Discussion Forum > SuperFocus - Forthcoming 3rd Revision
Sounds good, but what happens if half way through war'n'peace you decide you really don't care to read any more of it - ever? Will you push through, call the new revision a failure, or call the enterprise a success anyway?
January 22, 2011 at 12:31 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Definitely a failure if I don't complete it. It's only 560,000 words - a little shorter than the Hebrew Bible.
January 22, 2011 at 14:58 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Looking forward to hearing how you get on Mark, and of course how the new system works!
Hopefully you're already near the end of War and Peace!
Hopefully you're already near the end of War and Peace!
January 22, 2011 at 15:07 |
leon
leon
Mark,
War & Peace keeps cropping up in your examples and illustrations. right from AF1.
Have you actually started it?
Will you exclude all other titles while reading it?
Maybe you only need to read 80%? See Alan's latest post ;-))))
War & Peace keeps cropping up in your examples and illustrations. right from AF1.
Have you actually started it?
Will you exclude all other titles while reading it?
Maybe you only need to read 80%? See Alan's latest post ;-))))
January 22, 2011 at 15:20 |
Roger J
Roger J
Eel, 560000 words? Reading the Hebrew bible in English is typically considered an 8 month project. I hope you plan to finish by summer! (The 80% way to read a book is to skip boring paragraphs or pages. :-). On the other hand, don't rush as we have plenty of good ideas here to last us.
January 22, 2011 at 16:17 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Good luck with all that, Mark! You've set yourself a high target. I'll be especially interested in how your new system handles your backlogs. I'm sure there will be many willing testers on this forum.
January 22, 2011 at 17:03 |
Margaret1
Margaret1
I read War and Peace about 50 years ago - it took me well over a year - and like most people I skipped the long and boring Epilogue. This time I intend to read it much faster, skip nothing, and include the Epilogue.
At the moment I'm reading two other much shorter books as well, but don't intend to replace them once they are finished until the test is over.
At the moment I'm reading two other much shorter books as well, but don't intend to replace them once they are finished until the test is over.
January 22, 2011 at 21:53 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Day 1 Progress Report:
War and Peace: 3% complete
Review of AF systems: 0% complete
Average walks per week: 0
Free of backlogs? No
War and Peace: 3% complete
Review of AF systems: 0% complete
Average walks per week: 0
Free of backlogs? No
January 22, 2011 at 21:56 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Day 2 Progress Report:
War and Peace: 5% complete
Review of AF systems: 0% complete
Average walks per week: 3.5
Free of backlogs? No
War and Peace: 5% complete
Review of AF systems: 0% complete
Average walks per week: 3.5
Free of backlogs? No
January 23, 2011 at 21:40 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Good luck Mark - I'mm looking forward to a positive outcome!
January 23, 2011 at 23:26 |
Alison Reeves
Alison Reeves
Go Mark! Go Mark! :D
January 24, 2011 at 1:01 |
Tijl Kindt
Tijl Kindt
Will doing these daily reports affect the outcome?
January 24, 2011 at 3:10 |
MartyH
MartyH
+Ad Jesum Per Mariam+
Wow...that'll take...uhm, a few months?
Go Mark, go!
BTW, is the revision minor, like the last one? No tagging/differentiation of unfinished/urgent/recurrent/project/etc. tasks?
God bless!
Wow...that'll take...uhm, a few months?
Go Mark, go!
BTW, is the revision minor, like the last one? No tagging/differentiation of unfinished/urgent/recurrent/project/etc. tasks?
God bless!
January 24, 2011 at 5:17 |
nuntym
nuntym
At Mark's current rate of 5% every 2 days, he should be done with War & Peace in 40 days, if my math is correct.
That's about as long as we've had to wait when he sends out teasers about a new or revised system. (It's always worth the wait, I might add.)
Of course, ceteris paribus.
That's about as long as we've had to wait when he sends out teasers about a new or revised system. (It's always worth the wait, I might add.)
Of course, ceteris paribus.
January 24, 2011 at 6:32 |
JD
JD
MartyH
<< Will doing these daily reports affect the outcome? >>
That's a good question, and the answer is probably "yes".
On the other hand, most working people have either bosses or clients to whom they are answerable for their work. To a large extent that isn't applicable to me, so having to report to you all acts as a substitute for that.
<< Will doing these daily reports affect the outcome? >>
That's a good question, and the answer is probably "yes".
On the other hand, most working people have either bosses or clients to whom they are answerable for their work. To a large extent that isn't applicable to me, so having to report to you all acts as a substitute for that.
January 24, 2011 at 9:34 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
JD:
<< At Mark's current rate of 5% every 2 days, he should be done with War & Peace in 40 days, if my math is correct. >>
Your math is correct. But I'm hoping to speed up when I've finished the two much shorter books which I'm also currently reading. One is 15% finished and the other 87% finished.
The percentage figures for the books are taken from my Kindle.
<< At Mark's current rate of 5% every 2 days, he should be done with War & Peace in 40 days, if my math is correct. >>
Your math is correct. But I'm hoping to speed up when I've finished the two much shorter books which I'm also currently reading. One is 15% finished and the other 87% finished.
The percentage figures for the books are taken from my Kindle.
January 24, 2011 at 9:37 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
nuntym:
<< is the revision minor, like the last one? No tagging/differentiation of unfinished/urgent/recurrent/project/etc. tasks? >>
It's just a minor change in how to handle column 2. The basic structure of SuperFocus remains the same.
<< is the revision minor, like the last one? No tagging/differentiation of unfinished/urgent/recurrent/project/etc. tasks? >>
It's just a minor change in how to handle column 2. The basic structure of SuperFocus remains the same.
January 24, 2011 at 9:42 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I know you stress test your systems Mark, but I didn't know to what extent. A minor revision entails you throwing an epic and a bit more at it on a make-or-break quest... now, that is dedication to your craft, to say the least!
January 24, 2011 at 10:36 |
JD
JD
I think it's good to challenge oneself even when not proving new TM revisions to the world. Having the goal keeps you motivated and cetera.
War and Peace is not on my goal list, but these are:
- working out 4 days a week
- getting my business to fiscal balance (several subgoals to that)
"no backlog" isn't a goal of mine, but I suppose a really good TM system combined with some commitment level will get one there automatically. I commit to that level and we shall see what transpires.
War and Peace is not on my goal list, but these are:
- working out 4 days a week
- getting my business to fiscal balance (several subgoals to that)
"no backlog" isn't a goal of mine, but I suppose a really good TM system combined with some commitment level will get one there automatically. I commit to that level and we shall see what transpires.
January 24, 2011 at 12:42 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Alan:
<< "no backlog" isn't a goal of mine, but I suppose a really good TM system combined with some commitment level will get one there automatically. >>
I put "no backlog" in as a catch-all, to show that I hadn't spent all the time reading and walking while letting everything else go hang.
<< "no backlog" isn't a goal of mine, but I suppose a really good TM system combined with some commitment level will get one there automatically. >>
I put "no backlog" in as a catch-all, to show that I hadn't spent all the time reading and walking while letting everything else go hang.
January 24, 2011 at 12:55 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
JD:
<< A minor revision entails you throwing an epic and a bit more at it on a make-or-break quest >>
The test is about whether this minor revision does in fact make SF the perfect time management system - that's something worth the effort!
<< A minor revision entails you throwing an epic and a bit more at it on a make-or-break quest >>
The test is about whether this minor revision does in fact make SF the perfect time management system - that's something worth the effort!
January 24, 2011 at 12:58 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Hi Mark,
I'm going to take a wild guess that:-
Column one (or two) = incoming work issued by others to be done little and often with the aim of preventing a backlog.
Column two (or one) = 3 proactive goals set by oneself which include some sort of weekly or other completion criteria.
Tell me Mark...am I warm?
I'm going to take a wild guess that:-
Column one (or two) = incoming work issued by others to be done little and often with the aim of preventing a backlog.
Column two (or one) = 3 proactive goals set by oneself which include some sort of weekly or other completion criteria.
Tell me Mark...am I warm?
January 24, 2011 at 13:25 |
leon
leon
Reminds me of the Woody Allen gag about using speed reading to get through "War & Peace" in 20 minutes. Then a friend asked him what it's about. <Hesitant Pause> "..Russia?"
To read an extended text at speed like that, I've found it very useful to speed read, then mindmap the core aspects, then if necessary re-read at speed again. This isn't the best way to savour the literature, but does leads to very fast assimilation of the narrative, style, themes et al.
In terms of testing SF3 though, is this the right task to use? Reading War & Peace requires "consistent application over a period of time" and sustained focus, I agree. A monolithic task being broken down into sessions (of reading).
But does it test how SF3 will handle less literary/more diverse tasks & workload, where the skills being used are varied, the time windows vary in size, the degree of flow attained isn't consistent etc.?
}';-}>
To read an extended text at speed like that, I've found it very useful to speed read, then mindmap the core aspects, then if necessary re-read at speed again. This isn't the best way to savour the literature, but does leads to very fast assimilation of the narrative, style, themes et al.
In terms of testing SF3 though, is this the right task to use? Reading War & Peace requires "consistent application over a period of time" and sustained focus, I agree. A monolithic task being broken down into sessions (of reading).
But does it test how SF3 will handle less literary/more diverse tasks & workload, where the skills being used are varied, the time windows vary in size, the degree of flow attained isn't consistent etc.?
}';-}>
January 24, 2011 at 13:30 |
James Precious
James Precious
Leon:
<< Tell me Mark...am I warm? >>
No.
(That's the last question of this nature that I'll answer!)
<< Tell me Mark...am I warm? >>
No.
(That's the last question of this nature that I'll answer!)
January 24, 2011 at 14:15 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
James:
<< But does it test how SF3 will handle less literary/more diverse tasks & workload, where the skills being used are varied, the time windows vary in size, the degree of flow attained isn't consistent etc.? >>
Probably not, which is why there are three other tasks in the test.
(and btw I won't be speed reading the book, just reading it at my normal novel reading speed)
<< But does it test how SF3 will handle less literary/more diverse tasks & workload, where the skills being used are varied, the time windows vary in size, the degree of flow attained isn't consistent etc.? >>
Probably not, which is why there are three other tasks in the test.
(and btw I won't be speed reading the book, just reading it at my normal novel reading speed)
January 24, 2011 at 14:17 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Oh well, worth a try!
Thanks for your answer Mark.
Thanks for your answer Mark.
January 24, 2011 at 14:29 |
leon
leon
Mark,
>That's the last question of this nature that I'll answer!<
But, that's probably not the last time you'll be asked! :-)
Matt
>That's the last question of this nature that I'll answer!<
But, that's probably not the last time you'll be asked! :-)
Matt
January 24, 2011 at 14:54 |
2mc
2mc
Day 3 Progress Report:
War and Peace: 9% complete
Review of AF systems: 16.6% complete
Average walks per week: 2.3
Free of backlogs? No
War and Peace: 9% complete
Review of AF systems: 16.6% complete
Average walks per week: 2.3
Free of backlogs? No
January 24, 2011 at 17:59 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Day 4 Progress Report:
War and Peace: 15% complete
Review of AF systems: 33.3% complete
Average walks per week: 1.75
Free of backlogs? No
War and Peace: 15% complete
Review of AF systems: 33.3% complete
Average walks per week: 1.75
Free of backlogs? No
January 25, 2011 at 16:12 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Day 5 Progress Report:
War and Peace: 20% complete
Review of AF systems: 50% complete
Average walks per week: 2.8
Free of backlogs? Yes
War and Peace: 20% complete
Review of AF systems: 50% complete
Average walks per week: 2.8
Free of backlogs? Yes
January 26, 2011 at 15:17 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Looks like the AF systems review will be finished quite a bit sooner than War and Peace ;). Nice to see you went for a walk again!
January 26, 2011 at 15:36 |
Tijl Kindt
Tijl Kindt
Wow! - that's great progress, Mark. I'm enjoying your review of the various systems - must re-read DIT again as it had so many gems.
January 26, 2011 at 18:04 |
Margaret1
Margaret1
Question:how long on average do you read W&P before stopping to do something else? Or, how many times per day do you put the book down?
January 26, 2011 at 18:13 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
+Ad Jesum Per Mariam+
Great progress Mark! Thanks for the answers, btw. God bless!
Great progress Mark! Thanks for the answers, btw. God bless!
January 26, 2011 at 18:44 |
nuntym
nuntym
Alan:
<< Question:how long on average do you read W&P before stopping to do something else? Or, how many times per day do you put the book down? >>
I read it strictly in accordance with the rules of SuperFocus v. 3.
<< Question:how long on average do you read W&P before stopping to do something else? Or, how many times per day do you put the book down? >>
I read it strictly in accordance with the rules of SuperFocus v. 3.
January 26, 2011 at 19:36 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
If the rules are anything like the previous rules, you may read for as long as you like. I'm curious whether your habit is e.g. to read one page, one chapter, or different every time.
January 26, 2011 at 19:39 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Alan:
I'll be happy to answer questions once the new rules have been released.
I'll be happy to answer questions once the new rules have been released.
January 26, 2011 at 19:52 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark,
I told you that wasn't going to be the last time you were going to be asked! lol
Matt
I told you that wasn't going to be the last time you were going to be asked! lol
Matt
January 26, 2011 at 20:11 |
2mc
2mc
I feel like a little kid anxiously waiting for Santa Claus to arrive in a couple of weeks.
January 26, 2011 at 20:15 |
Tijl Kindt
Tijl Kindt
Mark,
Please address this in your evaluation of SuperFocus:
There is a difference between an urgent task that comes to you in the middle of the work day and a task that is buried among tasks on another page that has become urgent for one reason or another since the time it was first entered.
Please address this in your evaluation of SuperFocus:
There is a difference between an urgent task that comes to you in the middle of the work day and a task that is buried among tasks on another page that has become urgent for one reason or another since the time it was first entered.
January 27, 2011 at 6:12 |
2mc
2mc
I don't fully understand the difference. How did it become urgent? How do you notice? In published SF rules, it doesn't matter I think: If something becomes urgent, write in column 2 and do it. There's no rule against duplicating the existing item.
January 27, 2011 at 6:55 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
>I don't fully understand the difference.<
Correct.
>How did it become urgent? <
Any number of ways. Time. Contingency met. Something else.
>How do you notice? <
That's the point!
Matt
Correct.
>How did it become urgent? <
Any number of ways. Time. Contingency met. Something else.
>How do you notice? <
That's the point!
Matt
January 27, 2011 at 7:10 |
2mc
2mc
2mc:
<< There is a difference between an urgent task that comes to you in the middle of the work day and a task that is buried among tasks on another page that has become urgent for one reason or another since the time it was first entered. >>
You're right that there is a difference but it's hardly relevant to the new version of SuperFocus because tasks are cleared so fast they don't have time to become urgent. During the trial period so far I have used 9 1/3 pages, of which the first six have been completed.
<< There is a difference between an urgent task that comes to you in the middle of the work day and a task that is buried among tasks on another page that has become urgent for one reason or another since the time it was first entered. >>
You're right that there is a difference but it's hardly relevant to the new version of SuperFocus because tasks are cleared so fast they don't have time to become urgent. During the trial period so far I have used 9 1/3 pages, of which the first six have been completed.
January 27, 2011 at 9:23 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark, May I ask how you're enjoying War and Peace? I've heard several people say they started it but didn't finish it because they couldn't remember who all the characters were. I'm quite tempted to add it to my own Autofucus list!
January 27, 2011 at 12:00 |
Margaret1
Margaret1
Margaret:
It's a fantastic book - one of the world's greatest novels.
The characters are a difficulty because, apart from a cast of thousands, each individual character can be referred to in many different ways. Most of the aristocratic characters (and all the main characters are aristocrats) have a title, a Russian first name, a French first name, a patronymic, a surname, a diminutive and sometimes a nickname as well
So for example the main female character Countess Natalya Ilyinichna Rostova may be referred to as:
Countess Natalie (not Countess Rostova - that would be her mother)
Natalie Rostova
Natalya Ilyinichna
Natasha
The best way to keep track is simply to write down everyone's name as you come to it on a sheet of paper and keep referring to it.
Must go... the Battle of Austerlitz is just about to start.
It's a fantastic book - one of the world's greatest novels.
The characters are a difficulty because, apart from a cast of thousands, each individual character can be referred to in many different ways. Most of the aristocratic characters (and all the main characters are aristocrats) have a title, a Russian first name, a French first name, a patronymic, a surname, a diminutive and sometimes a nickname as well
So for example the main female character Countess Natalya Ilyinichna Rostova may be referred to as:
Countess Natalie (not Countess Rostova - that would be her mother)
Natalie Rostova
Natalya Ilyinichna
Natasha
The best way to keep track is simply to write down everyone's name as you come to it on a sheet of paper and keep referring to it.
Must go... the Battle of Austerlitz is just about to start.
January 27, 2011 at 13:00 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Day 6 Progress Report:
War and Peace: 24% complete
Review of AF systems: 75% complete
Average walks per week: 3.5
Free of backlogs? Yes
War and Peace: 24% complete
Review of AF systems: 75% complete
Average walks per week: 3.5
Free of backlogs? Yes
January 27, 2011 at 15:51 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
This sounds intriguing, Mark! Godspeed my man!
-David
-David
January 27, 2011 at 16:38 |
David Drake
David Drake
ouaouh Mark do you got it ?
January 27, 2011 at 20:05 |
Jupiter
Jupiter
Thanks, Mark. I've also written down the names when reading a book that had many characters or where the names weren't instantly memorable. This discussion has fired me up to try again to read Ulysses by James Joyce, a book I've started a couple of times then got fed up, but I'm determined to stick with it to see why it's so renowned.
January 28, 2011 at 11:57 |
Margaret1
Margaret1
However before I release the new rules I'm going to set myself four benchmark tests:
1. To read Tolstoy's "War and Peace" in its entirety (in English).
2. To blog my promised review of all the AF etc systems.
3. During the time it takes to do 1. and 2., to go for a walk of at least three miles for an average of at least three times a week.
4. To have no backlogs of any description at the end of this time.
These are the sort of tests which most time management systems find very difficult. They require consistent application over a period of time, together with successful handling of both major and minor tasks.
On successful completion of these four tests, I will release the rules. If I don't successfully complete them, then it's back to the drawing-board!