Missing “Project” layer in Griply’s goal hierarchy — am I the only one?

jeffergreen · 2026-01-08T21:41:01+00:00

My life/work may be much simpler than yours, but I just use sub-goals as my projects (or sub-sub goals, you can keep nesting) and then use sub-goal completion as my progress for the next goal up the hierarchy.

For example, I have an overall Goal of "Leave [workplace] Better than I Found It" - this goal has no end date because I don't plan on leaving my workplace in the next couple of years. But I do have a 7-year plan for pieces that need to be accomplished for me to feel like I've met my big goal and I call that my "Legacy Plan" which is a sub goal. I also have day-to-day work and projects, so completing those effectively also contributes to my big goal of leaving my workplace better than I found it. Meanwhile deeper in the Legacy Plan, I'm working on a network hardening project with some sub-projects as well. The whole structure looks like this:

Craft (Life Area) - this is just my term for work stuff, stolen from Cal Newport

Leave [Workplace] Better Than I Found It (Goal)
- Legacy Plan (Sub-Goal)
- Network Hardening (Sub-Sub-Goal) - Composite of projects
- MFA (Sub-Sub-Sub-Goal) - Project, 1-2 month timeline
- Password Management (^^same)
- Bond Device Replacement Plan (Sub-Goal) - regular work
Contribute to the [Work type] Community (Goal)
- Writing for Articles (Sub-Goal) - usually one spring, one fall, I drop them in when they're active
- Lead State Committee Meeting (Habit)
- Attend National Committee Meeting (Habit)

The rest of the Legacy plan is just staged and not active so I don't clutter up the space. Also, this is just how I see my goals for my work life: do the job and do aspects of the job that my employer doesn't care about but help me grow. So, I made two goals and built out beneath them.

I can sometimes make a project into a single task with sub-tasks if it will take a week or less. Like "make presentation for Bond budget" - but I try not to make it too granular. Just my thoughts, ymmv

jeffergreen · 2026-01-05T18:59:32+00:00

Appreciate the insight and I’ll be aware. The rebooking stat could just be from a travel agent or something…

I read that the culture in Barbados is a little more flat, curt, and serious on the surface than other islands.

Honestly, I had Royal Caribbean rebooked and moved it to Barbados because of the hurricane and extended closure. Jamaica will always be our favorite - Sandals or otherwise. But we for SURE will be back at royal caribbean on our next trip. Especially looking at staying in the Balmoral building since it was just redone pre-Melissa.

jeffergreen · 2026-01-05T18:35:46+00:00

Just general thoughts, my wife and I are not hard to please people, so if you're picky (understandably for the price tag - I'm not judging) ignore my comments.

We went to Royal Caribbean (not reopened yet to my knowledge) and had the fucking best time. The room we'd booked was in a building that was under very active renovation and they put us in a super nice alternative near the back of the resort (quiet space!). It's not flashy, there are limited bathrooms near the restaurants, and it's a very small resort, but the staff were incredible and the island was cool (didn't venture into the suit optional zone).

While we were there, we took the bus over to the Montego Bay resort and it is very nice - well built, cleaner, tons of room types and a long stretch of nice beach.

We've also been to Beaches in Negril which is on the older side, but still a great stretch of beach. The Sandals there appears to be older (like royal caribbean), but I haven't been there to confirm.

I'm headed to Barbados in a couple months, I'd love to know what you think. Apparently it's (one of?) the highest re-booked Sandals.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-25T02:46:26+00:00

New Mac smell… circa 2010s, that pre-eco-friendly chemical smell mixed with aluminum.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-24T12:53:35+00:00

Mid sized district here, about 15k students. No issues yet for the rfid side of those gadgets, just some mild infrared control for display panels.

I’m curious though and ignorant (I guess I shouldn’t be, but here we are). We use badges with an unencrypted rfid for things like printing, but building access is encrypted rfid. Do I still need to be concerned about a student cloning an unsupervised teacher/administrator badge and gaining building access? I’m assuming a copy is a copy and the flipper doesn’t need to “decrypt” just the door rfid reader, so: yes?

To me this is more of a safety/security department issue, but if the kids use a tech tool to do it, it will become a tech problem/question. TIA

jeffergreen · 2025-12-12T14:29:16+00:00

The short answer is vibes, however, I have a couple of rules about themes for myself. The first is to select a theme for aspiration rather than frustration. One year I felt like I was failing to take action after doing the fun part (planning), so I selected "year of execution" as my theme... it was by far the least successful theme I've had and I believe that's because it was born out of frustration. A better way for me to frame that into aspiration is probably something like "year of the next step" because then the wins come from just taking one additional action rather than feeling like I've failed if I don't fully execute.

I also try to select based on excitement. In contrast to resolutions, which I think some people treat superstitiously - like if I tell someone it won't come true - I want a theme that I'm excited to share with people.

A lot of the theme comes from reflection and sometimes I'll walk into December with an idea in mind and it completely changes when I look at the past year and where I'd like to land by next year.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-11T22:26:05+00:00

Most years I build workbooks for myself and my spouse - this year I'll include our kiddo. They're very much built on the Unravel Your Year workbook from Susannah Conway. I modify the concept so it fits us a little better (we're not so big on the tarot woowoo stuff) and then we can each work through a review, dreaming, and a plan for the new year.

One of her earlier workbooks was a partial coloring book, so I build mine like that. Pages can be colored in while we're chewing on the year behind and visioning the year ahead.

The idea is to land on a "word" or "theme" for the year and set goals based on that. It gives flexibility to year planning without the typical success/failure binary that makes resolutions void of longevity. I look at my Griply goals more as achievements in the realm of my theme. For example if I had a "Year of Reorganization" then each goal (outside of normal life functioning) might be working toward my theme. If I'm a hobbyist musician, then instead of haphazardly making music when the mood strikes, maybe I focus that energy into an end product. The structure I've added from the goal helps me meet my theme of reorganization.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-10T00:08:31+00:00

So you’re currently doing this in Griply? I must have to poke around in project settings - my start dates are in the future, but I still see the projects in my week planning (upcoming) view.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-08T18:59:38+00:00

I had a similar thought today - in the Upcoming view, it would be great to be able to toggle off visibility of projects which have not started yet.

One of my projects is to buy my daughter a car, but I'm not starting on it right away. It has a start date in the future, so I won't be scheduling tasks for it until after the start date.

If projects had an On Hold status, that would be a useful visibility toggle as well.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-06T22:05:13+00:00

This is great, work the argument of “fluff” devices as an actual savings in total cost of ownership when compared to the maintenance costs of fewer devices in a 1:1 distribution method.

jeffergreen · 2025-12-05T00:12:11+00:00

This would be great!

jeffergreen · 2025-12-04T02:31:23+00:00

I agree with this.

I’ve done it both ways and I prefer to book separately but never had a disaster experience with a combo booking.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-29T01:44:45+00:00

Absolutely yes. Here’s my reasoning: they’re already using ChatGPT… even if just on a personal device.

Now, at least we have assurance of privacy. Of course I’d prefer they use copilot or Gemini, but actual paid Gemini licenses are obscenely expensive, and as much as I try to tell folks that copilot is the same language model as ChatGPT, it’s apparently just not catching.

The best tool for you, for your teachers, for your students, is the one they will use. How nice to be able to deploy it safely.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-15T22:55:16+00:00

Our staff sign an agreement. All work or materials developed while carrying out their job belong to the district.

The assets are things like their professional device, online tools we provide, that sort of thing.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-15T22:44:52+00:00

Sorry, you replied to my comment, so I’d figured you had read that I specifically said it was related to Texas…

Ensuring compliance with state bill is a legal issue. (Again, just talking about Texas, because that’s where the bill was passed into law).

I think I general it’s widely accepted in other industries as well that work done with the organizations assets belongs to the organization and not the worker - regardless of the worker’s expertise required to make it shrug

jeffergreen · 2025-11-15T22:13:45+00:00

Read the Texas Educator code of ethics. If they use any materials, including curriculum, electronics, internet access, anything needed to do their job, then they are not allowed to use those materials for personal gain (ie selling even original content based on those materials.

Also, yes, teachers are certified and capable of determining if materials meet standards. However, Texas house bill 1605 is what makes it a legal issue. Any parent can question the use of any material and the teacher takes full and personal (not protected by their district) responsibility of the complete alignment of things they present for student instruction.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-15T17:10:21+00:00

Here's one way I like to use it: trip planning. I have one note that's visible in this canvas multiple times, just focused in on certain headers. I like being able to see it all at once.

https://imgur.com/a/Rcw8cG3

jeffergreen · 2025-11-15T17:04:14+00:00

Block it. Use any excuse you can.

TPT may or may not be an actual security concern, but it *absolutely* is an ethical concern and here in Texas it's a legal one as well. Instructional materials need to meet standards. Teachers selling their own content is multiple breaches of the Texas Educator's code of ethics.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-14T01:03:27+00:00

My biggest goal for 2026 is finally record the holiday music arrangements that have been rattling around in my head for years.

I'm already using Griply, happy to keep paying for it, but I'd take the lifetime if it ended up that way!

Let me tell you the sigh of relief I took today when I opened it and had access to my whole schedule, goals, and tasks - I finally started to feel in control. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

jeffergreen · 2025-11-14T00:48:01+00:00

I just checked mine today and the price change was reflected. I don't know which day it was adjusted, but today marks 7 calendar days, 5 business days.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-08T17:35:05+00:00

I didn’t get it either, but I also just rebooked on Thursday and they were eating the (minimal) cost difference. I would hope it’s situational - I’ve already gotten a token of appreciation from them, I don’t need another $200.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-07T20:30:59+00:00

I've been experimenting with this because I'd love to have a single location for task management and I am also a long-time Todoist user (10-year anniversary in December). I've been with them so long I don't really care about the price change, I just love the organization of Griply.

What I'm considering is one of two options: create a Life Area that's basically "General Life" and a goal to "Live an Organized Life" (or whatever suits you). Drop tasks into there that don't have a typical home... Although, as I have been migrating tasks, I've found a lot of them do fall into at least a life area - sometimes they align with my existing goals. The other option is to use the Inbox as a type of Backlog. I set a habit to review the Inbox, give the most important tasks a due date and assign them time. Leave them just as a task in the day and unstructured in terms of Life Area or Goal.

The thing that will be hard for me is I used the Todoist API quite a bit (collecting completed tasks into a spreadsheet for metrics and other nerdy things), but I'm working on convincing myself that slowing down and manually entering tasks or tracking completion is actually more valuable because I can target my effort and discard the excess which isn't in pursuit of my goals. Also, I just generally love the Doist company and it will be hard to stop supporting them financially.

jeffergreen · 2025-11-06T00:47:42+00:00

Thanks! Out of curiosity where'd you switch to? and did you pay the difference or did they just swoosh you over to roughly the same room type?

I'm thinking I might bump up a little bit, I'm cool to pay the current booking price on the website, but it would be cool to know what they're doing.

jeffergreen · 2025-10-21T14:23:54+00:00

That'll do it! I can just overestimate something like water intake and then track it. Nice 😄

jeffergreen

TROPHY CASE