Get Everything Done

I suppose success actually means results, and I haven't got any big results yet, but things are coming along. Lord willing, they will arrive soon.

Today, although my morning moodscope recorded a record high, I'm feeling somewhat tired. There's a daunting major task (not attractive, but not horrible) that needs to be finished soon, a great variety of other things coming up, and a bunch of other things happening today.

In all this I find I'm able to do stuff I need to do, find what I need to find, and keep things moving along rather than fritter time away on procrastination. It's kind of like that structured procrastination: There's important stuff I'm not doing, but because of this auto-focusing, I'm doing other important stuff instead of nothing. Another day I'll do the important stuff I'm leaving today. Nothing is late. Nothing is forgotten.

This is the steady trend over the past month. Regardless of mood, energy, or circumstances, I'm consistently able to keep steady progress.

Today is about the two year anniversary of my discovery of AF4. it was instantly useful. Now two years later, with two years' skill development, plus a little adaptation, I'm happy to report auto-focusing is a complete success!

Thanks especially to Mark Forster.

Maybe soon, in another thread. In another vein, here is my first post here:
http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/903819
Remarkably, I'm still using that exact system, except not AF4.

In fact, a working variety of autofocus isn't the whole key to success.

For example, today was extraordinary in busyness. I had several must-dos today, and a conference in the afternoon/evening. I knew this was coming, so yesterday I constructed a dayplan which focused my efforts this morning solely on things needed by tomorrow, to the exclusion of the usual task-scanning-picking process.

So yesterday's AF was essential. Today, my AF would have failed. But it didn't fail because the dayplan was in charge. http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/1602854
Thus today is also considered a success.

It does leave me wondering whether a special AF variant matters given the support system. Perhaps not. But I like it anyway :-)

I exaggerate slightly about the possible failure of my ruleset, but I'm willing to believe Mark has a better answer. Jupiter: I'll post answers when I have time, maybe next week. I could describe my scheme as Af4 inverted.

Continuing my monologue :-)
Success in time management, in my case, has not meant my house is orderly, that nothing is dropped, that I'm no longer procrastinating, that major projects are accomplished. Indeed there is far too much going on around here for that to happen, especially in such a brief period as a month. I can't even claim that I never slip or miss doing something.

But I can claim a certain confidence. From the beginning, Af4 made a radical difference in eliminating that lostness feeling and enabling decision making and action, even when too many things vie for attention. Now, with just a little more focus, I'm able to focus on major projects and make good progress. I am at ease that tomorrow's obligation is met. The little things will still get done. And that assurance is huge.

It means I can relax my mind. I can think about bigger goals. I can look at taking on new responsibilities. I have more energy. Things previously dismissed as too much, now get selected. Chaos is drifting into order. Work is getting done.

The system certainly isn't the only factor in this mental renewal. Faith and hope are also big factors: Belief that life is more about how you live respecting others than achieving material success, and that God is in charge. God willing, I'll be able to achieve material success as well, but for now it's enough to do my best, do it well, and trust God for the outcome.

As for how I'm doing things, coming SOON! I'm striving hard to write it simply and clearly. It's remarkably difficult to make precise what in practice is very simple, while considering how people's situations vary.