Get Everything Done

I like the idea of "AF4 revised", since I was following something very similar in my DWM implementation and it was quite effective.

But I also really like the control that SAF provides. So here is what I've been trying:

- Two page types: "New Tasks" and "Recurring Tasks"
- Any page can have a second column, for Unfinished and Urgent items
- Standard AF1 / SAF dismissal rules apply -- not AF4-style dismissal
- Add new tasks at the end of the last "New Tasks" page.
- Add newly-identified recurring tasks at the end of the last "Recurring Tasks" page.

Cycle as follows:

- First, process "New Task" pages - ignoring the Recurring pages. You may choose to process anything in the 2nd column on New Task pages while you are doing this, or may ignore the 2nd column. Keep cycling through the New Task pages as long as you want. Use AF1 dismissal rules. If you complete a New Task, cross it out. If you stop before completion, cross it out and re-enter it in the 2nd Column on the same page (or the 2nd column on the next New Task page, if the current page's second column is already full).

- Next, process "Recurring Task" pages. You may choose to process anything in the 2nd column on Recurring Task pages while you are doing this, or may ignore the 2nd column. Keep cycling through the Recurring Task pages as long as you want. Use AF1 dismissal rules. If you *complete* a recurring task (e.g., you empty your email inbox), cross it out and re-enter it at the end of the last Recurring Task page. If you stop before completing a recurring task, then cross it out and re-enter it in the Second Column on the same page (or the 2nd column on the next Recurring Task page, if the current page's second column is already full).

- Next, process only "Second Columns", on both "New Task" pages and "Recurring Task" pages. Ignore the First Columns on these pages. Keep cycling through the "Second Columns" as long as you want. Use AF1 dismissal rules.

- Next, start over by cycling through the "New Pages" again.


I'm not sure the dismissal is working correctly, but overall I like the feel of this and it seems to combine the benefits of AF4R with the control of SAF.

Here's what I really like about this method.

It groups Recurring and New tasks just as effectively as AF4R.

Unfinished and Urgent work -- arguably my "most important" work -- is easy to identify -- it's always on the right-hand page.

If I want, I can focus on Recurring work, which is usually maintenance work of some kind. Cultivating the garden; or, making sure the tree is healthy, using Erik's tree metaphor.

Or I can focus on New work, which tends to be where the fun stuff congregates, the new ideas, the next big thing I need to do; or perhaps the stuff that turns out to be empty nonsense. In any case, a nice break from the drudgery of Recurring and the resistance-laden Unfinished.

Or I can focus on the Unfinished and Urgent, where my real work usually resides.

And no matter what I'm doing, I am always presented with the really important stuff, in the right column, and can divert my attention for awhile to focus on something there, before returning to my focus-category-of-the-moment.

I like how it's going, but am just not sure the dismissal rules are really effective. Might need to adjust that.

Any input?

Hi Alan,

A couple ideas:

(1) Yes, dismiss the items only in the second column.

(2) Following the spirit of Mark's AF4 Revised, perhaps you can skip dismissal during the 2nd Column Only processing step. This would be akin to Mark's skipping dismissal during the Unfinished Work processing step. You'd let the fact that the Unfinished Work is unfinished be your motivation to get it done. However, if you are processing Recurring or New pages, and you dismiss a page, then in this case, you WOULD dismiss the second column also.


I'll play with these ideas and see what comes up and what seems to work.

So far, I really, really like this combination. It's working GREAT for me.

I especially like circulating through all the 2nd columns -- I can see quickly the things that are really hot and really need attention now.

And separating out the recurring stuff really helps me see where my time is going.

I am still not sure how the "dismissal" will work, because I have been cranking through so much work and crossing off everything on many pages. This is still the big open question for this method. I'll keep trying it for the next few days and report back.

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea! This seems so long ago, I can't remember any of the details.

In general, I found the compulsory nature of the 2nd column eventually led me to abandon SF. C2 just kept getting clogged up and bogged down the whole system.