# Ep. 362: Let's Consider Contexts  ## Episode metadata - Episode title: Ep. 362: Let's Consider Contexts - Show: Getting Things Done - Owner / Host: GTD® - Episode publish date: 2026-05-13 - Episode AI description: A deep dive into using contexts to filter what you can do before adding time and energy into decisions. Practical examples of modern contexts like messaging apps, VPNs, and secure environments. Tips on avoiding too many lists and testing context choices during your weekly review. A reminder that contexts can be reassigned when they do not work. - Mentioned books: [Getting Things Done](https://share.snipd.com/book/d67ea669-7414-4675-97e5-e1e52e2ff2a0) by [David Allen](https://share.snipd.com/person/51d575cd-e0f1-42f5-b105-763cb9f79be0) - Duration: 33:42 - Episode URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/episode/21593e7a-7a37-4e2f-af66-2b7bfc262f73) - Show URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/show/12e59f12-ee70-49f6-b3f4-da6ed8fdb1bf) - Export date: 2026-07-08T01:10:39 ## Snips ### [Context Is A Physical Or Psychological Environment](https://share.snipd.com/snip/8660468c-80f2-4f51-879a-d5ca700c3f89) 🎧 06:04 - 06:49 (00:44) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/4ea8e00f-b8cf-41b8-ac99-4785b604da59" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Context is the physical or psychological environment where reminders are most effectively sorted for access. - Ana Maria reads GTD's definition and frames contexts as choices made during organizing to simplify later engagement. #### 💬 Quote > It's the physical or psychological environment within which reminders and information are most effectively sorted for access. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez defining context from the Getting Things Done book #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** have here a definition for context that we pulled out from the book. So we didn't make it up. You may recognize it. It's actually in the Getting Things Done book. it's the physical or psychological environment within which reminders and information are most effectively sorted for access so it's a pretty straightforward definition which at the same time gives you a lot of room for personalizing it right because it's going to answer to what's your physical or psychological environment that you identify as the best environment, right? For which then to reach for your reminders whenever that's the right time. --- ### [Pause To Pick The Right Context](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4e42366e-4a36-40cf-a447-d78376c1954c) 🎧 07:24 - 11:16 (03:51) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/138fadbd-2a10-4bd8-8be1-d72bad033f15" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Pause between clarify and organize to ask what physical or psychological environment is ideal for each next action. - Ana Maria advises probing specifics (e.g., computer at home vs. any computer) before assigning a context. #### 💬 Quote > When you're organizing your inventories, you're kind of already thinking ahead of what's the right place or the best place for me to get this action done? > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on pausing to choose contexts during organizing #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** So you're organizing your inventories, you're kind of already thinking ahead of what's the right place or the best place for me to get this action done? But that's not going to happen during organizing. It happens during the fifth step, which is engage, right? So we have to kind of be in that duality, if you want to think about it. When we're organizing, we want to be thinking at the same time, okay, when it's time to engage what's that you know environment that I need to be in either physically or psychologically and we're including both because it is true whenever you're organizing your next actions before being too quick at deciding on the list or identifying the list which I often see as an error in approach, we're too quick at jumping from clarify to the list without pausing for a moment and asking ourselves, okay, for this action, let me ask myself, what's the best physical or psychological environment? Maybe this is too wordy, but you will need to ask yourself for this next action that do I need to be home do I need to be at the phone do I need to be at the staff meeting do I need to be out and about do I need to be in my office do I need to be on my computer do I need to be on my laptop do I need to be um you know um I don't know um in my in my beach house do I need to be on my weekend home do I need to be in a creative state of mind do I need to be in a high energy state of mind like let me think about that before I too quickly add it to the list and just yesterday I was coaching someone and and um, there was a next action that required the computer for the next action to have to take place. However, it was more predominant for her to be at home where she has the computer than to just be at the computer, even though it was an action that takes place at the computer. So the way I probe is that I said, well, I understand it has to be at the computer, but I need to keep on checking. Does that mean that even the computer from the airport, if you happen to sit on a computer at the airport, would that work? Or is it better if it's the computer when you are at home and and she had to think about it for a moment and it was a much better choice to write the reminder at home than to write the reminder at computer because of what she needed an access to in the moment of of taking care of the action so yes it required the computer i get it, but not any computer, but the computer at home. Do you want to get so nitty gritty that then you create a list that says computer at home? That's probably threading too thin. And I would probably coach you away from it as my first reaction. But if I was then continuing to work with you and I knew you better, I knew your inventory, maybe there are 15, 20 or 30 next actions that do require that level of specificity. How do you say that, John? Specificity. Specificity. **John Forrester:** That **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** word. That word. Yes. That word. So again, it's hard to give you a one answer fits all because it doesn't **John Forrester:** what **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** is very important is that you pause and that you ask yourself for this next next action again if you want to use these words that's great what's the best ideal or more appropriate physical or psychological environment for me to be at. And then you pick and choose. --- ### [Inside The Fence Security Example](https://share.snipd.com/snip/845585b0-d6a8-40cb-aa43-72647073a335) 🎧 11:35 - 12:39 (01:04) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/d4808fac-f7be-4b8f-bcf6-709b8533beec" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - John describes a secure facility where work required being physically 'inside the fence' and phones weren't allowed. - That concrete example shows some contexts are tighter than 'at work' and may be digitally fenced too. #### 💬 Quote > What happened during COVID? [...] We still had to go inside the fence to do anything because the work was so secure that nothing was ever allowed outside the fence. > — John Forrester John Forrester describing secure facility constraints #### 📚 Transcript **John Forrester:** And I said, what happened during COVID? Did you get to do any of your work outside the fence, more or less? That's the term he used, was outside the fence. And he said, oh, no, we still had to go inside the fence to do anything because the work was so secure that nothing was ever allowed outside the fence. We couldn't even take our phones inside the fence. It was that much of a context. So for him, at work wouldn't have been enough of a context. He needed a more of like inside fence context versus outside the fence. There was very little of his work he could do on a laptop, even a secure government-issued laptop, unless he was inside the fence. Now, that's one specific example. I've worked at companies where I could get inside the fence by using a virtual private network and tunneling through the internet to get inside their fence. --- ### [Digital Environments Are Modern Contexts](https://share.snipd.com/snip/248035db-145c-4e0d-a8d2-b1cc1e126d27) 🎧 13:05 - 14:47 (01:42) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/3795d788-d8ac-444d-a660-2406bee52241" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Contexts now include digital environments like VPNs, WhatsApp, or specific apps as psychological or technical fences. - Ana Maria notes tools changed but the principle of choosing the right environment remains constant. #### 💬 Quote > So yes, there has been some changes, no question about that, but it's more in the refinement given either the tools or where we're finding ourselves, but not really in the principles or what holds true as the definition. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on how technology refines but doesn't change contexts #### 📚 Transcript **John Forrester:** These are the kind of things to ask yourself when you're, as Ana Maria said, organizing your action reminders. And, **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** you know, for years we've coached a category known as read and review. And we, for years, coached that there are even categories within read and review, right? Like read and review for this week, at least your reading review. I don't know if I'm going to get to read and review um fyi reading review because there's some people that have a very um high volume reading review inventory and that's really more of a psychological environment because it's not physical so whatsapp for example these days in has taken place over emails. For many years in the past, when I was coaching executives, they had so many emails to write that they wanted it to really separate emails from computer. Because at computer, they would keep more things like spreadsheets or PowerPoints or documents or whatever. Emails was a different category to them because they require a different state of mind, let's say, right? So now I'm seeing that being a category that just now we created title WhatsApp because a lot happens on WhatsApp. You know, you send messages or even you make calls or what have you. So yes, there has been some changes, no question about that, but it's more in the refinement given either the tools or where we're finding ourselves, not really in the principles or what holds true as the definition. --- ### [Don't Create Contexts For Every Gadget](https://share.snipd.com/snip/44276ffa-f449-4913-b7d2-88e0c2f25ed4) 🎧 17:10 - 18:04 (00:53) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/928ab230-45d0-45e9-80f9-648aba9e91a1" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Avoid creating a list for every device or tool simply because you own it; create contexts only when they answer where you need to be to engage. - Ana Maria warns that too many lists become hideouts and reduce usefulness. #### 💬 Quote > Just because you have all these tools, it doesn't mean you have to create a list for each one of these tools. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez warning against over-specifying contexts by device #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Be careful, be sensitive also, because I always think that sometimes if we give ourselves too many options, we may be using them as hideouts. Meaning when you just create too many lists, more than what you really need, you may be setting yourself for failure more so than for success. So be mindful and not really get that to that level of specification, as I was saying before, unless you need it, you know, like at computer, when at home. Okay. But just because you have all these tools, it doesn't mean you have to create a list for each one of these tools. You should only create the list if it answers to the question, is this the best physical or psychological environment for me to then reach the reminder when it's time to engage and then take a pick. --- ### [Choose Contexts By Optimal Work Conditions](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7d3bc56d-11ab-4db0-8a91-36176d87f172) 🎧 18:29 - 19:51 (01:21) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/4c4f0ec7-9728-4f3e-b97f-ff6ef7e3a19b" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Think about the optimal place to do work, not just where it's possible; treat device-capability as a limiting factor when needed. - John emphasizes he wouldn't edit detailed spreadsheets on a watch or phone due to screen constraints. #### 💬 Quote > Think about not just what can you do, but what's the optimal place for you to do that? > — John Forrester John Forrester on considering optimal device and environment for tasks #### 📚 Transcript **John Forrester:** Yeah. I don't have any watch on. I saw somebody doing email on a watch the other day, which leads me into my next thing about computers, tablets, smartphones. Smaller mobile devices have been around for a time and having access to your stuff on those devices has increased over the years. The thing that I find is that people miss an opportunity with contexts because they think that just because they can do something on any device, that it's okay to have a context that they look at when they're on that device. I really question that. Maybe I'm just working on bigger spreadsheets than some of those people who are wearing a watch. But I would not want to work on a detailed spreadsheet on a watch or a phone. I want a big screen. I want an IMAX size screen when I'm working on a spreadsheet. And I want a big screen and a lot of real estate. I would feel like I was wearing a straitjacket if I had to do any kind of spreadsheet work, even on a on a phone. It's this is too small a screen for me to to do that. So think about not just what can you do, but what's the optimal place for you to do that? --- ### [Admin Context That Didn't Stick](https://share.snipd.com/snip/1fbf99db-2620-437c-ab65-da9a88b3c1a5) 🎧 21:35 - 22:56 (01:20) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/18d6770a-f2b2-446b-98e2-2703bd5c1eef" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - A participant created an 'admin' context for CRM and spec updates but abandoned it after months because it didn't stick. - This shows well-intentioned contexts can fail if they don't map to regular behavior. #### 💬 Quote > I created a context called as at admin [...] and it's been like a few months now, and I have stopped going with that context. > — Participant (unnamed) Listener anecdote about creating and abandoning an 'admin' context #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Oh, yes. Yes, I do. Yeah. So, you know, like a few months ago, like a few months ago, I created a context called as at admin. And, you know, I don't know how I came about with this particular context. I just assumed that, you know, maybe I've got to update some spec sheets and I've got to do some sort of CRM updates and things like that. So I thought I'll just create an admin sort of context and start populating the list. And it's been like a few months now, and I have stopped going with that context. And now I don't know kind of activities would be classed as an admin sort of actions. So I think basically I just wanted to share that sometimes we actually create context with some good intentions and I guess down the line it might just not go anywhere, I suppose. Yeah. **John Forrester:** Can I add just **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** a comment as well? I guess I've had added contacts kind of try to subdivide the computer list and I always go back to just having a computer list. --- ### [Contexts Are Convenience Not Obligation](https://share.snipd.com/snip/f734a314-fb5d-4549-a2a1-c1b08f9d736a) 🎧 24:41 - 26:06 (01:24) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/28f52471-7137-4f3f-bf8c-a03159b30aa9" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - You can use a single next actions list, especially digitally, but volume makes separate contexts a convenience, not a requirement. - Ana Maria recommends erring on fewer lists to avoid hideouts and lost items. #### 💬 Quote > You don't have to move this slide, John, because truth is [...] one could do with one next actions list. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on single list vs multiple contexts #### 📚 Transcript **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** Because truth is, and I'm kind of jumping ahead, but I'll come back to this slide. You don't have to move this slide, John, because truth is, Ariane, that one could do with one next actions list. There is nothing incorrect with that. And particularly, let's say if we're having a digital solution, it alphabetizes for us. So very quickly, we'll put all action reminders to start with the verb call or group together or action reminders to start with the word, you know, search online, you know, however you create that, right? So in a way, you just created context within the next actions list. But volume, as the volume increases, it just becomes cumbersome, right? Because we have to scroll up and down. So it's a convenience factor. It's not an obligation factor. It's more a convenience factor. And it's perfectly fine for us to, like you did, Ariane, well, you know, I created this list and that list, and then I realized it wasn't working for me because then I was missing out on other things, right? And that's exactly why I refer to as the hideouts. That's why I'm very particular about what's the right number versus the wrong number, when it's too many, when it's, if anything, always error for less, I would say, if you were to corner me and say, well, where should I error? What should I error for Right. Well, always error for less number of list titles than for more number of list titles. Because you used a testify to that idea. --- ### [Split Lists When They Outgrow A Screen](https://share.snipd.com/snip/63d10a47-af45-4eae-8452-3182f828b147) 🎧 26:37 - 32:25 (05:48) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/1981ca08-2616-4d7f-8e39-2147f3da83ad" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - If a list grows beyond a comfortable screen (e.g., more than 20 items), consider splitting or redefining contexts to keep lists usable. - Claudia and Ana Maria suggest testing an 'online for this week' sublist and adjusting after trial. #### 💬 Quote > If my list gets longer than a screen full, like if I have to scroll too much up or down, that's already too long. And it might be an opportunity for me to then think further or deeper on what's a better category. > — Ana Maria Gonzalez Ana Maria Gonzalez on using screen length as a cue to reorganize contexts #### 📚 Transcript **John Forrester:** Yeah. So I like what Ana Maria just was sharing about less context. And, you know, because I think I tend to be like that. have, you know, an errands list and **Ana Maria Gonzalez:** maybe a calls list. I do have waiting for. But then everything else is kind of on my, you know, it's all online, basically. I might have an I do have an at home, though. There are things that I can only do at home that don't involve the computer. But the point is, with that online list, it can get long. And to me, I don't know that this is I feel like this is anti-GTD, but I feel like I want to look at that. You can confess. We'll edit the recording. I want to look at that long list when I'm doing my weekly review and looking ahead to the week coming up and say, okay, when i going to do these things and maybe i'm only going to do you know maybe there i have 50 things i'm going to pick 10 or whatever but so and then i kind of feel like the context is it's almost like when like this week i'm going to tackle these things and then every day i think okay i see that list and what am I going to pull from so I don't know how you think about it's not anti-claudia because remember um when we look at prioritizing we look at the four criteria for prioritizing the first one whether we like it or not is context alluding to the fact of where's my body because if your body ain't in the right place you can't look at that list is that basic right but then it comes time how much time do i need and you can kind of do time backslash date if you want to kind of you know be anti-anti that way, I mean, I get it. And I'll tell you what I see as the danger with that strategy, okay? And then you have energy, which is, you know, it can be interpreted anywhere from low energy to high energy, state of mind, mood, whatever words you want to put on around that, right? That has never worked for me. But some people it does, right? Like I'm feeling creative when I'm up, when I'm down, whatever. And then you prioritize. So kind of as you're doing your weekly review and you're kind of coming to terms with yourself, because again, if we're fooling someone only fooling but ourselves right so when we do our weekly review and you're gonna look at all these 50 clover come on give me a break you know you're not gonna look at the 50 throughout the week come on girl you know yourself better than that let's make a sub list of this list and let's give it a try and let's give it a try and call it an online for this week and then you kind of pick and choose. And then you test it and you see how it works for you. Because what's, and then if by the end of the week, it work out, then you know, it wasn't a great solution because unfortunately, what that solution is not taken into account, it's doing work as it appears, which is part of the threefold nature of work where we talk about prioritizing that's why prioritizing is so complex yes of course when i'm doing my weekly review i feel that i'm going to tackle these 10 things during this week i mean come on why not they're very important you know what you have all the right reasons right but then the world as we know, goes upside down. It does its thing. And then you don't get to them. So be careful. That's the one danger I see for it. This is why GTD, for as structured as it looks, it provides a lot of freedom. Because it's never designed to tell you, you know when to do it unless of course it's a day specific action or a day specific reminder and that place it goes on the calendar so it gives you a lot of freedom so um uh an in between let's say um option if was coaching you, to give it a try, because there's nothing better than giving it a try and then coming back and deciding what's better or not. You can call it at online for this week, question mark. I'm not cheating by doing that. That's where I was looking. You're just really just giving yourself a chance. You're going to give it your best shot. You have all you know the the right um elements in place but things could can change so don't make it too black or white i'm just trying to give you some gray okay yeah if a week goes by and another week goes by and you go come on claudia you're beginning to do some cheating here you know grow up and and call this thing by the right name then you put it in a different list, and maybe you're going to have to start thinking, rethinking about this online. It might just not be giving you what you need, because it might just be, it's growing too much. And as I said, that's a good answer for identifying additional context if needed. I find, for me, for Ana Maria, I'm not going to say it's true for everyone else, but if my list gets longer than a screen full, like if I have to scroll too much up or down, that's already too long. And it might be an opportunity for me to then think further or deeper on what's a better category or a better context. It's just a guideline. I'm not saying it's in the book or it's written anywhere. Just find for yourself, Claudia. And maybe you say, you know, for me, it's more than 20. When I hit 20, that's kind of my number. Let me think of a better place then and try it out. --- Created with [Snipd](https://www.snipd.com) | Highlight & Take Notes from Podcasts