Get Everything Done

I see the lists as supporting Dreams, rather than them being two different approaches to time management. I've read all of Dreams and am working through the exercises about three a week, with What's Better almost daily. My list is a combination of AF, SF and DIT.

The list by itself defaults to Push mode. However, combined with Dreams it becomes a better handle to Pull on than Dreams alone.

When doing Dreams exercises, I realize, remember and refine my goals. If I think of a task to help me meet a goal, I write it on my list rather than stop the exercise. Sometimes the task is specific (arrange visit to museum), sometimes it's vague (think of something special to do with family to create good memories). Often it's the wrong time to do the task.

Some people using Dreams don't need lists. I do. Working on Dreams regularly will help me remember many things, like plan a special day for the family, but it won't help me remember to clean the gutters and change the furnace filter and find the swim masks before camp starts and look up the museum's hours -- even though all those tasks are directly related to my goals.

Without the lists, I'd see all my goals slipping around, trying to pull me, but the rope would slip out of my grasp.

Some people using AF don't need Dreams. I've discovered it helps. One of the great features of AF is that you look through the entire list of things you might do and do the one that stands out, rather than top-down. Before Dreams, often nothing stood out. Tidying the front garden just sat on the list, unattractive and stale. Push mode. More like Sink mode.

Dreams has helped me focus on the goals. Having a welcoming entrance is part of having a welcoming home. I see and reaffirm that goal every few days. Now every time I come home I see the garden and do a bit of weeding to make it more welcoming. Pull mode.

It's easy to go too long between Dreams exercises. I see it whenever I cycle through my list, and I think about how long it's been since the last one. That works better than hoping I'll remember to do it often enough to get the full benefit.

I'll throw DIT into the mix as well. I only use it system when I'm overloaded, but reading it forced me to think about how much I expect to do in a day. I cut down on my active projects and am much happier with my progress. I recognize and deal with overload much sooner.

Mark's systems are gentle to start and require very little maintenance. The maintenance can be done in small bits. They involve cycling, so you refine and rebalance things, rather than having to get it right on the first try or wait till your annual review.

Dreams, AF and parts of DIT together are more than the sum of their parts.