- Closets/clothes
- Garage/storage
- Vehicle repair/maintenance
- Tools
- Luggage
- Pets
- Computers
- Software
- Hardware
- Connections
- CD-ROM
- E-mail/Internet
- Health care
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Specialists
- Hobbies
- Books/records/tapes/disks
- Errands
- Hardware store
- Drugstore
- Market
- Bank
- Cleaner
- Stationer
- Community
- Neighborhood
- Schools
- Local government
- Civic issues