A Simple New System to Try Out

Here’s a new system which is a sort of combination of Simple Scanning and GIRKIR. I’ve been using it on and off for a bit and it seems to work pretty well. It is quicker than GIRKIR, and restrains Simple Scanning’s tendency to run on.

I’m not quite sure why it works, but it seems to - for me anyway.

I have not tested this thoroughly, and in particular I don’t know how quickly the length of the list will become unmanageable - if indeed it ever does. Nor do I know what to do when it does, though one obvious solution would be to start a new list.

Here are the instructions: 

1. Write a list of five to ten tasks
2. Draw a line at the end of the list
3. Process the tasks as in Simple Scanning, i.e. do the ones the ones you want to do in order and leave the rest.
4. Re-enter as necessary after the line. 
5. You can also add new tasks after the line.
6. Once you’ve reached the line, draw another line at the end of the list and go back to the beginning of the list without doing any further tasks.
7. The old line now plays no further role and can be ignored.
8. Repeat the process ad infinitum. 

Caution:

It’s very important not to pack the list  with tasks at any stage. You will overwhelm it if you do. Add tasks slowly as they occur to you so that it builds up naturally.

Questions and experiences in the Comments section below please.

Comments

[Alan Baljeu]

It took me a bit to catch what the lines were for. So here's a clarification attempt:

This is an autofocus type algorithm where you can enter tasks at any time. (At first read it seemed as though you could only add tasks until you reached the first line but I think I misread then.)

Create a bunch of tasks and draw a line.

You do simple forward scanning, stopping when you reach the line. (As you go, you may enter new tasks and reenter tasks after the line.)

"Move" the line to the end of the list, but restart your scanning at the beginning.

----

The effect is similar to scanning a list twice before you get onto new stuffs or execute an old task twice. It's sort of like AF4 except instead of tackling the Old list to exhaustion, two loops suffices and then the new list becomes old.

[Mark Forster]

Alan Baljeu:

<< The effect is similar to scanning a list twice before you get onto new stuffs or execute an old task twice. >>

Sort of, I suppose, but I'm not sure putting it that way really helps to understand how it works.

On the 1st time round, you are scanning Group 1, while Group 2 builds.
On the 2nd time round, you are scanning Groups 1 and 2, while Group 3 builds.
On the 3rd time round, you are scanning Groups 1, 2 and 3, while Group 4 builds.
and so on.

It's one of those systems which is quite difficult to describe, but is incredibly easy in practice.

[Margaret1]

Hi Mark, how are you getting on with this new system?

I'm on day 9 of trying it out. I'm finding it much easier to work with than GIRKIR, which was my Lenten Challenge system, probably because the system for adding new tasks suits me better. As you say, the system is very simple to follow.

[Mark Forster]

Margaret1:

I've just gone back to it after trying out a few experiments which came to nothing. So can't add anything at the moment.

After 9 days, are you finding that the length of the list is still manageable?

[Erin]

I’ve been using this for about a week. I start a new list every day. Don’t know if that was the original idea. Usually I finish the list and that is a good feeling. Thanks Mark for your ideas.

[Mark Forster]

Erin:

Using it as a day list is fine.

[Christian G.]

I like the new system, for me it works much better than GIRKIR. I‘m on day 8 and have around 40 open tasks

[Margaret1]

Mark:
<After 9 days, are you finding that the length of the list is still manageable?>

The list was quite manageable after 9 days but I don't know how it would have ended up long-term. About half-way through I sometimes forgot to go back to the beginning of the list once I'd reached the line, and kept scanning through to the end of the list, but that's operator error - I enjoyed using the system.

However, what I've realised through doing the Lenten Challenge, and trying out this new system, and many others before it, is that my problems arise from my lack of motivation, not from whichever system I'm using. I have about half a dozen practical projects, and the same number of "think-about" projects (mental projects?), that have been hanging around since a long time. They are important, and will soon become urgent. They have been there long before the Lenten Challenge, and they're still there - virtually untouched.

When I try out any time management system, I've done so in the hope that I'll find one that persuades/cajoles/forces me to get those types of unappealing projects done, but in reality I've only managed to procrastinate on these important projects in favour of achieving lots of other tasks/projects that are more appealing, but ultimately less satisfying. I do get some important tasks/projects done, but only when I'm absolutely forced into them by a deadline, or the fear of letting other people down.

My next experiment is to try out Voluntas's KeepFocus system, described recently in the General Forum.

[MrDone]

Hi Margaret, I have been trying out Marks GIRKIR and will power training and it led to me more or less doing all tasks in chronological order and oldest first. But the key point is I do every task without fail the first time I look at it. I could not be happier with it. Nothing is now older than a week, meaning nothing is urgent.
I have in the past cherry picked things but it leads to lots of procrastination and certain tasks just getting older and older and the inevitable problems.
At first it was hard to do every task in order but with practice and determination it got easier and I have cleared all those difficult tasks I did not want to face.
It works for me and I think will power training is without a doubt the way forward.

[Mark Forster]

MrDone:

<< But the key point is I do every task without fail the first time I look at it >>

A couple of questions:

1) How do you handle tasks which for one reason or another you can't do immediately when you come to them?

2) How do you handle big tasks which you can't do in one go?

[MrDone]

Mark:
1) a simple diary system so the task is added to the list at a suitable future date. This is mostly where I have done as much of the task as I can and might be waiting for further information.
2) allocating a time slot each day. Currently I have a large project so I work on that at 3pm to 5pm every day.
NB I treat a task as “done” when I have worked on it as far as possible or for as long as the time available on the day.

[IanS]

Margaret1

<<About half-way through I sometimes forgot to go back to the beginning of the list once I'd reached the line>>

Maybe, instead of a line, write a task named something like “go back to top” and mark it complete and reschedule at the bottom of the list like a recurring task. It happens to be the solution I devised as not being able to draw a line on my electronic system and it works well for me.

[Margaret1]

Thanks Mr Done and Ian S for your comments on my 24 April post - and apologies for the belated reply. I only continued with the system for a few days after that, then went back to Simple Scanning. I've been working with my own version of Alan Baljeu's system described in the guest post, and I'll post on that thread shortly.

For the next 6-8 weeks I'll only have sporadic internet connection, so I probably won't get the chance to interact with the forum for a while.