Get Everything Done

+JMJ+

Remember my promise to bring out a PDF of my system before? Sorry for the broken promise, people :-( Well two reasons for that not happening: (1) I overestimated my own prowess with the computer, and (2) my system changed even before the self-imposed deadline. The changes basically were to make the "list priming" more simple. I then noticed that the system was getting more and more like DWM2, so I thought, what the heck, I'll go back to DWM2 with some twists in it.

I have been using the slightly modified DWM2 for more than a month now, and since there has been a minor resurgence in interest on DWM2 recently I thought it would be fitting to publish what I have been using.

The rules of the system are still heavily based on the original DWM2: http://www.markforster.net/blog/2010/10/26/my-favourite-time-management-system.html#comment10307721

The tweaks are:

1) I cannot re-enter a task (unfinished or recurrent or otherwise) unless I can hypothetically do it either today or tomorrow.

2) If I want to re-enter a task that I have to do some other day than today or tomorrow then I have two options. I can either (a) put the reminder on the calendar, or (b) enter on the system a reminder to CHECK whether I can do the task. For example: "check laundry", "check water filter," "check gas".

3) I use a light dot (∙) for new items, a plus sign (+) for re-entered items that I can do today, and a minus sign (-) for re-entered items I ought to do the next day.

4) At the end of the day, I add a line to all items with the minus sign (-) to make them all have the plus sign (+).

*So why these tweaks? The reason is that I want only items I can do TODAY on my list.

5) I mark the current task with a heavy dot (●).

6) If I want to do a certain context, I encircle the symbols of the tasks to be done. What I mean with "context" is if I want to do a group of tasks with similar themes at one go, for example go to various errands in one trip, or do the steps of a project.

Please note that with contexts I cannot do anything else until all of the context tasks are done. I can of course still add to my current context.


With these modifications I have been able to get all that I have been looking for in my previous attempts with a (relatively) simpler system.

+JMJ+

<<Do you give any consideration to the new tasks that you write down? In other words, do you write down only new tasks that can be done today or tomorrow or do you simply write down anything?>>

I write everything down with respect to new items UNLESS the item has a definite schedule, upon which I place it in my calendar. DWM2 is much better in being a "grasscatcher" than the other AFs/SFs primarily because of DWM's time-based dismissal process.

<<I'm assuming the 'today' or 'tomorrow' rule is to hurry along stuff you've started but not finished.>>

Not just that, it virtually declutters your list, and gives you a sense of accomplishment for the day.

One problem I found with DWM2 (and all the other AF's and SF's) is that even those recurrent or unfinished items that you have done what you could for today will still linger and mix with your other items. Things like "water lawn" will still linger on your list even though you've already done it today, yet you couldn't cross-out or dismiss it because you might forget to do it tomorrow! Now with the 'today' or 'tomorrow' rule you have a written cue that (1) you have done "water lawn" today, (2) you do not need to do it again today, and (3) you need to do it again tomorrow. You have a note of accomplishment, a note to relax, AND a note of reminder for tomorrow all in one tweak ^___^

Another problem with DWM/AF/SF is that they can easily bog down if they are filled with items that you can't do now or in the near future. This is primarily true with AF/SF because of their dismissal processes. DWM is much more robust with this regard, but not with respect to the re-written items. Remember that re-written items must me dismissed 7 days after being written there, so if you can act on a particular re-written item 3 days later only, then you lost 3 days in preventing it from being deleted. That basically is one of the reasons my use of DWM2 bogged down before, so I want to avoid that.

<<Thanks!>>

You're welcome brett!

+JMJ+

Just mentioning that I have come back to this system for the past few days. All of that experimentation with "no dismissal" taught me one thing: the "push" of dismissal is not that "evil" after all. No dismissal systems have left me most of the time with less direction on what to do than those with dismissal.

I am however thinking of a different way of processing the list:

1) Alternating between New Tasks only and Rewritten Tasks only. That is, I will choose only a New Item, then after that only Rewritten Tasks, then repeat. That should force me to not neglect one type of tasks over the other.

2) Using Colley's Rule using Urgency (as recently defined by Mark) as the benchmark.

I'll be reporting on this.