I’ve been fiddling around with some new ideas - and as usual some of them have shown promise and others have been complete duds. I’ve found one method to be particularly useful, and so I’m going to describe how it works in this post.
But first a few words of caution:
1) Just because I’ve published a new method, doesn’t mean that you have to try it out.
2) It doesn’t invalidate any of the methods I’ve previously described.
3) I’m not claiming that this is the best method for anybody, let alone everybody.
Having said all that, I’m finding that it has several unique qualities:
1) It is strongly weighted towards the beginning of the list, which is where the most difficult stuff tends to gather. The result is that one feels that one is really achieving something, rather than just processing trivia.
2) It prevents the phenomenon of “chasing the end of the list”.
3) It is simple and fun to operate.
4) It can cope with a large amount of work. In fact the bigger the list, the better it works.
The rules are very easy. You start with a list of tasks. This can be as short or as long as you like. Add new stuff as you go along.
Select one task out of the entire list. Do it. When you’ve finished working on it, cross it out with a long line which extends into the margin.
Unless the task you chose was the first task or the last task, the list is now divided into two unequal halves (or possibly equal halves if you chose the exact centre task). Do one task out of each half. The list is now divided into four unequal quarters.
Continue in this way. Each time the list is divided further and further.
Because you will be continuously adding new tasks or re-entering old tasks, the end of the list will tend to contain longer divisions than the beginning of the list.
Example:
Email
Voicemail
Paper
Blog
Tidy
Check Diary
Post Letters
Facebook
You decide to do the task “Check Diary”. You re-enter it as it’s a recurring task and at the same time a couple of new tasks get added.
Email
Voicemail
Paper
Blog
Tidy
Check Diary
Post Letters
Facebook
Check Diary
Call Bill
Buy Present for Beloved
You now have two sections divided by the crossing out of Check Diary. Chose one task from each section and do it.
Email
Voicemail
Paper
Blog
Tidy
Check Diary
Post Letters
Facebook
Check Diary
Call Bill
Buy Present for Beloved
Tidy
Project X
Check Diary
Draft Report
Clean Car
Facebook
You now have three sections (it would have been four if you had not chosen a task next to the one already done). Do a task from each section. The second section consists of only one task “Post Letters” so you have to do that one.
Email
Voicemail
Paper
Blog
Tidy
Check Diary
Post Letters
Facebook
Check Diary
Call Bill
Buy Present for Beloved
Tidy
Project X
Check Diary
Draft Report
Clean Car
Facebook
Voicemail
Buy New Printer Cartridges
And so on.
See further: