Discussion Forum > DIT - Finally purchased!
That book helped me the most of the three that I read (others were Dreams and Get Everything Done.)
I think that anyone who does FV or AF* seriously should read DIT. That's where he articulates the Little and Often principle which I have found so useful.
I think that anyone who does FV or AF* seriously should read DIT. That's where he articulates the Little and Often principle which I have found so useful.
November 3, 2012 at 1:46 |
moises
moises
My copy of DIT has been my constant companion these last few months. The "audit your commitments" material in Chapter 5, "Busy Work vs Real Work" has been really useful. Well, nearly ALL of the book has been really useful.
For awhile I was processing my daily Will Do list with the FV algorithm, because it wasn't really a Will Do list. Now that I'm getting better at crafting a real Will Do list, I find it's easier just to go straight down the list, skipping things only if the context or timing isn't quite right.
The Current Initiative idea has really helped me with focusing on the larger, critical projects that I must move forward.
I could go on and on about how this has been helping me get things in better order, more focused, with better results.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts Avrum!
Can you post a few links to some of the "gold" you found in those years of Mark's posts?
For awhile I was processing my daily Will Do list with the FV algorithm, because it wasn't really a Will Do list. Now that I'm getting better at crafting a real Will Do list, I find it's easier just to go straight down the list, skipping things only if the context or timing isn't quite right.
The Current Initiative idea has really helped me with focusing on the larger, critical projects that I must move forward.
I could go on and on about how this has been helping me get things in better order, more focused, with better results.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts Avrum!
Can you post a few links to some of the "gold" you found in those years of Mark's posts?
November 4, 2012 at 18:27 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
<<Can you post a few links to some of the "gold" you found in those years of Mark's posts?
>>
Let's put it this way... I read almost every article I stumbled across. Mark's that good!
>>
Let's put it this way... I read almost every article I stumbled across. Mark's that good!
November 4, 2012 at 22:06 |
avrum
avrum
Feel free to pick one and write about it.
November 5, 2012 at 1:21 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
According to Amazon, the mail(wo)man is delivering DIT today. This is an (emotional) big deal because I'm been posting/following Mark's work since 2008, but never read any of his books. Also, a year of hacking my own systems has taught me something: the advantages of creating my own system(s) buckle under the same factors that led to their creation i.e. constant improvement, novelty, creating my own forms, etc. As the year comes to a close, it's exciting to give myself over to rules and procedures conceived by one of my productivity heroes.
November 5, 2012 at 17:02 |
avrum
avrum
Just a warning, DIT is not laid out in an algorithmic way quite so definitively as AF or FV etc. It took me a week or two to get into a rhythm with it -- unlike AF or FV which were really fast to adopt.
For example - Let's say you process everything following the do-it-tomorrow rule, and you follow this rule in an algorithmic way. Here is how something can happen:
(Day 1) You receive an email - you see it is not immediate-urgent, so you let it wait till tomorrow
(Day 2) You process that email together with the rest of yesterday's email. But this particular email requires you to think and reflect and write a thorough response -- might take you half an hour. So, you put it on your DIT list for a task on tomorrow's list.
(Day 3) You take action on that email, and finally send your response.
Meanwhile other people on the thread have already carried on the discussion without you, and your response is seen as late or irrelevant or kicking a dead horse. Even if you are bringing new information to the table, a decision has already been made and people have moved on.
My main point: Don't always take the DIT rule absolutely literally. Maybe you aren't in an environment with such heavy email traffic and the need for many emails to have a same-day response. But I am, and I have gone back to scanning my emails in between meetings or whenever I get back from a break -- several times a day -- and dispositioning them more quickly. I still respond to most of them next-day, but not on Day 3.
Also, if you need a good daily notebook, I really like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/886613113X
For example - Let's say you process everything following the do-it-tomorrow rule, and you follow this rule in an algorithmic way. Here is how something can happen:
(Day 1) You receive an email - you see it is not immediate-urgent, so you let it wait till tomorrow
(Day 2) You process that email together with the rest of yesterday's email. But this particular email requires you to think and reflect and write a thorough response -- might take you half an hour. So, you put it on your DIT list for a task on tomorrow's list.
(Day 3) You take action on that email, and finally send your response.
Meanwhile other people on the thread have already carried on the discussion without you, and your response is seen as late or irrelevant or kicking a dead horse. Even if you are bringing new information to the table, a decision has already been made and people have moved on.
My main point: Don't always take the DIT rule absolutely literally. Maybe you aren't in an environment with such heavy email traffic and the need for many emails to have a same-day response. But I am, and I have gone back to scanning my emails in between meetings or whenever I get back from a break -- several times a day -- and dispositioning them more quickly. I still respond to most of them next-day, but not on Day 3.
Also, if you need a good daily notebook, I really like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/886613113X
November 5, 2012 at 20:28 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
DIT's algorithm worked well for me until I fell too far behind. At first, it was easy enough to treat each week as a single AF1 page. Then things slid more and it fell apart.
It worked great for high-priority tasks and well-enough for mid-priority repeating tasks. If I planned to do it on the 15th and stuff came up between now and then that made that unreasonable, it wasn't a big deal. Do it a bit early or let it slide a bit.
It fell down for low-priority tasks. When life got busy, they slid too far and I had too many low-priority things backlogged. They weren't low-enough to drop, but they slid far enough that it was too discouraging. Because they were spread out over several months, they were hard to find and reschedule.
The real gold of that method was realizing that I could do more in a day than I realized, but not as much as I hoped.
It worked great for high-priority tasks and well-enough for mid-priority repeating tasks. If I planned to do it on the 15th and stuff came up between now and then that made that unreasonable, it wasn't a big deal. Do it a bit early or let it slide a bit.
It fell down for low-priority tasks. When life got busy, they slid too far and I had too many low-priority things backlogged. They weren't low-enough to drop, but they slid far enough that it was too discouraging. Because they were spread out over several months, they were hard to find and reschedule.
The real gold of that method was realizing that I could do more in a day than I realized, but not as much as I hoped.
November 6, 2012 at 3:47 |
Cricket
Cricket
<<until I fell too far behind.>>
I cannot think of one system - I tried most of 'em - where (given enough time) this would be the case. In my situation, this has more to do with the allure of the system wearing off than workload.
I cannot think of one system - I tried most of 'em - where (given enough time) this would be the case. In my situation, this has more to do with the allure of the system wearing off than workload.
November 6, 2012 at 12:15 |
avrum
avrum
I'm an eternal optimist and overload my system. Even my daily focus list is often too long -- but at least the things I really need to do are in one place. Every time I see it, I get a reality check. If they're spread over several pages? Out-of-sight, out-of-mind. If a system lets me schedule things in advance, it's too easy to think I'll have a good week and load it up.
November 6, 2012 at 14:19 |
Cricket
Cricket
The one feature I like most about DIT is how it regulates the overall commitment level. It does this a lot better than any other of Mark's systems (including DWM, which is very similar to DIT).
After a short time using DIT, it becomes clear how much I can really handle in one day. It usually boils down to my current initiative, plus 4-8 recurring items (clear inbox, clear voicemail, change furnace filters, etc.), plus 8-12 other items max.
If I put more than that on my page, I will have a very hard time getting it all done in one day.
Knowing this, I try to limit how much I put on the page for any one day. I write the current initiative at the top of the page (or use a sticky note and move it along day-to-day). Then I reserve about 8 lines for recurring items. If they get filled up, I write them on the next page. I write everything else that comes up, below those lines. If it starts getting too long, I know I have to spread things out.
Sometimes I can spread things out over the coming week, rather than always putting everything on the page for Tomorrow. This helps balance things out.
It can also be helpful to leave one day a week empty. At my job, they discourage you from setting up meetings on Fridays, especially Friday afternoons, so I also try to keep my DIT page clear on Fridays. I use the time for current initiative, catch-up, clean-up, clearing backlogs from the week, resetting, looking forward to the weekend and following week. Basically, I try to make sure I am on top of my work. And then, if I am feeling on top of my work, I spend the rest of the day on things that require more deep thinking and engaged work that will really move my work forward.
It doesn't always work out that way, but keeping the day clear of the usual task list helps.
After a short time using DIT, it becomes clear how much I can really handle in one day. It usually boils down to my current initiative, plus 4-8 recurring items (clear inbox, clear voicemail, change furnace filters, etc.), plus 8-12 other items max.
If I put more than that on my page, I will have a very hard time getting it all done in one day.
Knowing this, I try to limit how much I put on the page for any one day. I write the current initiative at the top of the page (or use a sticky note and move it along day-to-day). Then I reserve about 8 lines for recurring items. If they get filled up, I write them on the next page. I write everything else that comes up, below those lines. If it starts getting too long, I know I have to spread things out.
Sometimes I can spread things out over the coming week, rather than always putting everything on the page for Tomorrow. This helps balance things out.
It can also be helpful to leave one day a week empty. At my job, they discourage you from setting up meetings on Fridays, especially Friday afternoons, so I also try to keep my DIT page clear on Fridays. I use the time for current initiative, catch-up, clean-up, clearing backlogs from the week, resetting, looking forward to the weekend and following week. Basically, I try to make sure I am on top of my work. And then, if I am feeling on top of my work, I spend the rest of the day on things that require more deep thinking and engaged work that will really move my work forward.
It doesn't always work out that way, but keeping the day clear of the usual task list helps.
November 6, 2012 at 17:10 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Re falling behind in DIT:
There's a very important principle in the book which I think people tend to ignore.This is that falling behind is an essential part of the system.
Falling behind is the trigger for an audit of commitments. The theory behind this is that all work comes from the commitments we have made, either explicitly or implicitly. These commitments may be to ourselves, to our colleagues, employers, friends, family, clients, subordinates, etc. etc.
We should aim to fulfill all our commitments to the degree envisaged when making that commitment. If we can't do that, then it would be better not to take on the commitment in the first place.
If we are falling behind, this means that we are failing in some of our commitments. The further we fall behind the more we are failing. The way to keep up is to reduce our commitments - hence the audit.
The balance we should be aiming for is "the amount of work that falls due each day equals on average the amount of work we do each day".
For this to work it's important that we don't preselect the following days work. Spreading things out in the way that Seraphim recommends above can be fatal to the system because it may disguise the fact that we are falling behind and stop us from tackling the real problem - which is that we are overcommitted.
There are of course always going to be days on which one doesn't get through the list. But you should be able to catch up within a few days. Anything longer than that means an audit. By "catch up" I mean doing every outstanding task. The aim is to be on top of every current commitment that you have.
There's a very important principle in the book which I think people tend to ignore.This is that falling behind is an essential part of the system.
Falling behind is the trigger for an audit of commitments. The theory behind this is that all work comes from the commitments we have made, either explicitly or implicitly. These commitments may be to ourselves, to our colleagues, employers, friends, family, clients, subordinates, etc. etc.
We should aim to fulfill all our commitments to the degree envisaged when making that commitment. If we can't do that, then it would be better not to take on the commitment in the first place.
If we are falling behind, this means that we are failing in some of our commitments. The further we fall behind the more we are failing. The way to keep up is to reduce our commitments - hence the audit.
The balance we should be aiming for is "the amount of work that falls due each day equals on average the amount of work we do each day".
For this to work it's important that we don't preselect the following days work. Spreading things out in the way that Seraphim recommends above can be fatal to the system because it may disguise the fact that we are falling behind and stop us from tackling the real problem - which is that we are overcommitted.
There are of course always going to be days on which one doesn't get through the list. But you should be able to catch up within a few days. Anything longer than that means an audit. By "catch up" I mean doing every outstanding task. The aim is to be on top of every current commitment that you have.
November 7, 2012 at 15:46 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Seraphim:
<< Meanwhile other people on the thread have already carried on the discussion without you, and your response is seen as late or irrelevant or kicking a dead horse. Even if you are bringing new information to the table, a decision has already been made and people have moved on. >>
That's not a fault of the system. It a failure to allocate the correct priority to the task. In DIT the default is "Put it on Tomorrow's List", but there are two other priorities "Immediate" and "Same Day".
If you have a fast-moving email discussion in which most of the decisions are going to be made within the space of a few hours, then which priority would be the correct one?
<< Meanwhile other people on the thread have already carried on the discussion without you, and your response is seen as late or irrelevant or kicking a dead horse. Even if you are bringing new information to the table, a decision has already been made and people have moved on. >>
That's not a fault of the system. It a failure to allocate the correct priority to the task. In DIT the default is "Put it on Tomorrow's List", but there are two other priorities "Immediate" and "Same Day".
If you have a fast-moving email discussion in which most of the decisions are going to be made within the space of a few hours, then which priority would be the correct one?
November 7, 2012 at 15:51 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Only just seen Seraphim's description of a DIT audit on the Pre-Defining Task Outcomes Clearly thread. That's a good example of what I'm talking about in my last post but one.
November 7, 2012 at 16:00 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
"Falling behind is the trigger for an audit of commitments."
I thought Falling Behind is the trigger for an audit of systems. Speaking half in jest.
I thought Falling Behind is the trigger for an audit of systems. Speaking half in jest.
November 7, 2012 at 16:25 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Mark Forster wrote:
<< That's not a fault of the system. It a failure to allocate the correct priority to the task. In DIT the default is "Put it on Tomorrow's List", but there are two other priorities "Immediate" and "Same Day". >>
Yes, exactly. I was trying to make the point that it can take some practice to get the hang of what to do with each kind of item.
<< That's not a fault of the system. It a failure to allocate the correct priority to the task. In DIT the default is "Put it on Tomorrow's List", but there are two other priorities "Immediate" and "Same Day". >>
Yes, exactly. I was trying to make the point that it can take some practice to get the hang of what to do with each kind of item.
November 8, 2012 at 18:07 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Alan Baljeu
<< "Falling behind is the trigger for an audit of commitments."
I thought Falling Behind is the trigger for an audit of systems. Speaking half in jest. >>
Speaking seriously, that may be the case with the post-DIT systems, AF through FV, but is not the case with DIT. DIT does not claim to be a catch all system. It is intended to help you to balance your work load so that you can remain on top of it.
<< "Falling behind is the trigger for an audit of commitments."
I thought Falling Behind is the trigger for an audit of systems. Speaking half in jest. >>
Speaking seriously, that may be the case with the post-DIT systems, AF through FV, but is not the case with DIT. DIT does not claim to be a catch all system. It is intended to help you to balance your work load so that you can remain on top of it.
November 9, 2012 at 16:13 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Finally purchase "DIT" too
(hummm only 3 ex remained on amazon.fr, thus now 2 only!!! hurry up french readers !!!)
thanks for Mark and all contributors for your help.
Alain
(hummm only 3 ex remained on amazon.fr, thus now 2 only!!! hurry up french readers !!!)
thanks for Mark and all contributors for your help.
Alain
November 27, 2012 at 17:02 |
Alain C
Alain C
Alain -
Funny thing... 2/3s through DIT, I returned to DWM. First on paper, and now with Omnifocus. Going onto my 2nd week...
Funny thing... 2/3s through DIT, I returned to DWM. First on paper, and now with Omnifocus. Going onto my 2nd week...
November 27, 2012 at 18:04 |
avrum
avrum
Week 4 using DWM & Omnifocus.
December 3, 2012 at 3:34 |
avrum
avrum
Didn't Mark say somewhere that DWM isn't just similar to DIT, it *is* DIT?
December 3, 2012 at 18:47 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim -
I do recall something like that, though the claim wasn't as strong.
I do recall something like that, though the claim wasn't as strong.
December 3, 2012 at 18:59 |
avrum
avrum
December 4, 2012 at 23:14 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Nice, Seraphim!
I did DWM for a over a year (in Excel) and liked it a lot.
I liked it so much that I now make every effort to allow nothing on my FV list older than a week (I dropped the "M" off of DWM).
I did DWM for a over a year (in Excel) and liked it a lot.
I liked it so much that I now make every effort to allow nothing on my FV list older than a week (I dropped the "M" off of DWM).
December 5, 2012 at 0:54 |
moises
moises
I 've been wanting to buy it too, but was hoping that amazon would publish it as an ebook.
So far it didnt happen, so I'm going to order it now
I would like to add a couple of books so they arrive in the same package. Should I buy one of Mark's previous books?
So far it didnt happen, so I'm going to order it now
I would like to add a couple of books so they arrive in the same package. Should I buy one of Mark's previous books?
December 19, 2012 at 12:22 |
Walter
Walter
Walter, buy "Get Everything Done" also. It complements DIT and is more focused on underlying principles.
December 20, 2012 at 11:00 |
Daneb
Daneb
Thank you, Daneb.
I wasnt sure if DIT superceded Get Everything Done or complemented it.
I've just ordered both from Amazon.
Now two weeks until it arrives from the UK
@&!,@!!!#£!!
I hate waiting
I wasnt sure if DIT superceded Get Everything Done or complemented it.
I've just ordered both from Amazon.
Now two weeks until it arrives from the UK
@&!,@!!!#£!!
I hate waiting
December 21, 2012 at 9:20 |
Walter
Walter
There's a lot of gold in Mark's posts 2006 - 2008.