Autofocus 2 Time Management System (AF2)
Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 12:00 This is a preliminary instruction written for those who are familiar with the original Autofocus (AF) time management system. I will write instructions for those who aren’t familiar with it at a later stage.
My aims in producing a revised version of Autofocus:
- Easier handling of urgent and must do items.
- A more balanced approach to the day as a whole.
- Quicker handling of large or difficult items.
- Elimination of the tendency for the list to slow to a crawl.
- Faster sifting of unwanted items.
- Dismissal less of a hit-and-miss process.
- Less need to use subsidiary lists.
- Removing the need for most of the tweaks which people have reported in the Forum and elsewhere.
All without losing any of the advantages of AF!
Similarities to Autofocus
- One long list of everything
- Tasks can be entered without evaluation
- Tasks are actioned when they “stand out”
- Dismissal of tasks is the same in principle, though it is triggered in a different way
- In general the system is intended to achieve the same sort of things as AF. Just as in AF, no attempt has been made to include a formal project management system. It can be used with any project management system or none.
Differences from Autofocus
- Pages are no longer treated as units. The new system is not affected by the length of page used.
- It works on one open list, not a series of closed lists.
Advantages of the New System
- All tasks on the list are potentially accessible at any one time. This removes problems with urgent and same day items.
- It’s much easier to break down a task and enter the sub-tasks straight into the list, rather than make a separate list.
- Dismissal is not such an “all or nothing” process, which makes it easier to include both work and home items on one list if you wish.
Disadvantages
The one disadvantage is that it takes longer to identify the next task if it is one of the earlier items on the list. I have not in practice found this to be a significant handicap – in fact it may even be an advantage because it allows your intuition to have a better handle on the overall picture.
How the System Works
You draw up your list and add to it in exactly the same manner as with Autofocus. The difference lies in how you work the list:
- Go to the last item on your list (i.e. the most recently entered task)
- Work backwards from the last item looking at each task in turn until a task “stands out”.
- Do the task in whole or in part.
- Re-enter the task if necessary.
- Repeat steps 1-5
Note that after taking action on a task you do not continue to move back through the list, but instead return to the end of the list each time. As the list is constantly growing the last item on the list will usually be different from the one you started from last time.
Dismissing Tasks
At the beginning of each day, go to your oldest active page, and draw a line after the first block of unactioned tasks (i.e. the oldest tasks that are still awaiting action). These tasks are now “on notice” for dismissal. The block may include any number of tasks, from one upwards.
At the beginning of the following day, all items before the line which have not been actioned are dismissed. The preferred way to dismiss items is to highlight them as this makes it easy to review them.
Then re-draw the line as before.
Example:
At the start of the day the line drawn the previous day is followed by two deleted tasks, then three active tasks, then five deleted tasks. A new line is drawn after the three active tasks, which are now on notice for dismissal. If any of them have not been actioned by the start of the next day, they are dismissed.
Even more than with AF, the threat of dismissal affects the way you work the whole list. Without it there would be very little incentive to go back to the earlier pages. So please remember that if you don’t stick to the dismissal rules, you are likely to throw the whole system out of balance.
Reading through the list
At the beginning of the day, after re-drawing the line and dismissing any items, you are recommended to read the list through before starting work. It is best to read it from the beginning to the end, paying particular attention to tasks which are in danger of being dismissed in the next few days.
Starting off
You are recommended to start with about five easy items on your list and then to add additional tasks as they come up or as they arise in the normal course of work. That way everything on the list is fresh and relevant.
If you wish you can continue to use your previous Autofocus list, but most people will probably want to start afresh as above.
Cautions
Do not dump tasks into the list from old to do lists or by drawing up lists of every possible thing you could do. If you do that you will be putting a huge lump of indigestible material into the list. Resist the temptation to do this – instead do as recommended in “Starting Off”.
Also resist the temptation to skip going back to the end of the list after actioning a task. It may seem pointless to go all the way back to the end if you want to do a task which is very close to the one you have just finished, but psychologically it is very important to do so.
Reader Comments (57)
That's going from the bottom up, right?
Thank you.
So you never have actions entered before the previous day?
This will be a BIG difference to me!
This clearly cannot possibly work: I can foresee all sorts of problems. Let's see how they play out in practice...
I'm going to have to declare a backlog.
Thank you again.
Like Bill, I'm slightly confused about the phrase "draw a line right across the page after the first block of unactioned tasks" . Do you mean the line is drawn at the end of the list, or somewhere else?
No, I think you have misunderstood the instructions. The line is drawn after the OLDEST block of unactioned items - the ones that have been around longest. I will amend that paragraph as several people seem to have misunderstood it.
No, you have misunderstood the instructions.
Thanks very much for this. As others have indicated on the discussion forum, it is most generous of you to share your creative thinking with the world for free when you could potentially make a lot of money from it.
I read your instruction as to where to draw the line differently to Bill Adams, but I wonder whether it can be clarified.
One big addition to the system is dismissal of items at the end of the day. However, users are likely to be able to use the system for different lengths of time each day. Would you still dismiss items above the line that had not been actioned during a day when you had only been able to work the list for (say) half an hour?
I note your advice on starting with a short list. Does the system work well with lists that have grown longer?
Best wishes and thanks again.
My intuition says this is a big improvement compared to AF1, at least for me.
AF2 solves my problem that in the morning I don't remember which page I was on the evening before. Leaving a task open as a marker is very counter-intuitive to me.
I have already started a new list and have crossed off the first item :-)
I've amended the bit about drawing the line to make it clearer (I hope!)
Re length of day: ultimately the decision is yours. But as with AF I tend to think that one needs to be as strict as possible about dismissing items. Bear in mind that one's attitude to dismissal effects the whole way you approach the list, especially in AF2 how far down the list you are prepared to travel when it gets a bit longer.
The longest period I've used AF2 (not quite in its finished form) is for about three weeks. It worked fine for that period and I found the length of list was levelling off once I got to a certain point. However I do not think it would cope with someone dumping every single thing they could think of into it. That's not a sensible thing to do with any list. The aim of building the list up gradually is to make sure that everything on it is actually relevant and viable.
"Unactioned block" simply means the oldest group of contiguous tasks which haven't been deleted or dismissed. If you look at your existing AF list, what is the oldest task that is still awaiting action? Is it immediately followed by another task which is awaiting action? If it's not, then it's an "unactioned block" of one task. If it's immediately followed by other tasks that are awaiting action then they form an "unactioned block" of more than one task.
I'm confused! If I work my list sequentially without jumping around it, then the line would be drawn at the bottom of the list with ALL the unactioned items!!!!
PLEASE tell me that I'm wrong! I don't like to jump around so I'd be stuck with the entire list under threat except that day's task done without any jumping around.
Example: I have 50 items on the list. I complete the first five in succession. Does that mean that the 45 remaining are under threat unless I jump around a bit to falsely create a break?
learning as I go
You are absolutely right. But if you are just going to do your tasks in strict First In First Out order then you don't need Autofocus!
This seems to be another difference from AF1, where you very specifically state that items added to the list should not be filtered. Are we supposed to filter new tasks before adding them to the list in AF2?
No, you are supposed to add tasks to the list as they come up or arise in the ordinary course of work.
Thank goodness. Having to work out what to put on the list was what made all the other systems useless to me.
Another question: Under Advantages you list "It’s much easier to break down a task and enter the sub-tasks straight into the list, rather than make a separate list." Please can you explain this -- why is it easier?
And thank you very much for giving this system to us.
I suppose you're correct. Although..... I may play around with this implementation of my miscellaneous list.
learning as I go
Oh well, I'll just have to take some action, I suppose...
Much clearer: thanks again again
<< Another question: Under Advantages you list "It’s much easier to break down a task and enter the sub-tasks straight into the list, rather than make a separate list." Please can you explain this -- why is it easier? >>
Because if I start work on a task "Work on Project X" and I decide I want to break it down into smaller actions I can just enter them at the end of the list and start work on them immediately. With AF1 I would have had to wait until I got to the final page before I could work on them.
You stated:
"You are absolutely right. But if you are just going to do your tasks in strict First In First Out order then you don't need Autofocus! "
I don't work sequentially DIT style....I use a weekly format. Each day, I draw up my prioritized MITs. I do them and my normal routine stuff. I'm the arbitrator of creating my work, not the random flow of the work coming in......unless it's an actual surprise urgency (which rarely happens) This way I'm assured that I'm doing the most important stuff first in case my pain derails me or my donkey brain decides to appear which requires my STRICT guidance to finish the MITS first. Then I can slacken the reins for the lesser routine stuff
learning as I go
If you are drawing up weekly and daily lists, then the concept of dismissing items is hardly relevant in any case.
True, the work is presorted. I wasn't really considering the dismissal aspects. As usual, I'm simply willing to investigate possible improvements to get my work done when it's not going smoothly/easily. That's why I have my MIT's. If I get derailed, the most important stuff is done and I'm able to remain current. It takes effort to get back on track if I get derailed. I , of course CAN put myself back to rights ......I'm just always on the lookout for a easier/better way....
learning as I go
*blush*....plus, it feels more playful to experiment with a system tweak. It seems to dilute the effects of being mired in scutwork! *blush* I'll probably never change my policy of MIT's first because I know myself...both my strengths and limitations. If I run out of gas, I want the most important stuff done. I might be a bit disappointed, but at least I'm "safe". Then I can slacken up a bit to get the lesser stuff done *enough* to my satisfaction. If I have a shiny, new tweak.....the work seems more palatable until I get myself over the hump. True, the time bursts always work,....but...sometimes it's effortful. *blush* Even if the effect of the new tweak is temporary, I'm grateful. It's like getting a tooth pulled....I'd prefer having novocaine administered. first...
learning as I go
A question: I suppose you are recommending a read of the entire list before you start work because with AF2, you stop as soon as something stands out reading from bottom up. There is no quick scan of the page, then a slower read and then making a choice, because the Closed List effect of a page has disappeared. Would I be correct to state that?
If that is a case, then I guess you are really getting attuned to the standing out effect that a task has on you, because it makes you stop from going further. And you really got to trust that intuition too.
>> I guess you are really getting attuned to the standing out effect that a task has on you, because it makes you stop from going further >>
While using AF1, I found tasks jumped out at me during my first pass, and it was frustrating to not do them when my intuition said "GO". I'm glad I no longer have to struggle with that urge.
<< So this is a LIFO to do list. >>
No, it's no more a LIFO to do list than AF1 was a FIFO to do list. You keep working back from the end of the list, but that doesn't mean that the tasks get done in LIFO order.
<< Do you review dismissed tasks for re-adding periodically as in standard AF? >>
Yes, these instructions are written for those already familiar with AF1 so that I didn't have to re-explain a lot of basic stuff. When I write the full instructions I will incorporate things like this.
Mark might have a different view...but if you get a strong urge to do something that's not on your list, that sounds like a new task to me...even if you have dismissed it earlier.
Something in your life experience must have changed since you dismissed it otherwise you would not now want to do it...so it's the same task but a different reason for doing it, I would think.
<< I suppose you are recommending a read of the entire list before you start work because with AF2, you stop as soon as something stands out reading from bottom up. >>
Yes, that's right. I stress too that it's important to be aware of the items at the beginning of the list. Otherwise it's a bit like heading off into the desert with no idea where you're going.
What I find is that once I've scanned back a few pages and nothing has stood out, I then become keen to keep moving back, because the beginning of the list is pulling me towards it. As you say, a good tension.
I think Frank has got just about the right answer there. The question would be why the strong urge to research squirrels hadn't struck you during all the days the task was there *before* you dismissed it.
Today I have an item on my list under notice of dismissal "Get pay-as-you-go cellphone instead of contract". That item has been hanging around for months (in fact I have a nasty suspicion it might be years!). If I were to dismiss it tomorrow and then got a "strong urge" to sort it out, I would be very grateful!
Mark - whenever you talk about your system, you need to highlight the "intuition" aspect. No other time-management author has been able to capture this element as eloquently as you have. Moreover, it will help newbies appreciate why AF is not simply "another to do list".
-Reward self with lovely hot bath
-invent steam engine
-Move world
-Find fulcrum
-Consider why heavy things float
...
" Also resist the temptation to skip going back to the end of the list after actioning a task. It may seem pointless to go all the way back to the end if you want to do a task which is very close to the one you have just finished, but psychologically it is very important to do so."
It does seem pointless to go back. What would be wrong with hanging around doing tasks that stand out on the same page and only once they were exhausted, *then* go back to the end? Exactly why is it "psychologically" important to go back after actioning a single task?
"The line is drawn after the OLDEST block of unactioned items - the ones that have been around longest."
So it looks something like this:
actioned task
actioned task
unactioned task #1
unactioned task #2
unactioned task #3
--------------------------------------------- (horizontal line)
actioned task
actioned task
???
By a curious chance i began since 3 days going backward. I seemed to me natural for treating the most up to date item.
The dissmissing is for me still confuse. I must admis that for the moment i dont catch it. I am sure i would like a picture to understand how it works or even a video.
At the moment and for a serious test i decides to begin with a new AF list like you said in "starting of" and read again the instruction and comments about dissmissing items.
Am I getting this right?
First thing every day would be finding the line I draw yesterday and then dismiss all items before the line which have not been actioned.
Then find the next set of unactioned tasks and draw a new line.
The next thing would be reading the whole list, paying particular attention to tasks which are in danger of being dismissed in the next few days. (If something “stands out” I should work on this item ?)
Then I work on my list in the way described under “How the System Works” (Steps 1 to 5).
Or am I off the track?
Reading through the list
"At the beginning of the day, after re-drawing the line and dismissing any items, you are recommended to read the list through before starting work. It is best to read it from the beginning to the end, paying particular attention to tasks which are in danger of being dismissed in the next few days".
Does it mean that if you find an item or some to do, you re enter them at the end of your list ? For me it seems logical if i can(t doing it by now...
<< What would be wrong with hanging around doing tasks that stand out on the same page and only once they were exhausted, *then* go back to the end? >>
I tried doing this during the early stages of testing, but quickly found that it was much better to go back to the end each time. The reason is that tasks on earlier pages are usually unrelated to each other, and also the fact that two items happen to find themselves on the same page doesn't mean that they have equal priority. The great advantage of AF2 is that it is very sensitive to changes in the time of day, new items, urgency, etc. All these get upset if you artificially hold yourself to one section of the list.
By all means try it both ways and see which works best for you.
<< for AF1 you recommended to keep separate lists for use at home and at work. Would that still work with AF2? >>
It would definitely still work, but I think that with AF2 it is easier than in AF1 to work with one list for both. The reason is that if a task is on notice for dismissal you have all day (in theory at least) to do it. Another reason is that when you are at work, new work items will all go together at the end of the list. And the same for home items when you are at home.
Re lines: yes, you got it!