Project Management

Projects are the backbone of your GTD system. In Locus GTD, a project is any outcome that requires more than one action step.

What is a Project?

According to GTD methodology:

A project is any desired result that requires more than one action step.

Examples:

• ✅ "Plan vacation" (multiple steps)
• ✅ "Launch new website" (many tasks)
• ✅ "Organize home office" (several actions)
• ❌ "Call dentist" (single action - this is a task)

Project Types

Locus GTD supports three project types:

1. Parallel Projects

Tasks can be completed in any order.

Example: "Home Improvement"

• Paint living room
• Fix leaky faucet
• Replace light bulbs
• Organize garage

When to Use

Use parallel projects when tasks are independent and can be done simultaneously.

2. Sequential Projects

Tasks must be completed in specific order.

Example: "Product Launch"

1. Market research
2. Design prototype
3. Development
4. Testing
5. Launch

When to Use

Use sequential projects when each step depends on the previous one being completed.

3. Single Action Lists

A collection of independent tasks that share a common theme.

Example: "Errands"

• Buy groceries
• Pick up dry cleaning
• Mail package
• Get gas

When to Use

Use single action lists for tasks that are related but don't form a cohesive project.

Creating Projects

Basic Project Creation

1. Go to Projects tab
2. Tap + button
3. Enter project details:
   • Title: Clear, outcome-focused name
   • Type: Parallel, Sequential, or Single Action List
   • Category: Optional grouping (Work, Personal, etc.)
   • Notes: Project description or goals

Project Properties

Property	Description
Title	Project name (can include emoji)
Type	Parallel, Sequential, or Single Action List
Category	Organizational grouping
Status	Active, On Hold, Completed, Dropped
Review Interval	How often to review (weekly, monthly, etc.)
Next Review Date	When to review next
Notes	Project description, goals, or context

Folder Structure

Organize projects with folders for better hierarchy:

Creating Folders

1. Tap + in Projects view
2. Select "Create Folder"
3. Name your folder
4. Optionally assign a category

Example Structure

📁 Work
├── 📋 Q1 Marketing Campaign
├── 📋 Website Redesign
└── 📁 Client Projects
    ├── 📋 Client A - Branding
    └── 📋 Client B - Development

📁 Personal
├── 📋 Home Renovation
├── 📋 Learn Spanish
└── 📋 Fitness Goals

Nested Folders

• Create folders within folders for deeper organization
• Maximum recommended depth: 3 levels
• Keep structure simple for easier navigation

Project Categories

Categories help you group related projects:

Creating Categories

1. Go to Settings → Categories
2. Tap + to add new category
3. Set:
   • Name: Category title
   • Icon: Visual identifier
   • Color: Color coding

Example Categories

Category	Icon	Use Case
🎓 Learning & Growth	graduationcap	Educational projects
💼 Career Development	briefcase	Work-related projects
🏠 Life Management	house	Personal and home projects
💡 Creative Projects	lightbulb	Creative endeavors

Managing Tasks in Projects

Adding Tasks

1. Open a project
2. Tap + or swipe right on any task
3. Enter task details

Task Order

Parallel Projects: Drag to reorder tasks by priority

Sequential Projects: Tasks are numbered automatically

• First incomplete task is the "next action"
• Complete tasks in order

Single Action Lists: Order doesn't matter

Subtasks

Create task hierarchies within projects:

1. Drag a task over another task
2. Hold for a moment
3. Release to make it a subtask

Important

Subtasks inherit their parent's project - don't set project separately for subtasks.

Project Sections

Organize tasks within projects using sections:

Creating Sections

1. In project view, tap +
2. Select "Add Section"
3. Name your section

Section Types

• Parallel Section: Tasks can be done in any order
• Sequential Section: Tasks must be done in order

Example: Product Development

📋 Product Development Project

📦 Planning Phase (Sequential)
├── Define requirements
├── Create wireframes
└── Get stakeholder approval

📦 Development Phase (Parallel)
├── Frontend development
├── Backend development
└── Database design

📦 Launch Phase (Sequential)
├── Testing
├── Bug fixes
└── Deploy to production

Project Status

Track project lifecycle with status indicators:

Status	Icon	Description
Active	🟢	Currently working on
On Hold	🟡	Paused temporarily
Completed	✅	Successfully finished
Dropped	❌	Abandoned or cancelled

Changing Status

1. Open project
2. Tap status indicator
3. Select new status

On Hold Projects

Use "On Hold" for projects you'll return to later. They won't clutter your active project list.

Project Review

Regular reviews keep projects on track:

Setting Review Schedule

1. Open project settings

2. Set Review Interval:

   • Weekly
   • Bi-weekly
   • Monthly
   • Custom

3. System will remind you when review is due

Review Checklist

During review, ask:

• [ ] Is this project still relevant?
• [ ] What's the desired outcome?
• [ ] What's the next action?
• [ ] Are there any blockers?
• [ ] Should status change?

Review Mode

1. Tap Review button on homepage
2. Swipe through projects needing review
3. For each project:
   • ✅ Review: Mark as reviewed
   • ⏭️ Skip: Review later
   • 📝 Edit: Update project details

Best Practices

1. Clear Outcomes

Define what "done" looks like:

• ✅ "Website redesign launched and live"
• ✅ "Home office organized with labeled storage"
• ❌ "Work on website" (too vague)

2. Regular Reviews

Review projects weekly or monthly:

• Check progress
• Update next actions
• Adjust timelines
• Archive completed projects

3. Keep Projects Active

If a project has no next action:

• Define the next action
• Put it on hold
• Or drop it

4. Use Emoji Wisely

About 20% of projects should use emoji:

• ✅ Adds visual interest
• ✅ Helps quick identification
• ❌ Don't overuse (reduces impact)

5. Limit Active Projects

Focus on 5-7 active projects at a time:

• More projects = less progress on each
• Put others on hold
• Finish before starting new ones

Starred Projects

Mark important projects as starred:

1. Open project
2. Tap star icon
3. Starred projects appear on homepage

Use starring for:

• Current priority projects
• Projects needing daily attention
• Projects with upcoming deadlines

Next Steps

• Learn about Tags and Contexts
• Explore Custom Perspectives
• Set up Calendar Integration