DIT2? AF5? Who cares what it's called? This is what I'm working on at the moment...
Monday, February 1, 2010 at 11:17 Usually when I release a new time management system I have tested it quite thoroughly myself. This is important because often any drawbacks only become apparent quite a while down the line.
But in the case of the new DIT2/AF5 system, I think it might be more helpful to have other people working on it with me at the same time so that we can share our experiences of it together.
So what I am going to do now is to share the basic outline of what I’m doing now, so others can run with it and see what they can make of it. I’m not going to go into much detail because I think that would destroy the purpose of the exercise - the detail should appear from our experience of working the system.
This is what it consists of:
1. You need a page-a-day diary with plenty of lines. Also some form of bookmarking for today’s date and the two entry pages (see below) - though turned down page corners are probably quite sufficient.
2. All new tasks are entered on the page which is one calendar month from today’s date. Example: Today’s date is February 1st. New tasks are entered on the page for March 1st. Tomorrow I will enter new tasks on March 2nd and so on.
3. All re-entered tasks are entered on the page which is one week from today. So any task I re-enter today (Monday February 1st) goes on the page for for next Monday (February 8th). Tomorrow (Tuesday) they will go on the page for next Tuesday 9th and so on.
4. Nothing is ever entered on any page, other than the pages currently one month and one week from today’s date.
5. All active pages are treated as if they were one long list and you continue to circulate round them doing the tasks that stand out.
6. All tasks which are on pages earlier than today’s date have expired. They are dead, done for, dismissed, deceased.
The thinking behind this is that you can put anything you like into the system. If you do nothing about it, it will remain there for a month and then expire. If at any time you commit yourself to a task by taking some action on it, you are put under increased pressure to get it finished by being given only seven calendar days to do some more work on it. Of course many tasks are done in one go, so can be deleted without being re-entered.
That’s all you need to get started.
Reader Comments (158)
I'm going to get sooo much stuff done! (Or dismissed ;-)
/Jonaz
I can see that this might act as a disincentive to start a task, mightn't it? It oughtn't to, but if you're as bad a procrastinator as I am, I can see this happening.
Nevertheless, I want to give this system a try. One of the problems I've had with trying to get AF to work for me over the last year has been that I don't dismiss as I should do - I'm not firm enough with myself. The dismissal system with this new version might work for me better.
On the other hand, another problem I've had with AF is that if the list is too long (and I mean by that a lot shorter than the lists that some of you have) I don't know what's on it. In my working day I have very little discretionary time, and it comes in short bursts. So I rarely get through the list on one day. I feel I need a short list of what I could do today or have to do, that I can look at quickly when I have a period of time to do a task or two. I've tried to mimic that by going through the list at the start of the day and putting an asterisk next to the taks that I want to try to do that day. The problem for me with this new system willl probably be that the list is going to be quite long.
I can see the psychological advantages of the various systems that Mark has developed, and am hoping that I can make one of them work for me. It's good to have these different ways of working the list, given the differences in our personailities and working circumstances. Thank you, Mark!
<< But my task was first 30 days away ( as new)
then I move it to 8 days away. so expired date just get shorted....
<< I hope you see my issue ?
<< First exp date is 30 days and then I move it to 8 day
That's the whole point of the system. Once you've committed yourself to a task by taking some action on it then the time pressure to get it finished increases.
<< I can see that this might act as a disincentive to start a task, mightn't it? It oughtn't to, but if you're as bad a procrastinator as I am, I can see this happening. >>
I think this is more of a theoretical worry than likely to happen in practice (at least I hope so!) But even if this is the case the task is still eventually going to get to the 1-week point and beyond.
First, the completion of the day. This has been probably the greatest thing in the DIT. Knowing that you are done for the day which is relieving, as I don't have fixed end times. Also there is the incentive of trying to complete the day's work, which also makes me to do something on my tasks every day (little and often).
Second, autofocus dispersed my attention to too many things. I was working on too many things little and often, not getting things ready. If I now put all my things on one big list and doing something on them gives me always six (or four if you count out weekends) days when I do not have to work on them instead of doing something everyday, I feel it means it will longer to complete projects and increases the threat of having too many projects going on at the same time.
Perhaps, if I was self-employed I would give it a go. AF and this new system are better tuned to those who have more control on the contents of their work.
DIT emphasises that the list is a "WILL do" list rather than a "TO do" list. If you release this as an add-on to DIT, you might want to emphasise the change to an AF style "MAY do" list.
I've stuck dates on my AF list: let's see how it goes. (I can always ignore the due dates if it doesn't work out.)
Cheers,
Then I work on this task on Feb 28, but don't finish it, and enter it on the page of March 08.
What about the original date of March 02? Ignore it?
When I write a new task in the diary, it's with the understanding that I'll do it or start it within the month. This limits over-committing. I think before I leap. I put down larger items rather than the minutae. I winnow out the "wish list" and only include what I think I can commit to.
Great!
I realized that writing the purpose and/or outcome before the actual task to do is extremely more efficient.
I will try this new system with the following tweaks.
Writing new tasks 3 weeks later, not one month.
Each day starting to read task from the last page and progressing until today.
My personal suggestion to modify the rules would be to change the '1 month in advance' to '4 weeks (28 days) in advance'. It seems to me that might be easier for those of us that need to combine 'work' and 'home' tasks. That way, if I do need to save a task from the dismissal deadline on a Saturday or Sunday, it will be something that has been added on a previous weekend (either a week or a month previously) so is more likely to be something 'home-related'. Same for mid-week; tasks are generally more likely to be things I've been working on at work. This also solves the 'short months' issue.
One of the things that AF5 does, if I am reading the instructions right, is that it rearranges the list automatically. Items that you are working on or are repetitive in nature, end up towards the top of the list. If you are merely adding due dates to an old AF list, you seem to be circumventing this. If you have an item dated March 2, somewhere near the bottom of your current list and you start on it, you are supposed to re-enter the item and give it a new due date of, let's say, February 9. In AF 5, this will place the item somewhere near the top of the list (or nearer the beginning of your day notebook). In your old AF list, with added due dates, where would you enter it? If I am reading you correctly, you would add it to the bottom of end of the list? Or are you using a digital method (which is what I am doing.) Just wondering.
Seeing a calender in front of us (at least now in the beginning before we've tried it out and got a grip on the system) makes us think we are *planning* in time.
Instead of a calendar I'm trying it out with a plain notebook, just putting *small* dates at the top of the pages. Might even omit the weekday if I'm feeling adventurous ;-)
Otherwise I'm excited to try the system out. If it works out alright I'm thinking of using a binder (A5-A6 in size, maybe Filofax) with a small ring mechanism. Being a "get off your ass and start DO-ing" system more than calendar I don't need to archive old/dismissed pages and can get by with just 2 active "months" in the binder.
/jonaz
<<Let's say today is Feb 02, and I enter a task to March 02. Then I work on this task on Feb 28, but don't finish it, and enter it on the page of March 08.What about the original date of March 02? Ignore it? >>
If you work on it on Feb 28th you would re-enter it on March 7th, not 8th (unless it was a leap year). As for March 2nd, yes ignore it.
<< Might even omit the weekday if I'm feeling adventurous ;-) >>
That might make it more difficult to find the 1-week page.
So that task won't "drop dead" when the period of one month is elapsed.
Btw, the "8" was just a typo caused by my hurry.
«Let's say today is Feb 02, and I enter a task to March 02. Then I work on this task on Feb 28, but don't finish it, and enter it on the page of March 08.What about the original date of March 02? Ignore it?»
Well, you do mark a task as done once you've worked on it and re-added it, non?
«So that task won't "drop dead" when the period of one month is elapsed.»
No, it will only drop dead if you don't work on it before it is on a page that lies in the past.
I might have this all wrong but if for example I'm making my own diary of daily pages - would the first page that I'm creating be a week from today (assuming I will be reentering something), and would I not create any pages for today and for any this week?
Thanks again! I wish us all good luck!
Leslie
Guilty as charged: Outlook tasks. (Re) Ordered by created date within due date.
(List needs a good pruning, actually.)
<< if for example I'm making my own diary of daily pages - would the first page that I'm creating be a week from today >>
Yes, that's correct. You won't need any pages for the first week because nothing can be entered on them.
Many thanks for this new idea which looks very promising. I am, however, slightly confused about how you deal with repetitive tasks. For example, if you decide to check/process your e-mail in batches twice a day, how do you enter this in your list? Do you just write 'E-mail' in your list for 3 March twice, do it, then re-enter it on 10 February? Do you still use the 'current intiative' idea with this new system? If so, do you just write it in at the top of every page?
<< if you decide to check/process your e-mail in batches twice a day, how do you enter this in your list? Do you just write 'E-mail' in your list for 3 March twice, do it, then re-enter it on 10 February? >>
The first time you put it on the list it will go at the 1-month point, and from then onwards you re-enter it at the 1-week point. You don't need to write it down twice.
<< Do you still use the 'current intiative' idea with this new system? If so, do you just write it in at the top of every page? >>
I haven't included the current initiative in the preliminary instructions, though I will probably include it as an option in the final version. The simplest way to do it is to write the current initiative in BLOCK CAPS and then every day to start working on the list at that task. Otherwise you treat it like any other task.
You could enter it as a new task on next month if its period is less than a month. Anything less frequent needs a regular calendar.
<< Mark, could it be done on a shorter time scale? >>
<<<<You're welcome to experiment.
I know it's Mark's system. But it completely cracks me up when people kinda ask permission to tweak. Like Mark has some AF police out or something. :-)
I'm so confused. I'm fairly new to this posting thing... I THOUGHT I was reading two different things!! Why IS there a forum and a comment thingy? What's the difference? And can I put both in my yahoo reader somehow? I only have one there right now. "Mark Forster's Blog - Comments"
Thanks in advance for any help that might come. :-)
then I move it to 8 days away. so expired date just get shorted....
>>I hope you see my issue ?
>>First exp date is 30 days and then I move it to 8 day
Sure, because you will check it off on the 30 day page because you WORKED on it. So now you have one week to work on it again. You DO shorten the expiry BECAUSE you've made it something you're working on.
Things have changed in my new job, and I came to the site on Sunday 31 January looking for a little more inspiration. Discovered AF4, haven't quite got to grips with it yet (I seemed to be doing better with it at work today, but I think I may have "broken" the home one by putting too much stuff on it initially, oops). Then today I came back and found out about DWM!
Would I do better to carry on teaching myself AF4 or try out DWM? Am I likely to be able to use DWM successfully/give useful feedback given that I haven't been through AF1-4?
<< I know it's Mark's system. But it completely cracks me up when people kinda ask permission to tweak. Like Mark has some AF police out or something. :-) >>
Well, that's not quite the point. What we are trying to do here is test out a system and if people don't actually do the system then we are failing at that goal.
<< Why IS there a forum and a comment thingy? What's the difference? And can I put both in my yahoo reader somehow? I only have one there right now. "Mark Forster's Blog - Comments" >>
The comments are on blog postings.
The discussion forum is separate from the blog.
Unfortunately Squarespace doesn't provide a facility for a Discussion Forum feed.
<< Would I do better to carry on teaching myself AF4 or try out DWM? >>
I don't think I can answer that question for you, but you might want to consider the fact that DWM is designed to be more effective than AF4, but that no one (including me) has yet tried it out for more than a few days.
Now I am considering how to work this new system on my phone using the built in todo list and my phone calendar.
It can show my lists in one go with dues dates or each day it will just show todo's due that day - quite neat again, but my query is how do you work this system with a seperate home list and work list?
In fact even in a notebook, how would you do this? Any thoughts anyone?
I am also interested in views about this in relation to paper and pen which is the only way that works for me. There is an element of confidentiality about my work. Therefore I am seriously thinking about getting two diaries, one for home, one for work; then I can leave the work one locked up there. Otherwise I would have to write all the work tasks in code (!) or put them down in a deliberately vague way, either of which I think would contradict one of the main features of the system. I know this seems like a break away from DWM but I am happy to think of all the pages as one list, just automatically edited for context and opportunity ...
I adore stationery shopping anyway - and they have diary sales on at the moment ...
yes simple solution! Ta
how do you implement your system?
I'm using OneNote to record my tasks, and currently have about 7 days per section, in 5 sections each having day pages and task subpages.
Tasks are visable from the calendar as well as alone.
Just a thought.
<< It's important to realise that the dates are the expiry dates, not the dates you are planning to do them. If you enter something on the page for March 1st, then it expires on March 1st. You may do it any time between now and then. >>
It occurs to me that, based on the expiry date, there may occasionally be justification for entering a task on a date other than the one-month or one-week interval. I'm quite comfortable with the idea that if a report I am writing is due in one week, i.e. on 16 Feb, it will be first entered on the page for 9 March. If I fail to complete it by 16 Feb I will continue to work on it on 17 Feb and submit it late. However, a task "Prepare for meeting on 16 Feb" has not only a due date of 16 Feb but also expires on the same day since, if I fail to complete it, there will be no point in working on it on or after 17 Feb. Entering this task on 16 Feb seems to fit with the ethos of the system, although the expiry date is intrinsic to the task rather than imposed by the system. Does this make sense?
<< Entering this task on 16 Feb seems to fit with the ethos of the system, although the expiry date is intrinsic to the task rather than imposed by the system. >>
There are two immediate reasons I can think of for not doing this (and I'm sure I can think of some more if I try!)
1) If you miss a day or more and need to re-date pages, the tasks will end up on the wrong page anyway.
2) The system is designed to be a series of closed lists with two open entry points. If you start adding new tasks to the closed lists, you will destroy a lot of the power of the system.
Maybe someone can help me with this:
I'm an extremely bad procrastinator. I mean really heavy and extreme, almost like a sickness. It happened after a big bankruptcy of my business. I'm still self employed. But I get really nothing done month after month (except all the unimportant tasks which I do really often).
My question for help is: Could someone recommend me what to do? I mean what kind of tool would you recommend? AF4 or AF5 or something completely different (Yes, I know "A Fool With a Tool Is Still a Fool")?
Every comment or recommendation is appreciated.
Thanks and sorry for my bad english,
Karl
From what you say, I suggest that you try DWM (previously known as DIT2/AF5) together with the Current Initiative Option mentioned in my latest blog post. I wouldn't advise you to use the other option mentioned "The Next Pass Mark Up" at this stage.
http://www.markforster.net/blog/2010/2/1/dit2-af5-who-cares-what-its-called-this-is-what-im-working-o.html
http://www.markforster.net/blog/2010/2/10/a-couple-of-options-for-dwm.html
So, my active lists are the one-week-from-now page and the one-month-from-now page. Correct? Which one should i autofocus on 1st? the former or latter?
Question to all - do i need to get a diary or has anyone made it work with the current AF4 ruled notebook?
Thanks.
Note that I'm using the folders like DWM, not like GTD: today's folder will contain stuff you are going to forget for good, NOT stuff you didn't want to remember until today.
(a) label 31 manila folders with 'Day 01', 'Day 02', and so on,
(b) order these with tomorrow's date on top, through to 'Day 31', then 'Day 01' through to today's date on the bottom,
(c) when something occurs to you to do (first entry), add its paperwork (eg. the bill to be paid, or a note describing the task) to the folder corresponding to today's date,
(d) go through the contents of the folders looking for actions to take now,
(e) if you work on something but don't complete it, move it's paperwork to 7 days from today (second entry),
(f) at the start of each day, its folder will be on the top of your pile; empty its contents into your 'expired' bin, and replace the folder at the bottom of the pile.
The advantage of this system over the diary is that it's easier to include external paperwork (bills to pay, forms to fill in, birthday cards to send, papers to read, etc). Also, you can use per-project sheets, on which you track progress on individual projects.
What do you think?
So I get that AF is very different from DWM as it is more closer in process to DIT. However the review process from AF is built into it for the daily tasks we work on. Right Mark?