Locus GTD

English

简体中文

English

简体中文

Appearance

Project Category ​

High-level grouping for organizing projects by type or area.

Definition ​

Project Categories (also known as Folders) are top-level containers that group related Projects together, providing organizational structure for your project list.

Purpose ​

Organize Projects ​

  • Group by life area
  • Separate work/personal
  • Categorize by type
  • Create structure

Focus Attention ​

  • View specific categories
  • Filter by area
  • Focus on what matters
  • Reduce overwhelm

Maintain Balance ​

  • See distribution
  • Balance areas
  • Identify gaps
  • Ensure coverage

Common Categories ​

By Life Area ​

Work:

  • Client projects
  • Internal initiatives
  • Professional development
  • Team collaborations

Personal:

  • Home projects
  • Family activities
  • Personal goals
  • Health & fitness

Learning:

  • Courses
  • Skills development
  • Reading projects
  • Research

By Project Type ​

Active Development:

  • In-progress projects
  • Current focus
  • Active work

Planning:

  • Future projects
  • Ideas being developed
  • Upcoming initiatives

Maintenance:

  • Ongoing projects
  • Recurring work
  • Continuous improvement

By Responsibility ​

Individual:

  • Solo projects
  • Personal responsibility
  • Independent work

Team:

  • Collaborative projects
  • Team initiatives
  • Shared responsibility

Leadership:

  • Strategic projects
  • Management work
  • Oversight projects

Creating Categories ​

In Locus ​

  1. Go to Settings → Folders
  2. Tap + to create
  3. Set properties:
    • Name: Category name
    • Color: Visual identifier
    • Icon: Optional icon
    • Sort Order: Display position
  4. Save

Organizing Projects ​

Assign to category:

  1. Open project
  2. Tap Folder field
  3. Select category
  4. Save

Move projects:

  • Drag project to category
  • Bulk move multiple projects
  • Change category anytime

Category Structure ​

Flat Structure ​

Simple, single-level:

📁 Work
📁 Personal
📁 Learning
📁 Health

Best for:

  • Simple systems
  • Few projects
  • Clear boundaries

Nested Structure ​

Multi-level hierarchy:

📁 Work
  📁 Client Projects
  📁 Internal Projects
  📁 Professional Development

📁 Personal
  📁 Home
  📁 Family
  📁 Hobbies

Best for:

  • Many projects
  • Complex organization
  • Detailed categorization

Using Categories ​

Filter by Category ​

View specific area:

  1. Tap category name
  2. See only those projects
  3. Focus on area
  4. Work within context

Category Perspectives ​

Create Perspectives for:

  • "Work Projects - Active"
  • "Personal Projects - This Month"
  • "Learning Projects - In Progress"

Review by Category ​

During reviews:

  • Review each category separately
  • Ensure balance across areas
  • Identify neglected areas
  • Adjust priorities

Category Best Practices ​

Keep It Simple ​

Recommended:

  • 3-7 categories maximum
  • Clear, distinct areas
  • Obvious categorization
  • Easy to choose

Avoid:

  • Too many categories
  • Overlapping areas
  • Unclear boundaries
  • Complex hierarchies

Use Consistent Logic ​

Choose one approach:

  • ✅ All by life area (Work, Personal, Learning)
  • ✅ All by status (Active, Planning, Someday)
  • ❌ Mixed approaches (confusing)

Name Clearly ​

Good names:

  • ✅ "Work Projects"
  • ✅ "Personal"
  • ✅ "Learning & Development"

Avoid:

  • ❌ "Stuff"
  • ❌ "Other"
  • ❌ "Misc"

Review Regularly ​

Monthly:

  • [ ] Are categories still useful?
  • [ ] Any to combine?
  • [ ] Any to split?
  • [ ] Projects in right categories?

Category vs Folder ​

In Locus GTD, "Category" and "Folder" refer to the same concept:

  • Folder = Technical term in app
  • Category = Conceptual term
  • Same functionality
  • Interchangeable terms

Common Category Setups ​

Minimalist (3 categories) ​

📁 Work
📁 Personal
📁 Someday/Maybe

Balanced (5 categories) ​

📁 Career
📁 Personal
📁 Health & Fitness
📁 Learning
📁 Home & Family

Comprehensive (7 categories) ​

📁 Work - Client Projects
📁 Work - Internal
📁 Personal Development
📁 Home & Family
📁 Health & Fitness
📁 Creative Projects
📁 Someday/Maybe

Status-Based ​

📁 Active Projects
📁 On Hold
📁 Planning
📁 Someday/Maybe
📁 Completed (Archive)