How do you implement a "waiting for" list?

[Cito]

GTD has the concept of a "waiting for" list (see here for example).

What's the best way to implement this with Obsidian Tasks? Would it make sense to add a new status "waiting" in addition to the two existing status values "done" and "not done"?

[claremacrae]

Hi @Cito

Would it make sense to add a new status "waiting" in addition to the two existing status value "done" and "not done"?

I'm tracking all the requests for custom states with label scope: task states.

You can see the discussions I have tagged so far here: Discussions on scope: task states`

Yours is not the first request. Your best bet is probably to up-vote some of the earlier discussions for visibility.

Maybe others will chime in with any workarounds in the meantime.

[therden]

Hello @Cito.

I use tags to indicate delegated/waiting for items -- for example: #waiting/BossHogg, #waiting/CarlColleague, and #waiting/KateColleague -- and assign a Due date that reflects when I either expect to receive the deliverable or know that I'll want to follow up if I haven't.

I exclude these "Waiting for" items in the query that I use to manage my own Todo items -- for example:

```tasks
not done
due before today
description does not include #waiting
sort by due
sort by description
short mode
hide task count
```

I also have a separate "Waiting For" note that I check daily that looks like this:

### <div style="color:red; background:blanchedalmond">Tagged as "Waiting"-- but completed!</div>
```tasks
description includes #waiting
done
short mode
hide task count
```
### <div style="color:green; background:blanchedalmond">No specific due date</div>
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
no due date
short mode
hide task count
```
### <div style="color:red; background:blanchedalmond">Late</div>
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
due before today
sort by scheduled
sort by due
short mode
hide task count
```
\ ### <div style="color:green; background:blanchedalmond">Expected today</div>
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
due today
sort by due
short mode
hide task count
```
### <div style="color:orange; background:blanchedalmond">Coming soon</div>
#### Expected Within 1 Week
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
due after today
due before in 8 days
sort by due
short mode
hide task count
```
### <div style="color:orange; background:blanchedalmond">Within a month</div>
#### Expected Within 2 Weeks
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
due after in 7 days
due before in 15 days
sort by due
short mode
hide task count
```
#### Expected Within 3 Weeks
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
due after in 14 days
due before in 22 days
sort by due
short mode
hide task count
```
#### Expected Within 4 Weeks
```tasks
description includes #waiting
not done
due after in 21 days
due before in 29 days
sort by due
short mode
hide task count
```

When a "Waiting for" item has been satisfied I assign it a Tasks' Done date. That item then moves to the first section of the above page. I go through that section every day or so, editing the completed "Waiting for" items by removing the hashtag before the word 'waiting'.

[Cito]

Hi @therden, thanks for the feedback. I do it similarly now. Instead of a flag, I simply filter for the text "waiting" or "wait". But your idea to add "expectation" dates to the waited for tasks, and filter them to different buckets according to the date. It could be also refined by using start date (first day it could be delivered) and due date (last day it must be delivered) and maybe even scheduled date (when it should probably be delivered).