Discussion Forum > (AutoDIT) vs (AF1 starting today at yesterday's first page)
AutoDIT separates your "TODAY HOTLIST" from your new incoming items. With AF1, they are all mixed together. This allows AutoDIT to provide better focus on your current active tasks.
This does come at a slight cost: two entry points rather than one. With AutoDIT, you have two entry pages: TODAY HOTLIST, and TOMORROW. The default is TOMORROW, but if something is hot or urgent or you want to see it again today, you re-enter it on the TODAY HOTLIST. This does require a little more conscious processing, but in practice, it is not really as complex as it might seem.
With AF1, all tasks are entered or re-entered in one place, at the end of the list -- simpler, but you don't get as much clarity.
The clarity is especially enhanced when you consider tasks that repeat daily or every few days (but not more than once per day). These tend to clutter up the AF1 list even more. AutoDIT just defers them to TOMORROW so you don't even see them until the appropriate time.
This does come at a slight cost: two entry points rather than one. With AutoDIT, you have two entry pages: TODAY HOTLIST, and TOMORROW. The default is TOMORROW, but if something is hot or urgent or you want to see it again today, you re-enter it on the TODAY HOTLIST. This does require a little more conscious processing, but in practice, it is not really as complex as it might seem.
With AF1, all tasks are entered or re-entered in one place, at the end of the list -- simpler, but you don't get as much clarity.
The clarity is especially enhanced when you consider tasks that repeat daily or every few days (but not more than once per day). These tend to clutter up the AF1 list even more. AutoDIT just defers them to TOMORROW so you don't even see them until the appropriate time.
January 12, 2012 at 21:58 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
AutoDIT has a better sense of closure at the end of the day. I know when I am "DONE" - when I have actually made enough progress on my main hot active projects and tasks for the day.
In fact, the day takes on a particular "shape". The first hour or so is looking through whatever was HOT yesterday, plus all the new incoming work, plus all the recurring tasks that can be started today. As things stand out and get some action, there are two immediate effects:
(1) Some one-off tasks are completed in one pass. They are immediately DONE -- and my list for the day immediately gets shorter. Since my TODAY MAYBE and TODAY HOTLIST are CLOSED LISTS, even these small tasks give a sense of accomplishment and closure, which is very motivating.
(2) Some recurring tasks are completed "for today" in one pass. For example, tidying up my desk or my work area. Usually I just need a few minutes to put things in order, and that's enough for the whole day. It's DONE and off my list (for today at least). Again, my list shrinks and I feel a small bit of accomplishment and closure.
(3) Many tasks -- and all my important projects fall into this area -- are not finished in one pass. As I take action on these, they are re-entered onto my TODAY HOTLIST. After an hour or so, my TODAY HOTLIST has taken shape, and has all my most important work for the day.
So, the first hour is spent "building" the day, building up my TODAY HOTLIST and clearing out several simpler tasks.
The middle of the day is spent focused on clearing the TODAY HOTLIST -- making enough progress on each item, that I can say "this is done for today" and moving it to the TOMORROW list. As the TODAY list begins to shrink, I have a real sense of "I AM GETTING A LOT DONE TODAY!" The momentum builds as I cross more things off the list.
If I need a diversion or a break during the day, I can cycle back to the TODAY MAYBE list, or back to the earlier DATED pages, and clear out some older items.
Finally, by end of the day, I am tying loose ends and wrapping things up - taking any last actions on the hot projects of the day, and generally "closing up shop" for the day.
AF1 simply doesn't ever have this sense of closure (unless you finish everything on your list!).
In fact, the day takes on a particular "shape". The first hour or so is looking through whatever was HOT yesterday, plus all the new incoming work, plus all the recurring tasks that can be started today. As things stand out and get some action, there are two immediate effects:
(1) Some one-off tasks are completed in one pass. They are immediately DONE -- and my list for the day immediately gets shorter. Since my TODAY MAYBE and TODAY HOTLIST are CLOSED LISTS, even these small tasks give a sense of accomplishment and closure, which is very motivating.
(2) Some recurring tasks are completed "for today" in one pass. For example, tidying up my desk or my work area. Usually I just need a few minutes to put things in order, and that's enough for the whole day. It's DONE and off my list (for today at least). Again, my list shrinks and I feel a small bit of accomplishment and closure.
(3) Many tasks -- and all my important projects fall into this area -- are not finished in one pass. As I take action on these, they are re-entered onto my TODAY HOTLIST. After an hour or so, my TODAY HOTLIST has taken shape, and has all my most important work for the day.
So, the first hour is spent "building" the day, building up my TODAY HOTLIST and clearing out several simpler tasks.
The middle of the day is spent focused on clearing the TODAY HOTLIST -- making enough progress on each item, that I can say "this is done for today" and moving it to the TOMORROW list. As the TODAY list begins to shrink, I have a real sense of "I AM GETTING A LOT DONE TODAY!" The momentum builds as I cross more things off the list.
If I need a diversion or a break during the day, I can cycle back to the TODAY MAYBE list, or back to the earlier DATED pages, and clear out some older items.
Finally, by end of the day, I am tying loose ends and wrapping things up - taking any last actions on the hot projects of the day, and generally "closing up shop" for the day.
AF1 simply doesn't ever have this sense of closure (unless you finish everything on your list!).
January 12, 2012 at 21:59 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
AF1 is easier to simply "start" and "stop".
AutoDIT has a daily rhythm to it, and if your work doesn't always follow that rhythm, it can be a little harder to manage. For example, when I have lots of meetings and not enough discretionary time to work my list, a lot of items get left on TODAY MAYBE, and my TODAY HOTLIST doesn't really go through the "building" phase and the "completing" phase. I do have some straightforward means of dealing with this, but it requires a little more conscious thought than AF1 would require.
AF1 is much simpler -- you can start and stop whenever you want and it doesn't affect the overall system at all.
AutoDIT has a daily rhythm to it, and if your work doesn't always follow that rhythm, it can be a little harder to manage. For example, when I have lots of meetings and not enough discretionary time to work my list, a lot of items get left on TODAY MAYBE, and my TODAY HOTLIST doesn't really go through the "building" phase and the "completing" phase. I do have some straightforward means of dealing with this, but it requires a little more conscious thought than AF1 would require.
AF1 is much simpler -- you can start and stop whenever you want and it doesn't affect the overall system at all.
January 12, 2012 at 22:00 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
AutoDIT does not handle urgent tasks as elegantly as AF1.
AF1 is simpler and more elegant.
AutoDIT requires a conscious decision: "This needs urgent attention - put it on the HOTLIST!"
AF1, strictly speaking, does not require ANY conscious decisions. You just follow the standing-out process and dismissal rules.
AF1 is simpler and more elegant.
AutoDIT requires a conscious decision: "This needs urgent attention - put it on the HOTLIST!"
AF1, strictly speaking, does not require ANY conscious decisions. You just follow the standing-out process and dismissal rules.
January 12, 2012 at 22:02 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim:
What you are saying seems to me to boil down to this:
Both AutoDIT and AF1 (as defined) produce virtually identical lists at the start of the day. These consist of:
1) New tasks entered yesterday which have not yet been worked on
2) All continuing tasks which have been worked on yesterday, whether they are unfinished or recurring.
The difference between them lies in what happens after that.
In AutoDIT, new tasks and recurring tasks that have been actioned are kept off the list (unless they recur more than once a day)
In AF1 they are added to the list.
You identify as an advantage of AF1 that there is no need to specifically classify new tasks as urgent. They all go in the same place, the end of the list.
As far as I can see the only real disadvantage to AF1 that you are identifying is the lack of a sense of closure at the end of the day.
I have to say from reading your previous descriptions of your system that I think the sense of closure in AutoDIT is a rather illusory one. From what I understand, you don't necessarily do (or even start) all the work on your hot list. Quite a bit of it gets moved off the hot list "for later". One could produce a sense of closure on any type of list by doing that.
In (non-Auto) DIT you get your sense of closure by actually taking some action on all the tasks.
But perhaps I've misunderstood?
I'd also point out that in AF1 you would have marked both the start point for yesterday and the start point for today. So at any stage you can quickly carry out a check of how many tasks on the "hot list" you have taken action on during the day.
My own experience of working AF1 (whatever the start point) is that the day tends to shape itself in very much the way you have described for AutoDIT. In fact that shaping seems to occur whatever system I use.
What you are saying seems to me to boil down to this:
Both AutoDIT and AF1 (as defined) produce virtually identical lists at the start of the day. These consist of:
1) New tasks entered yesterday which have not yet been worked on
2) All continuing tasks which have been worked on yesterday, whether they are unfinished or recurring.
The difference between them lies in what happens after that.
In AutoDIT, new tasks and recurring tasks that have been actioned are kept off the list (unless they recur more than once a day)
In AF1 they are added to the list.
You identify as an advantage of AF1 that there is no need to specifically classify new tasks as urgent. They all go in the same place, the end of the list.
As far as I can see the only real disadvantage to AF1 that you are identifying is the lack of a sense of closure at the end of the day.
I have to say from reading your previous descriptions of your system that I think the sense of closure in AutoDIT is a rather illusory one. From what I understand, you don't necessarily do (or even start) all the work on your hot list. Quite a bit of it gets moved off the hot list "for later". One could produce a sense of closure on any type of list by doing that.
In (non-Auto) DIT you get your sense of closure by actually taking some action on all the tasks.
But perhaps I've misunderstood?
I'd also point out that in AF1 you would have marked both the start point for yesterday and the start point for today. So at any stage you can quickly carry out a check of how many tasks on the "hot list" you have taken action on during the day.
My own experience of working AF1 (whatever the start point) is that the day tends to shape itself in very much the way you have described for AutoDIT. In fact that shaping seems to occur whatever system I use.
January 13, 2012 at 10:43 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark Forster wrote:
<< Both AutoDIT and AF1 (as defined) produce virtually identical lists at the start of the day. These consist of: 1) New tasks entered yesterday which have not yet been worked on >>
Thanks for all your comments and questions, Mark.
With AutoDIT, there would be fewer new items entered yesterday which have already seen action.
<< The difference between them lies in what happens after that. >>
Except for the slight caveat above, yes, this is true.
<< As far as I can see the only real disadvantage to AF1 that you are identifying is the lack of a sense of closure at the end of the day. >>
No, there are two advantages:
(1) AutoDIT does a better job separating your "hot" tasks from the new incoming miscellany.
(2) AutoDIT provides a better sense of closure at the end of the day.
<< I have to say from reading your previous descriptions of your system that I think the sense of closure in AutoDIT is a rather illusory one. From what I understand, you don't necessarily do (or even start) all the work on your hot list. Quite a bit of it gets moved off the hot list "for later". One could produce a sense of closure on any type of list by doing that. >>
You have misunderstood how the hotlist works.
(1) You need to take action in the first place, for something to get entered onto the hotlist.
(2) On a typical day, everything on the hotlist gets repeated action, many times per day. After something has had "enough" action for the day -- which I generally determine by the "feel" of the task -- it then gets moved to tomorrow.
<< In (non-Auto) DIT you get your sense of closure by actually taking some action on all the tasks. >>
AutoDIT works the same way, which is why I named it AutoDIT. :-)
<< But perhaps I've misunderstood? >>
Yes.
<< I'd also point out that in AF1 you would have marked both the start point for yesterday and the start point for today. So at any stage you can quickly carry out a check of how many tasks on the "hot list" you have taken action on during the day. >>
It's not quite as easy to do, since there are lots of miscellaneous tasks between those two markers, in addition to the hot tasks. AutoDIT separates them out pretty quickly.
<< My own experience of working AF1 (whatever the start point) is that the day tends to shape itself in very much the way you have described for AutoDIT. In fact that shaping seems to occur whatever system I use. >>
That's a very interesting statement. I wonder if that is driven by the mechanics of your systems (which all seem to share at least a few common principles), or whether it's your own well-cultivated internal sense of how the day should shape up. I'd guess it's the latter, because I never had that experience with ANY system other than DIT and AutoDIT, at least not so consistently, and not to such a degree.
<< Both AutoDIT and AF1 (as defined) produce virtually identical lists at the start of the day. These consist of: 1) New tasks entered yesterday which have not yet been worked on >>
Thanks for all your comments and questions, Mark.
With AutoDIT, there would be fewer new items entered yesterday which have already seen action.
<< The difference between them lies in what happens after that. >>
Except for the slight caveat above, yes, this is true.
<< As far as I can see the only real disadvantage to AF1 that you are identifying is the lack of a sense of closure at the end of the day. >>
No, there are two advantages:
(1) AutoDIT does a better job separating your "hot" tasks from the new incoming miscellany.
(2) AutoDIT provides a better sense of closure at the end of the day.
<< I have to say from reading your previous descriptions of your system that I think the sense of closure in AutoDIT is a rather illusory one. From what I understand, you don't necessarily do (or even start) all the work on your hot list. Quite a bit of it gets moved off the hot list "for later". One could produce a sense of closure on any type of list by doing that. >>
You have misunderstood how the hotlist works.
(1) You need to take action in the first place, for something to get entered onto the hotlist.
(2) On a typical day, everything on the hotlist gets repeated action, many times per day. After something has had "enough" action for the day -- which I generally determine by the "feel" of the task -- it then gets moved to tomorrow.
<< In (non-Auto) DIT you get your sense of closure by actually taking some action on all the tasks. >>
AutoDIT works the same way, which is why I named it AutoDIT. :-)
<< But perhaps I've misunderstood? >>
Yes.
<< I'd also point out that in AF1 you would have marked both the start point for yesterday and the start point for today. So at any stage you can quickly carry out a check of how many tasks on the "hot list" you have taken action on during the day. >>
It's not quite as easy to do, since there are lots of miscellaneous tasks between those two markers, in addition to the hot tasks. AutoDIT separates them out pretty quickly.
<< My own experience of working AF1 (whatever the start point) is that the day tends to shape itself in very much the way you have described for AutoDIT. In fact that shaping seems to occur whatever system I use. >>
That's a very interesting statement. I wonder if that is driven by the mechanics of your systems (which all seem to share at least a few common principles), or whether it's your own well-cultivated internal sense of how the day should shape up. I'd guess it's the latter, because I never had that experience with ANY system other than DIT and AutoDIT, at least not so consistently, and not to such a degree.
January 14, 2012 at 0:45 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
For those who missed the AutoDIT discussions, here are the main threads:
- AutoDIT - http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/1686045
- AutoDIT rewrite - http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/1688987
- AutoDIT vs "DIT + AF1 backlog" - http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/1687434
- Testing AF1 vs AutoDIT - http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/1692994
Mark Forster made the claim that AutoDIT was the same as AF1, if you start each day in AF1 at yesterday's first page.
I was intrigued by this theory but wasn't convinced. So, spent the last couple of weeks trying it.
I found that they really are different. I will post my observations of the key differences as separate posts in this thread, below.
When I refer to AutoDIT in this thread, I mean simplified rewritten version, posted at http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/1688987 .
When I refer to AF1 in this thread, I mean "AF1 starting each day at yesterday's first page".