Get Everything Done

+JMJ+

I have just finished reading "How to Make Your Dreams Come True" a couple of days ago, and I love it! Man, why did I delay reading this?!

Q: Uhm, laziness?
A: *glares at Q*

Anyways, I tried the system right away; however, I am still stumbling a bit with all the new, quite unfamiliar processes of the system. I talked with Q about it, and it turns out that, aside from the newness of the system, I also was missing CAF. Hey, it was the best system I have ever used so far, but it still is more of a Push system than a Pull one. Yet, I was probably subconsciously convinced that I can use the principles from CAF to aid my Dreams implementation. Therefore, with a few hours of thinking and tweaking, here is a more "Pull" version of CAF, which I call DECAF.


INITIAL SETUP
1. You will need a notebook with 25-35 lines, a pen, and highlighter.
2. List all the tasks you can think of in the notebook, one task a line. Leave just enough space to the left of each task so you can write a dash/minus sign (-) before them.
3. If you are using your old AF list, then use now your HIGHLIGHTER to mark each previously deleted/crossed item with a connecting vertical line and draw a diagonal line across each previously dismissed page.

STEP I: PRIME THE LIST
1. At each page, mark with a dash/minus sign (-) each and every task that "stands out." We shall call these tasks "Primed Tasks." A very important note: in my experience, there are two reasons for an item to stand out, (a) it is ready to be done, or (b) there is significant resistance to doing it. For both cases, mark the tasks.
2. If you go to a page and no item stands out for you on your first pass through it, then all the outstanding items on that page are dismissed without re-entering them. Dismiss the page with a diagonal line through it.

STEP II: PROCESS THE LIST
1. Go through each Primed Task and do whichever feels ready to be done. There is no binding procedure to do this as long as you do the Primed Tasks ONLY. I found processing the Primed Tasks ala "Predictive To Do List" (http://www.markforster.net/blog/2008/8/3/predicting-your-day.html ) is very effective: after priming the list, close the notebook and do whatever you feel doing, checking once in a while which of the Primed Tasks you have done.
2. You can still add Primed Tasks anytime you are processing the list, for example when an urgent task comes up.
3. If needed, rewrite recurrent tasks at the end of the list but you do not need to mark it with a minus sign unless you really need to.
4. A Primed Task that has to be continually acted upon should be rewritten to the PAGE containing the end of the list. That is, as long as it still is in the page containing the end of the list (not necessarily AT the end of the list) then you do not need to rewrite it.
5. Once you do not feel doing any of the Primed Tasks left (may be defined as no Primed Task standing out in a complete pass of all the tasks) EXCEPT those on the last page of the list, then mark each Primed Task left (EXCEPT those on the last page) with a plus sign (+) by adding a vertical line that crosses the dash/minus signs of the Primed Tasks. These tasks are High-Resistance Tasks (HRTs) because you have not done them although you have passed through them again and again.
6. You are in no obligation to process your High-Resistance Tasks until STEP III below, but you can still anytime delete and rewrite/re-define any of these tasks for STEPS I and II.
7. You can anytime review dismissed pages.
8. Prime new tasks: Go back to STEP I.

STEP III: DREAMS PROCESSING
1. During your self-coaching sessions, present the High-Resistance Tasks (the tasks with + before them), even those in dismissed pages. Determine the source of resistance and rewrite/redefine and/or make short-term goals for them. Delete/cross out each HRT once processed.
2. At the end of the day, look at your notebook. All the dismissed pages not lined diagonally with a highlighter, and all deleted/crossed out tasks without a highlighter dot before them, are all done this day. Therefore, you can count them or take note of them and write into your "What's better?" list. After doing this, use your HIGHLIGHTER to mark each previously deleted/crossed item today with a connecting vertical line and draw a diagonal line across each previously dismissed page today.


And that's it! I have to say, it is working really well for me.

God bless.