Advice for getting back to Omnifocus

Hi Productivity Nerds,
I fell off the wagon with Omnifocus, with my email now back to being my to-do list. Does anyone have good advice for getting back on track? I don’t have the usual gripes with OF, but obviously something went south for me, and I’m looking for the right blog post or video or friendly advice that would nudge me back. Thanks!

Always going with the same recommendation : Creating Flow with OmniFocus by Kourosh Dini.

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I agree with @anon85228692’s book recommendation. I think the keys for STAYING on track are:

  1. consistently doing the weekly review, I believe this is where most people fall off the track

  2. processing inputs consistently throughout the day so that appropriate tasks and projects end up in your task manager of choice

  3. Touching emails only once, whenever possible, and it is possible much more often than we think

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  1. Omnifocus & DEVONthink by Kouroush Dini 2. Tim Stringer @ learnomnifocus.com. The top 2!!!
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I shared a free article on Learn OmniFocus called Common OmniFocus Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them.

Of the pitfalls I shared, I find that the first one (OmniFocus Has Become a Dumping Ground) is most significant for most people. It’s very helpful to get crystal clear on what belongs in OmniFocus and what’s better kept elsewhere.

Personally, I only keep well-defined, actionable items in OmniFocus. Other things, such as ideas, reference information, and someday/maybe lists are kept elsewhere and referenced from OmniFocus, as needed. This helps keep OmniFocus clean and manageable and creates a clear line between the work I’ve committed to doing and everything else.

If you want to take a deeper dive, my Learn OmniFocus site also includes a course for members called Getting Back on Track with OmniFocus 3 that was inspired by the article about common pitfalls. As a member, you can also join interactive LIVE sessions, including the small-group (maximum ten people) Office Hours sessions..

I hope this helps!

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That is a great recommendation from you!

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Best advice comes Koursh Dini’s piano teacher to “touch the keys” every day. So doing something in OmniFocus daily is a good way to get back even if you only touch the keys.

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Thanks! I’m guilty of everything you mention in the article - which I guess is good. :slight_smile:

You’re very welcome, @Pommette.

I’ve fallen into most (if not all) of these pitfalls over the years myself. The good thing about seeing pitfalls is that it makes them much easier to avoid.

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