By using contexts in OmniFocus, you’ll be able to quickly hone in on the most relevant actions.
Contexts Are Now Tags
As of OmniFocus 3.0, contexts are now called “tags.”
Tags can represent Getting Things Done (GTD) contexts (e.g. “Home” for actions that require you to be at home) and can be used for things that aren’t GTD contexts (e.g. “a Vacation” tag that’s added to everything you’d like to complete before going on vacation).
In OmniFocus 2, you were limited to a single context for each item. This restriction was been lifted in OmniFocus 3.0. You can now add multiple tags to actions, action groups and projects.
The OmniFocus Tags Directory showcases the many ways that tags can be used. Also, check out Custom Perspectives for OmniFocus to learn how tags can be incorporated into custom perspectives.
David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology introduces the concept of “contexts.” In a nutshell, contexts define conditions that must be present in order to perform a given action. For example, to make a phone call, you would need to have a phone at your disposal, and to research something on Google, you would need an Internet connection.
By assigning contexts to actions, you can easily see the most relevant actions. For example, if you’re heading out to run some errands, you’re probably most interested in actions that involve running errands, and if you’re getting ready to board a plane and will be asked to turn off your phone shortly, you might be interested in seeing a list of phone calls.
This video shows you how to apply contexts in OmniFocus. You’ll learn:
- About the contexts that come pre-installed with OmniFocus 2 for Mac.
- How to create contexts and subcontexts.
- How to apply contexts to existing actions.
- How to view actions by context.
- How to specify which tasks are displayed in the Contexts tab.